Budget-Friendly Wedding Ideas: Inexpensive Cake Toppers

Even the most traditional wedding should somehow reflect the individuality of the couple, but those trying to stick to a budget must often make hard choices between sticking to the agreed-upon price point and the wedding details of their dreams. One item in the wedding budget where it's easy to personalize is the wedding cake topper. Customized pieces can run into the hundreds. With a little creativity you can still have a unique wedding cake topper that fits your style, without the enormous price tag. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Picture It
Picture frames can be obtained very inexpensively at your local craft or big-box store. Choose a frame that suits your wedding style, or a plain clear acrylic slide-in frame if you don't want the frame to take the focus off of what's in it. Fill it with a much-loved photo of the two of you or a favorite quotation or scripture. After the wedding, the framed words or photo are ready to be hung on the wall of your home as a treasured keepsake.

Play Around
The toy aisle seems like the last place you'd look for a wedding cake topper, but for the couple with a sense of whimsy it could be a great way to add the custom touch. Carefully chosen small toys can be a reminder of the couple's individual past, newly joined, and will be a conversation starter for guests who may be meeting one another for the first time.

Check the Holiday Section
If you like the idea of incorporating some whimsy but want to do it in a more refined way, take a look at your favorite shop's selection of Christmas ornaments. German glass ornaments are an especially sophisticated look, lending dignified grace to even the most fanciful subject matter.

From the Garden
Sugared flowers (sometimes called candied flowers) are one of the most simple and elegant options for topping your wedding cake, and the base material can often be cheaply acquired from the garden of a good-hearted and green-thumbed friend or relative. The process is simple and straightforward, and directions can be found with a quick trip to Google.

Berry Beautiful
A less common but utterly beautiful natural option is to ornament your cake with berries. Berries are unique and vibrantly covered, and can be chosen to reflect the local area or the couple's respective home region.

Just Bead It
Monogram cake toppers are growing in popularity. Make yours unique with a trip to the craft store - wire, delicate glass beads, and a pair of task-appropriate pliers can yield you a beautiful set of personalized initials that won't be a carbon copy of every other couple's cake topper this year.

Cook Something Up
One of my favorite ideas comes from a friend of mine. Sugar cookies can be cut and decorated to look like the couple, or left in a plain shape and iced with initials or a special message. The couple can then exchange cookies instead of the traditional first bite of cake. Love baked goods but not big on cookies? Check out these cake pops.

Go Naked
Sometimes simple really is better. Many cake designs are gorgeous all on their own, and can be personalized with the couple's names or initials in an elegant script. Your cake will be beautiful, and you'll have one less thing to worry about.

In wedding cake toppers as with anything else, the options for a personal touch that fits your budget are endless. You need only think creatively. Good luck, and congratulations!