Wedding Cake Toppers

Are you ready to put the finishing touches on your wedding cake? Forget the tacky plastic bride and groom wedding cake topper. Or the even tackier groom-running-for-his-life-while-the-bride-drags-him-by-the-neck-back-to-the-top-of-the-cake topper. This year's brides have more options than ever when it comes to personalizing their wedding cakes - so if you feel like parting with tradition, try one of these more tasteful cake topper ideas:

1. No topper at all. Does your cake already include ribbons, pearls, and elaborate embellishments? Less is more. Consider leaving the topper off altogether. Just as you need to balance your own accessories (do you really need the veil, tiara, rhinestone clip and baby roses in your hair?), you need to keep an eye on your cake decor. Know when to leave well enough alone!

2. Your new monogram. Personally, this is our favorite! It's personal, simple, and elegant. Monogrammed cake toppers are available in a variety of colors, styles, and sizes like these Rhinestone Cake Letters or this Personalized Acrylic Circle Cake Top

Choose from gold or silver to accent your reception decorations – some even offer color rhinestones. Clear, acrylic monogram letters offer the clean look of an ice sculpture. Still not your style? Have your cake designer create a monogram out of candy! If a monogram seems to crowd the top of the cake, just use the first letter of your new last name (or the first letters of both of your first names if you're keeping your maiden name).

3. Flowers. Fresh or high-quality silk, it doesn't really matter – just be sure it doesn't look cheap. If you're having an outdoor reception in the summertime, you might consider silk so they don't wilt in the heat. Decorate your wedding cake with the same flowers you carried in your bouquet or match them to the color scheme of your reception.

4. Your wedding date. In a style similar to that of the monogrammed cake toppers, immortalize your wedding date (“9.09.09”) in all those face-stuffing cake shots your photographer is sure to get.

5. Something that shows your unique personality as a couple. Did you meet in the military? At church? Do you share a love of music or sports? Rest assured, a Google search will turn up the perfect wedding cake topper to showcase your unique interests or talents. Many cake topper designers are now catering to the unique personalities of couples with religious, hobby, and vocational themed cake toppers.