When you are planning your wedding, choosing a specific wedding theme is one of the first decisions you need to make. It sets the whole tone of your special day and influences almost every aspect of your wedding. It helps you determine your colors, your decorations, your favors, your venues and even your activities.

But right now, when you are looking at a blank piece of paper or an empty reception hall, it can be a huge challenge to come up with some ideas that suit you and your partner.

Here are some suggestions to help you choose your wedding theme along with a few fun ideas as to how to incorporate it into your wedding day.

One popular choice of wedding themes is a seasonal theme based on the time of year you are getting married. For example, a fall wedding theme might feature rich autumn colors like browns, oranges and reds. Colored leaves and berries could then be featured in the decorations, centrepieces and favors. Similarly, a spring wedding could use any number of pinks, blues or other pastel colors and summer themes offer a great chance to include lots of bright, happy florals in your day.

Another similar way to choose your wedding theme is to consider a nearby holiday. Christmas weddings with lots of red and green and poinsettias are very popular in December. You can go all out with Christmas decorations and lights or go for a more refined elegant look with royal reds and golds.

Valentine's Day is another holiday theme you could choose if your wedding falls in February. It’s a great opportunity to include lots of reds and pink, and of course, love hearts into your special day.

A particularly patriotic couple with a summer wedding could even go for a red, white and blue, all-American theme.

Some couples may choose to theme their wedding around a specific culture. For instance, it is very popular to add Jewish elements to a wedding, even if neither the bride nor the groom is of Jewish heritage. Irish wedding themes with lots of greens and Asian themes are other common cultural choices.

If you and your partner have a special place, maybe somewhere you holidayed together, incorporating elements from that place and culture may be a nice idea for personalizing your wedding day.

A simple colour scheme is sometimes all it takes to create a beautiful wedding theme. Some brides have their wedding colors picked out long before they even met Mr. Right, but if you haven’t chosen yours yet, think about your favourite colors. They are often the best place to start.

Also consider the ambience you wish to create at your wedding. Rich, deep colours like burgundy, royal purple and deep blue work extremely well for formal weddings. Black and white can add an air of sophistication. Pinks and purples add a gorgeous but understated feminine touch. Just remember, whatever colors you choose, they will set the tone for your day.

Another option for choosing your wedding theme is to consider the special interests or occupations of you and your partner. For example, one bride who is a musician chose to theme her wedding completely in black and white, in imitation of piano keys.

If there was a job where the two of you met or a special activity that was an integral part of your relationship, you could create a wedding theme based on that. It could be anything from a beach wedding to a wedding on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Be creative. The possibilities really are endless.

Many things are affected by the choice of your wedding theme. For example, you may choose to create themed invitations with pictures and/or fonts that correspond with your wedding theme or find a printing company with designs that match your theme.

Themed wedding favors can also add a touch of fun to your reception. For instance, you could give out flower leis at a Hawaiian themed wedding or Celtic blessing cards for an Irish themed wedding.

Of course, the bridesmaid dress and groomsmen vests should be color coordinated with your theme. As should your choice of flowers, candles and tableware (like napkins and tablecloths).

But that’s not all! If you have a specific holiday theme or a cultural theme, you can reflect it in your choice of food at the reception. For example, Hawaiian or Pacific style dishes may include foods such as coconut or pineapple. Asian themes might feature noodles or sushi. Italian themes might feature pasta dishes.

You can also feature your theme in reception activities and games. For instance, a Valentine's Day themed wedding could include all sorts of humorous activities related to matchmaking and secret valentines. Even music can be tied into and support a theme.

Choosing your wedding theme can be a lot of fun and adds an extra sense of excitement to the whole wedding planning process. Your guests will appreciate the congruity between the different elements of your day and enjoy the many different details associated with your theme. Plus, it makes your special day that extra little bit more memorable for you.

So now the only question is, once you have chosen your theme, how do you pull it off? It really is quite easy once you get started.

Firstly, get yourself a wedding checklist like the Free Essential Wedding Checklist at WeddingDayDelights.com.

Then, go through each item on your checklist and decide whether or not they will be affected by your theme. Some items, like your wedding rings, probably won’t be affected, but others, like table decorations and invitations offer you so many possibilities.

Put a little bit of thought-power, planning and creativity into the mix and you’ll soon have a wedding theme you love and a wedding day you will treasure forever.