Every Avenue Weddings Magazine- Issue8 Issue 8 | Page 13

Kate Elford, Atop of the tier
Cake toppers
It all began in 1999 with Pottery by
Design, making all sorts of ceramics
for shops and shows. I made nativity
sets which were always popular and
developed the idea to make it available
throughout the year with little figures
featuring hobbies and occupations and
also little bride and grooms. The cake
toppers grew from this, gradually more
and more people began ordering them,
so the website was launched and I am
very lucky to be concentrating on cake
toppers now.
It feels like a real privilege to be chosen to make something so personal
for someone that they will treasure. So
much thought and planning goes into
choosing the cake and what it will be
decorated with that I understand how
important it can be.
There are many cake toppers available, with some amazing designs. What
makes my toppers different to the
majority of other makers is that I use
earthenware clay to make them, which
is kiln fired. Most toppers are made
from polymer clay/fimo which is a
material that is oven baked and has an
almost plastic feel when it is finished.
The process I use to create the toppers
is much slower, they are made, dried,
kiln fired, glazed, fired and painted.
It is not a quick development, but the
product at the end of production is a
lovely quality ‘proper’ pottery ornament that will last forever.
Making toppers perhaps gives an image of very formal rigid standard bride
and groom figures, but this is far from
the reality. Toppers have a variety of

themes and additions. Uniforms are
really popular, police, military, judges,
nurses are just a few.
Animals are a really important addition for some who want their pets to
be included on their wedding day, cats,
dogs, rabbits and horses are very popular and I have even made the occasional koala, gecko or monkey! There
is an option for pet toppers which are
sometimes just as an ornament of your
furry friend or as the wedding cake
top. Guinea pigs in top hats and veils
are nothing unusual here!
Same sex marriage toppers are gaining
in popularity, especially with the happy
changes in law over the last few years.
It is always lovely to make a topper
of the whole family with the children
included. It is also fantastic to be contacted by a previous customer who had
a wedding topper, to then be asked for
a Christening topper