Festive Flowers

• Flowers play a significant role in wedding decorations, and you can capture them in cupcakes at the bridal shower. Decorate the top of each cake with a frosting rose or daisy. Alternatively, create a variety of flowers with fondant or gum paste and affix them to the tops of cupcakes to create a multicolored garden. Frost each cupcake in a neutral or pale color and lightly press several edible flowers, such as violets, into the icing.

Seasonal Splendor

• If you are throwing a late spring or summer bridal shower, use fresh fruit to decorate the cupcakes. Try a vanilla cupcake with lemon buttercream and top it with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. Top a strawberry shortcake cupcake with slices of strawberries cut to look like hearts. Candied citrus also looks elegant atop a simply frosted cupcake.

Double Delights

• For an extra treat, top cupcakes with a second dessert. Nestle the side of a pastel-colored macaroon into the frosting on top of each cupcake. Top rich chocolate cupcakes with a truffle or peanut-butter cup. Add a heart-, dress-, ring- or wedding cake-shaped shortbread cookie for a decoration as a nod to the upcoming big day.

Beautiful Bows

• Top your cupcakes with bows matching the wedding colors. Make intricate or simple bows out of fondant for a three-dimensional effect. Alternatively, pipe frosting of a different color from the base in the shape of a bow, allowing the ribbon to droop slightly over the edge of the cupcake top.

Miniature Magic

• Instead of basic cupcakes, serve miniature wedding cakes designed to look like the top layer of the cake to come. Use small circular cookie cutters to cut individual cakes from large sheet cakes; layer them together with frosting and cover in fondant. Decorate the cupcakes with tiny flowers, scrolls or swags.

Picture Perfect

• Rather than decorate each individual cupcake with its own design, frost all of the cupcakes to come together as one large picture. For a wedding dress design, frost each cake with white or ivory buttercream and arrange them on a platter in the shape of the dress. Add a fondant bow around the "waist" in one of the wedding colors. Alternatively, arrange cupcakes in the shape of a wedding cake, a ring or presents, and choose frosting colors accordingly.