When couples design their weddings, they may fashion these events using broad style ideas and color palettes or create them using explicitly crafted themes. Each of these approaches may require you to take certain pros and cons into consideration before finalizing the details. Guests may wonder whether they’ll need to dress up to match your theme or what you’ll expect of them in terms of participation. To plan a wedding that they can enjoy but with the style and elements you want, pay attention to some useful tips as you plan.
From Romantic Elegance to Scarborough Fair
Brides writer Blair Donovan mentioned several common wedding styles in a January 2018 article. Along with each type, she offered suggestions on color palettes and decorative elements. Meanwhile, she added that it’s also possible to combine compatible or complementary styles for a unique take on your event. While a wide range of aesthetics is possible, Donovan focuses on a few common types:
- Romantic
- Vintage
- Modern
- Rustic
- Bohemian
- Traditional
- Nautical
- Tropical
- Celestial
If you’d like to design your wedding with a more specific theme, Kristen Klein of Bridal Guide provides many examples. She discusses schemes from several categories including sports, pop culture, historical, vintage, and literature. Nuptial celebrations that draw from science fiction, fantasy, comics, horror, and video games are top favorites, along with those that borrow elements from the Renaissance, the Jazz Age, and the ancient Near East.
Choosing Your Event’s Theme or Style
With so many possibilities with which you can design your wedding, it’s worth heeding some expert advice during the planning stages. Wedding Forward’s team makes three vital suggestions:
- Make your event personal. Avoid selecting a scheme just because it’s trendy or popular.
- Choose a theme with recognizable elements. Steer clear of obscure details.
- Craft your event with a unique style. Take care that you don’t choose a theme that is similar to one of your friend’s celebrations.
Leila Lewis passes along some advice from wedding planners in a February 2018 Martha Stewart Weddings piece. First, look at your venue, its location, and your own favorite elements for guidance in picking trendy themes or details. Also, it’s a good idea to consider color choices that are atypical for your style of event. For instance, a nautical wedding could incorporate aqua, green, beige, pink, or gold hues instead of red, white, and navy.
Take the Plunge Without Going Overboard
Meanwhile, other writers share a few pieces of sage wisdom to help couples avoid overdoing it when designing their nuptials’ themes. Emily Platt in her September 2017 Martha Stewart Weddings article and Moira Lawler with her April 2016 Brides piece both suggest relying on subtly incorporated thematic elements instead of adopting a theme as your event’s primary focus. With these elements functioning as accents and blending with modern or classic touches, you’ll steer clear of making your wedding seem tacky or jejune.
Additionally, both writers comment that themes can be best implemented for storytelling purposes to emphasize special qualities about each pair’s relationship. For example, a couple who met at Oktoberfest could include German cuisine and drinks in their menu along with a few pertinent decorative touches. When weaved into a traditionally styled wedding, the result can be magical and elegant.
How Will You Craft Your Wedding?
Themes are an excellent way to help couples plan their weddings, but care must be taken in their execution. It’s easy to lean too much on thematic details and end up with an event that looks commercialized, childish, or cheap. Ultimately, it’s wise to choose a theme carefully and with your venues and preferences in mind. Mixing both thematic and nonthematic elements will also help achieve a style and atmosphere that works well for your special day.
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