Amazing Themes for Your Wedding

Finding the right theme for your wedding can be as difficult as selecting the perfect dress, but it doesn’t have to be. The best part of planning your wedding and choosing your wedding theme is imagining how your wedding will look.

Your thoughts may focus on your budget, your location, and the overall planning, but what will really get your juices revved up for an enchanting event are the style, the décor, the colors, and the theme of your wedding. It will give you direction, hope and wonder throughout your wedding planning.

Ambience is the elixir for a creative wedding theme that will enhance your event to a grade all of its own. Colorful linens add pizzazz, hues of color change the mood, and creativity adds that personal touch which expresses you. Entertainment adds zest, party and fun to your wedding and finally your wedding dress is the statement of your style and that of your wedding.

Your wedding is an expression of both you and your betrothed. The wedding colors should be those that the two of you favor, the formality should match that of your relationship and your lives together, and the theme should reflect your interests and hobbies.

My husband and I love nature and the outdoors. We are very laid back people that love food, games, and having fun. We are also very sentimental. Our favorite colors are blue and green and it just so happens that our birthstones reflect those same colors.

As we began planning, we knew that we want to get married outdoors and the more we talked, each of the components of the wedding simply fell into place.

I also kept an idea board on the wall in our office so that we could each put our thoughts and ideas up there for the other person to see and comment on. Communication with each other is going to be the key to finding the perfect wedding theme and making sure that all of the minor details fall into place.

Beach

Beach weddings are extremely popular for the kind of couples that just want to escape and enjoy themselves for their wedding, and the setting practically mandates that everyone has a good time.

There's nothing quite like saying "I do" with your toes in the surf. So make it a casual affair with bare feet or flip-flops, skirts or short dresses for the ladies and short-sleeved shirts for the guys. After the ceremony, gather around a fire pit for an oyster roast, or head inside to a beach-front club for drinks and dancing.

Campout

For the couple in love with camping as much as they are with each other, a camping theme is just perfect. Consider hamburgers and hot dogs on the BBQ. Incorporate the blue speckled camping dinnerware into your design to reflect camping necessities.

Make your invites to reflect a trail map for your guests and slip your menus into sleeping bag covers. Create a “make your own s’more” station as the favor and provide camp lanterns to help your guests find their seats.

Butterflies

Butterflies have long been a symbol of rebirth and transformation. A butterfly wedding theme is a perfect way to symbolize new life as a married couple. You may want to go all out and have butterflies everywhere, or just a few accented touches.

From butterfly shaped invitations, butterflies decorating the programs, butterflies sitting amongst the floral centerpieces, and butterflies sitting in your bridal bouquet, you can have just about anything you want. How about a butterfly release as you say I Do? You can even have butterflies cascading down your cake.

Wine

It really is amazing how many DIY projects you can do with wine corks, wine bottles and wine barrels. Consider deep purple or burgundy for everything from the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses to the napkins. Hire a string quartet or play classical music CDs to add to the ambiance of the evening.

Your flowers could be bouquets of deep red or luscious cream roses. Long-stemmed calla lilies in tall clear vases on your tables will really make a statement. For your wedding favors, offer your guests tiny wine charms or wine stoppers complete with your names and wedding date engraved on them.

Garden

A secret garden theme is for the romantic bride who loves lush flowers and serene settings. Flowers and an abundance of butterflies and birds are ideal for a garden wedding. Incorporate natural items as much possible into your décor, and a touch of mystery into your stationary will really add to the story.

If your reception is at night, glowing table lanterns would be a wonderful touch. If the time of year and the weather are right, a garden wedding can truly be one of the most beautiful wedding themes.

Fairy Tale

Have you been searching for the perfect tiara since childhood? Are you pining for a celebration that would put Cinderella's ceremony to shame? You don't actually have to be royalty to feel like a princess for a day. Ball gown and all, you can have your fairy tale dream.

Go for natural, subtle colors, plenty of greenery, a chocolate fondue fountain and a beautiful castle-shaped cake.

Rent out a ballroom to fit hundreds of guests, hire a small orchestra to provide the music, and take off with Prince Charming in a limo after the reception. If you’re lucky you won’t turn into a pumpkin at the end of the evening.

Country

If extravagance simply isn't your style, you can always have a down-home country wedding. Mandatory cowboy hats, for both the gals and the gents, checkered tablecloths, bales of hay, barbecue and old-school honky-tonk will provide the perfect atmosphere for your country-themed nuptials.

Host the ceremony outside and a country bar with a big dance floor would make a great place for a reception. Don't let a long, full-skirted wedding dress cramp your style when you walk down a grassy aisle or saddle up on the mechanical bull.

Urban

Do you imagine having a beautiful wedding overlooking the city skyline? Is your ideal reception in a fine hotel or the rooftop of the tallest skyscraper?

You may be in the thick of the city, but you’ll have your own private space with a fantastic view. Reserve an urban loft for the reception, and your friends will be talking about your sleek style for years to come.

Think black or white tablecloths, solid colors, less is more to really nail this theme. Have a cigar roller and a fancy plated meal from a caterer and seal the deal on your perfect evening.

Extreme

Are you and your betrothed the kind of people who throw themselves out of airplanes for fun? Does spending quality alone time with your sweetie usually involve scuba gear or skis and a helicopter? If so, you might consider bailing on your plans for normal nuptials and make your wedding as extreme as the two of you are.

The event room at an aquarium, for example, would be well-suited for underwater ceremonies, and a cliff-top restaurant would be a great place for your guests to hang out while you wed on the summit of a nearby mountain.

TOP 7 All-Time Most Popular Wedding Themes

Fairy Tale

Country Chic

Vintage Glamour

Do-It-Yourself

Casual Beach

Totally Traditional

Eco-Friendly

Novelty Geek

It can be anything you want. Dress up as Han and Leia or get married on the bridge of a makeshift Starship Enterprise. If video games are more your thing, adorn yourselves as Link and Zelda and cut into a Triforce-shaped cake.

Of course, your theme will dictate the style of your wedding, so think carefully about where you'd like the ceremony to be and what you want it to look like.

For example, a green and purple indoor "Halo" wedding might not be quite as nice as outside gold, green and white "Legend of Zelda" nuptials.

Vintage/Victorian

This is the perfect choice for the old-fashioned or classic couple. Intricate lace, antique décor, and floral designs are all fitting for a Victoria or vintage wedding. Muted colors

Muted colors, lace and pearls should be used generously, and jazz and swing music should be kept playing in the background throughout the reception. And let’s not forget the guys. Old cars, suspenders and vests (the Mad Men look) are totally vintage. Let your guy know there’s a place for him too!

Eco-friendly

Get married outdoors, rain or shine, on a farm or in a meadow and skip the electricity or running water. There are many beautiful botanical gardens, hilltops and farms that offer modern conveniences, like sinks and toilets, so you don't have to sacrifice these comforts. You'll still be helping the earth because you're letting the sun provide all the lighting.

Look for a caterer who uses locally grown food. Look for seasonal flowers and choose potted blooms or plants as centerpieces.

Ditch the favors altogether and donate to a charity instead. Stick to e-vites and your wedding web page to spread the word about all of your plans.

Offbeat

Offbeat weddings are a celebration of couples who dare to walk off the beaten path. To really do this type of wedding justice, consider keeping an idea board to keep track of all that inspires you. This one theme lends to so many others, like Steampunk, Sci-Fi, Vampire, Martial Arts, Gamer, Retro, Extreme, and many others.

If you have some outlandish wedding ideas, you are in good company. I have coordinated weddings where the bride and groom had their wedding bands tattooed on during the ceremony. This is your moment to truly shine. Have it the way you want it!

Renaissance/Medieval

The venue is absolutely critical when having an authentic renaissance or medieval themed wedding. Look for a castle, an outdoor chapel or something of the right period. Go all out with the ivy, large baskets of flowers, and flowered garlands.

The bride should be dressed in a dark and regal velvet dress using hunter green, deep purples and burgundy for wedding colors. Men typically wear boots, open white pirate-type shirts, tights and laced vests. Consider visiting the Renaissance Festival for theme appropriate ideas.

Jamaican

A Jamaican wedding isn’t authentic if beef patties, curry goat, and jerk chicken or pork aren’t served. Rum punch is also a staple drink. You’ll want some tropical décor and possible a beach location. What’s important is that your guests feel like they are actually in the Caribbean.

Therefore, the music, the décor, the invites, and even the ambience in general are important. For a truly Jamaican feeling wedding, you may even want to consider a destination wedding for you and a small group of your guests. They are rather affordable if you can find the right one.

Backyard BBQ

Ask your guests to come in casual attire. Prepare a typical barbeque menu with items such as burgers, fries, hot dogs, chips and potato salad. Enjoy tables set up in the backyard with an eclectic mix of dishes, glass and silverware.

Be really creative and ask each of your guests to donate chairs and tables for the setup. You can rent a big white tent for your guests to eat and dance under during the reception or simply celebrate your vows under the stars and some well-placed twinkle lights.

Provide good music for entertainment and cap off the night with a surprise fireworks show for your guests. Music, good food, and dancing; what more could anyone ask for?

The 1980s

Deck everything out in the 80’s style. Rent a DeLorean for your wedding getaway car and dress your groomsmen in pastel jackets with the sleeves rolled all the way up to the elbow.

In your wedding invitations, ask all of your guests to come dressed in 80’s themed attire as well. This means bleached and torn up jeans, neon legwarmers, and big gold chains with funky sunglasses.

If you grew up in the 1980s and want your wedding to be an unforgettable one for you and your guests alike, then this is the way to go.

Royal Wedding

The choice of color scheme is everything if you truly want to have yourself a royal wedding. White and shades of pink for summer or spring, or purple and royal blue, for winter and fall, with a touch of gold for either would work well. Go the extra mile with greenery and flowers as extravagance here will really make all the difference.

However keep it simple with the rest of your decorations. Remember that less is more and that there is elegance in simplicity. A royal wedding theme is all about delicate fashion and going big that has sophisticated and grandiose effect on everyone.

Your wedding is an expression of both you and your betrothed. The wedding colors should be those that the two of you favor, the formality should match that of your relationship and your lives together, and the theme should reflect your interests and hobbies.

But you shouldn’t just leave it at that. The wedding theme should get you motivated, excited and overjoyed at the prospect of your wedding. This is your one big day to celebrate your love for each other with all of your friends and family.

That most certainly doesn’t mean that you have to spend a great deal of money on your wedding or décor, but it should mean that you pull out all of the stops when arranging your event. Do you love flowers? Include them in everything you do. Are you two foodies? Make the food the highlight of your event.

And if color is just your thing, make it everything from the tablecloths, to the dresses, to the flowers, and even the food. Let your personalities shine and you’ll give your guests an experience they’ll never forget.