Blown Glass Cake Toppers Add Individuality

How to Personalize the Reception with a Custom Glass Wedding Topper

Aug 19, 2009

Couple's Passions Make Ideal Wedding Cake Toppers, Joe Silver

A custom, blown-glass cake topper creates a wedding cake of unique expression for the bride and groom.

Brides and grooms often choose popular, but common, decorations to create traditional wedding reception décor. But for those wishing to make their wedding as unique and as individual as they are, the custom glass cake topper is a wedding day blessing.

Glass Wedding Figurines and Monogrammed Cake Toppers add Personality

Artisans who create custom, blown-glass cake toppers know that no two toppers will ever be identical. Because glass blowing is done without molds, it would be impossible to create any two toppers with exactly the same characteristics. Even when a design is duplicated, each finished work will have nuances that no other piece will share.

The individual nature of blown-glass cake toppers already lends a unique flair to the wedding event. But by celebrating the bride and groom’s personality via a custom design, the result is a one-of-a-kind keepsake topper the wedding couple will cherish for the rest of their lives.

Themes may include:

initial monograms
fairytales
comical characters
animals
occupations
hobbies or passions
religion
the military
the seasons
nature
traditions

Unique Glass Wedding Cake Toppers Embrace Variety

Blown-glass toppers are versatile. They are available in clear glass that resembles an ice sculpture or in frosted glass that creates a creamy white finish. Metallics and oil-based paints can be included to create accents and enhance wedding color themes. Toppers can be fashioned of one style or another, or as a combination of techniques, depending upon the wedding couple’s wishes.

When asked to describe one of the more unusual cake toppers he’s been asked to create, Joe Silver, artisan and owner of The Hand Blown Glass Co., stated, “There have been so many, but one that stands out is the bear and the bird. The bride called her husband-to-be her teddy bear, and he called her his little bird, so they wanted a topper that featured a bear and a bird in love.”

How to Create a Custom Blown-Glass Wedding Cake Topper

Machine manufactured glass toppers are generally less expensive than custom blown glass, but even handmade choices can be reasonable. Small blown-glass toppers can begin at less than $35. Larger, more intricate pieces customarily begin at about $75 and can exceed $500 depending upon the size and design of the work.

Artisans can be found through yellow page referrals, the Internet, or via a wedding planner.

5 important elements:

Studying the artisan’s work and reputation is the best way to decide on his or her capabilities. Verifying references and testimonials builds buyer confidence.
Being concise with design intentions by committing ideas to paper protects both the wedding couple and the glass artist. Photographs are helpful tools.
A written contract that specifies creation, shipping and insurance costs, return policies, design details, and an early delivery date will prevent potential wedding day disappointment.
Ensuring that the cake will properly support the custom piece is important. The larger the glass piece, the heavier it will be. Size matters. A cake layer that only has an 8” diameter will not be appropriate for a 10” Cinderella carriage.
Allowing the imagination free rein can foster the ideal bride and groom cake topper.

Cake Toppers After the Wedding

Traditional wedding cake toppers are used once then stored away as a wedding day memento, but a blown-glass topper lends itself to after-wedding use as an artistic decorative figurine, a dinner party centerpiece or as the focal point of a shadowbox frame. It is the one piece of the wedding that can be displayed forever without growing old.

Choosing a unique blown-glass wedding cake topper may prove to be one of the most satisfying decisions a bride and groom will make during the wedding experience.

Photos provided courtesy of The Hand Blown Glass Co.

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The copyright of the article Blown Glass Cake Toppers Add Individuality in Wedding Services/Receptions is owned by Tricia Spencer. Permission to republish Blown Glass Cake Toppers Add Individuality in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.