One of the most exciting aspects of planning a wedding is getting to choose a theme! The theme of a wedding makes all your decisions for you, from the colour scheme, the food and the florals, to the music, the dress, the music and the decor. The most important thing to consider when picking out a concept is whether it truly reflects you as a couple.
When you think of a theme, you may be thinking about something extremely specific, such as a Bridgerton inspired wedding, but the theme doesn’t have to be quite that defined. Don’t worry if you don’t want to commit to a definite topic, there is no harm in keeping it simple and traditional if that’s what you both want to do. Selecting a concept is more about the aesthetic of the day and how that entwines with your own personal tastes.
When there are so many different ideas in the media, settling on just one can be a challenge; it’s so easy to get swept up in the excitement and this can sometimes lead to you getting overwhelmed with all the options. However, all you need to do is take a deep breath and think about what you both really want from the big day.
Often, the bride is viewed as the driving force behind the wedding organisation, but don’t forget that it’s a special day for your other half too, so let them get involved in the preparations. By the end of this article, you will know where to start when it comes to mapping out your marriage ceremony.
Express Individuality
Firstly, consider what your unique hobbies and tastes are; this would include things like your favourite foods, colours, music, books, fashion, interests, movies, styles and activities. For example, if you are both fans of comic books, you may want to incorporate this into your wedding, but remember, your initial concept does not have to take over the entire day. Following on from the comic book example, you could use motifs or subtle references without it becoming tacky and over the top; this applies to any shared interest you might want to include in your ceremony.
If you are stuck on how your hobbies and interests can influence your wedding, think about what dates you like to go on together. Say you are a couple who love to go hiking and enjoy the great outdoors, this may inspire your choice of venue (like our outdoor ceremony garden at Pryors Hayes!). Once you have decided on your venue, you can use the location and surroundings to inspire your the rest of your theme.
Also, note that this day is not just about one person; for instance, if one of you loves the vintage aesthetic, that doesn’t mean it would be a good idea to make your wedding one big retro hullabaloo. Although it may take some hard work, you need to come to a compromise on what feels right for both of you.
Create A Mood Board
After you have thought about your individuality as a couple, you can move onto the mood board stage. Mood boards are used to look at anything and everything. If you have absolutely no idea where to start, just look at ‘wedding ideas and inspiration’ on Pinterest. Make sure you create a visual representation of your findings including: images, photographs and sketches; this can be done online or using cut-outs of bridal magazines in a scrapbook. Having a look at all the different types of weddings will help you to determine what you definitely don’t want, what you might like and what you are certain about.
This mood board is something you can keep referring back to when making all your preparations; whenever you are thinking about booking a wedding supplier, you can glance back at your mood board and think about whether they fit with your favourite colour schemes, floral arrangements and wedding dresses.
This is the best place to start narrowing down your ideas until you realise exactly what your dream wedding is going to look like.
Take Inspiration From The Season
If you know when you want your wedding to happen, you have already got a great starting point for your theme. Think about the season and let this inspire your design choices; every season will have different flowers in bloom, different colours, different weather patterns and different clothing requirements.
A Summer wedding may encourage light dresses to stop you from getting too hot, whereas a Winter wedding would elicit big fur coats and thick dress material. With regards to the overall theme, there are different festivities in every season, meaning you could have a Christmas themed wedding in the Winter, or a Boho themed wedding in the Spring. Of course, you don’t have to opt for the obvious seasonal theme, you can make it your own.
Don’t stress if you haven’t chosen a season yet, all you need to do is sit down and make a pro con list for each one. Personally, we think that an Autumn wedding is vastly underrated, but everyone has a distinct preference. Anyhow, thinking about the season is simply a good place to search for inspiration.
Embrace Your Culture & Heritage
Every couple is unique, not only in their personalities and tastes, but also in their culture and heritage. Depending on your religion and your upbringing, you may want to incorporate your shared traditions into the ceremony and wedding party.
These traditions may extend to the style of dress, the food, the decor and the floral arrangements at your wedding; looking into these cultural rituals, you may find that the theme of your big day emerges on its own. Given that we live in the modern world, you may also want to modernise your traditions so that they are more in line with your current beliefs and values.
Pro-Tip: Don’t Be Swayed By Trends
One quick tip we want to leave you with is to stick to your gut; there will be so many wedding trends that come and go, but you need to make sure you choose a theme that suits you. Some wedding trends may really resonate to you and your partner, but make sure you aren’t just picking a concept because it’s trending.
If you are struggling to find inspiration, come along to our wedding Fayre on Sunday 7th November; you can help yourself to some delicious canapés and meet our wedding suppliers.
Wedding Theme Ideas:
Bohemian Wedding
Rustic & Vintage wedding
Fairytale Wedding
Ballroom Wedding
Art Deco & 1920s Wedding
Modern Minimalist Wedding
Casual Garden Party Wedding
Nautical Inspired Wedding
Christmas Themed Wedding
Quirky & Whimsical Wedding
Country Chic Wedding
Winter Wonderland Wedding
Classic & Traditional wedding