Four Creative Ways to Theme Your Cake

Hello! I'm Emma Arendoski from Emmaline Bride and I'm the author of The Handcrafted Wedding and my new book, The Inspired Wedding: Seven Handcrafted Themes for Your Big Day. I'm here today to share some fun ways to incorporate your theme on the wedding cake. Decorating the wedding cake is one of my favorite ways to highlight a theme. In this article, I'll present four themes along with creative ideas to express your theme with do-it-yourself details I spotted on Save on Crafts for your beach, vintage, modern, or traditional wedding.

• Beach

  For a beach-themed wedding cake, go bold and handpick natural details to accentuate the tiers of your cake. For instance, sola flowers (which are made of a wood-like material), seashells, starfish, or orchid petals are a few options for a beach-inspired theme. Artificial coral, like this red one below, could make a fun cake topper and it's ideal for a nautical wedding.

• Vintage

  For a vintage-style wedding, be on the lookout for antique finds — like this vintage-inspired cake stand. Check out that embossed lace trim! Another style is a metal tiered cake stand, which can be used to display desserts such as cupcakes or macaroons. You can accentuate the vintage cake design and use an antique cake topper. Search thrift shops, online at eBay, or ask to borrow your grandmother's or mother's, if she still has it. Another option is a romantically-inspired topper, like this charming set of love birds — the "bird bride" is wearing a lace veil, while the "groom" dons a top hat. Classy and fun!

• Modern

  A modern wedding usually employs the "less is more" rule, and this arrow topper fits the bill perfectly. It appears to cut through the cake, but it's actually two pieces that present a very polished, one-of-a-kind look. Make sure you use a simple wedding cake, like the style shown below. Or a topper of Mr. and Mrs., or even your initials, can make an eye-catching piece. Use an elegant gold cake stand to add a touch of modern elegance and grace.

• Traditional

  A traditional cake with multiple tiers will look elegant atop a stainless steel cake stand, like the one below; for a topper, consider a bride and groom figurine, or decorate with preserved roses scattered along the tiers. For more ideas on selecting a theme and planning a beautifully themed wedding from start to finish, get a copy of The Inspired Wedding in bookstores now! Also check out Emmaline Bride, where you'll find unique concepts and handmade ideas for every detail of your day.

Emma Arendoski is the author of The Handcrafted Wedding, as well as the founder and editor in chief of EmmalineBride , a blog dedicated to all things handmade for your wedding. Why handmade? A handmade piece is special — it's been crafted with love and care, which can't be said for most mass-produced items. When planning their own wedding, Emma and her groom-to-be wanted every element to reflect their personalities — but store-bought finds fell short of their expectations. Online, however, Emma discovered an abundance of beautiful, handmade goods, along with unlimited opportunities for customization. She was so inspired that she decided to create a place where other brides could experience the special qualities that handmade items bring to a wedding. Emmaline Bride became that place. The site now features a shop and a vendor guide, and boasts more than 550,000 visitors per month. Emma lives with her husband and son in Michigan.