A Theme For You
Themed weddings are becoming very popular. It may be something as simple as a colour theme or you may want to tailor your whole wedding to a particular theme such as ‘Winter Wonderland’. Choosing a particular theme can really personalise your wedding and can reflect your own personalities creating a unique and special event.
When deciding on a theme or colour scheme its useful to start thinking about yourselves as a couple – what would reflect your personalities, what is important to you, what memories, mood and ambience do you want to create.
Things that may help you choose a theme or colour scheme could be:-
· Heritage – where you come from
· Hobbies and interests – sports, activities, pastimes.
· How you met
· The time of year you will marry
· What is important to you – organic, ‘green’, fun, chic,
Once you have decided on a theme you can then decide how far to take it. Do you want to just ‘accent’ your day with particular colours or a theme or do you want to build the whole wedding around it?
So what can you incorporate in your theme?
Invitations
This is the ideal place to start your wedding theme as it’s the first thing your guests will receive. You can also co-ordinate the invitations with the rest of your wedding stationary to follow it through the rest of your wedding. Table plans and place cards can be easy and effective ways to do this
You can also use the wedding invitation to tell your guests about any theme especially if you want to apply a dress code such as ‘black tie and posh frocks’. However, be mindful and courteous of what you can expect of your guests and remember the dress code could make or break your wedding pictures so don’t overdo it.
Venue
The venue can be really important for setting the scene for your wedding and can really enhance the theme you have chosen. So if you are looking for a chic formal affair then a trendy, minimalist hotel or restaurant would be ideal. However, if you are looking at a Nature theme then a Barn style venue would be more appropriate.
Wedding Dress
Choosing a wedding dress to fit with your theme sounds easy with so much choice out there. However, you might want to consider what style of dress you want – and even try some on – before finally deciding on a theme. The wedding dress is a really important aspect for most brides, you want to look your best on your special day and you may be surprised what type of dress you decide is ‘the one’.
In addition to the brides dress, the groom and attendants outfits can also be incorporated in the theme.
Flowers
Flowers are a great way to create the atmosphere you want and can be either used as an accent or part of a whole theme. For instance a Leeds United colour scheme could include yellow, white and blue flowers. Whilst a Christmas theme may have holly and mistletoe in the flower arrangements and bouquet. Country Cottage type theme could include lavender which not only looks pretty but smell great too!
Remember its not just the bouquet that can be incorporated in the theme. Think about the button holes, church and reception flowers.
Cake
Another good one for ‘accenting’ themes and colour schemes. Great if you’re on a tight budget and want to incorporate some key parts of the wedding to accent and create a theme. A plain white cake can easily be incorporated in to a theme or colour scheme simply by adding coloured ribbon, flowers or a wedding topper. If you are looking for a fun element to add to your wedding there are some humorous wedding figurines that look great on a plain white cake.
Music
If you are having a civil ceremony the music can really be tailored to your theme – but there may be restrictions of what you can use for the processional and recessional and you do need to let the registrar know beforehand.
However, the music you choose for the reception and evening do can really enhance your theme. If your having a 50s theme then choosing a suitable band to play at the evening reception would really finish things in style and can extend the theme to your first dance.
Photographs
The style of photography can also reflect the theme of your wedding. If you are having a traditional ‘ye olde England’ style wedding then you may want traditional photographs showing period features in your chosen venue set in a traditional album.
Alternatively if you are having a gothic theme you may want lots of dramatic shots and black and white photographs.
Discuss your theme with your photographer who should be able to show examples of different styles of photography that will compliment your theme.
The Do’s and Don’ts of wedding themes
Do - keep it simple – trying to incorporate every aspect of your wedding into a particular theme could be time consuming and expensive
Do – choose a theme that is personal to you both. Choosing a pink colour scheme if your husband to be hates pink might not make you too popular with your intended!
Do – give people plenty of notice if you are having a dress code – preferably at the invite stage. And be considerate of all the guests attending
Don’t – choose a theme that will date too quickly or follows latest trends – it might make your photos look dated very quickly
Don’t – choose a menu that is too unusual – its got to appeal to all your guests from young to old
Don’t – spoil your opportunity to wear the dress of your dreams – fit your theme around your dress if you can
Our Favourite Themes
Sport
Ok so this might be more appealing to the grooms out there but sports themes are very popular. You can just take your team colours as your theme or actually incorporate your favourite sport into different aspects of your wedding such as table names, chocolate football favours, novelty wedding cake, sports trivia on the tables etc.
We love:
These personalised wedding cake toppers available on Ebay. They can add humour to your wedding and are completely personalised to you - right down to your favourite foot kit. All you need to do it send it some photos or pictures and describe how you want it and you not only have a fun cake topper but a keepsake too!
www.ebay.co.uk - search for personalised wedding topper. Cost approx £40 - £50.
Back to Nature
For all you environmentally conscious couples may be a nature theme would appeal. You could ask for organic produce to be used in the menu and wedding cake, use recycled paper for your wedding stationary, have potted plants as table decorations rather than cut flowers and use local, seasonal flowers in your bouquet.
Nautical
Works well if you plan on getting married near the coast. You can use shells as decorations, mini fish and chip cones for the evening reception and sticks of rock for favours. How about champagne and strawberries for canapés whilst you take the wedding photos on the beach.
We love:
Hotel Seattle in Brighton – right on the sea front and has a nautical theme running right through the hotel. http://www.aliashotel.com/.