Wedding themes are popular and can not only help guide a direction for a wedding and reception, but can also bring the entire wedding together. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing… a fine line between ‘enough’ and ‘theme park’ too much. So, let’s discuss how to create a theme without turning your wedding into a cartoon.
What exactly constitutes a theme? Themes can be based on almost anything within reason: seasons (winter, spring, summer, or fall), geographic settings like the beach, forests, big city, or gardens. There are movie themes, music themes, and even book themes to inspire you. Receptions can be based on something as simple as a group of colors like hot pink, warm apricot and lime green or on a single object like a crystal vase or a butterfly. It is very important that the chosen theme has a special meaning for the couple who is getting married. Without that personal bond, an item is no more special than what you’d find at any chain restaurant.
Your chosen theme should work well with the venue in which your reception is being held. Don’t have a Moulin Rouge theme in a horse stable setting. It just doesn’t work! Tying your theme and venue together will create a cohesive look that will make your reception flawless in style. There is always the possibility of taking a very plain and simple location and transforming it into a fantasy theme. However, you have to remember that the more you have to do in one place, the higher the budget costs will be. If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll have some limitations, and you’ll need to be flexible about the combination of venue and theme.
It is appropriate to incorporate a theme into almost all areas of your wedding and reception. Just as an example, let’s say your wedding and reception will take place in a seaside town and you’re really into seashells. He decides to reduce that to a sand dollar. The sand dollar outline can appear on your save the date cards or the card can be in the shape of a sand dollar, the design can be embossed on your invitations or projected onto the background of the card. Sand dollars can be sprinkled like confetti on tables, little ones tied with nautical rope over napkins instead of napkin rings. The list could go on and on, but there is an important point that needs to be made here. Don’t overdose on sand dollars. Tie on a few other sea elements such as sea glass colors, tropical plants and trees, woven baskets, sand, bucket sails, etc. By making the sand dollar the predominant decorative element, but incorporating other related elements as well, you’ll highlight the sand dollar without the risk of going overboard.
Care must be taken in selecting your theme and the availability of articles to carry it out. Save the “pretty” favors and decorations for parties and holidays and use favors and decorations that don’t scream like toys or anything childlike. This is not to say that everything should be too stuffy, but weddings and their subsequent receptions deserve to be held to a higher plane of decorum than an ordinary party would demand. So, aim for elegant fun, natural beauty, or gorgeous charm, and steer clear of over-the-top, tacky decor. If you’re not sure how to achieve this, take a look at the barrage of magazines devoted to wedding receptions. Become an expert in as look at magazines with a critical eye.
Ask yourself why you like a certain image. Is it the setting, the colors, the lighting, the flowers that catch your eye? When you can break down the look that appeals to you, you can start to see how to achieve that same feeling. If you are using a wedding planner, having these images and the ability to dissect the elements that appeal to you will make it much easier for you to communicate what it is that you are trying to achieve.
The bottom line is: should I have a theme or not? Probably yes, even if it’s as loose as a color grouping, it will give you direction. Just remember not to overuse it, keep it predominant, but not exclusive, and avoid bad taste at all costs!
© Marilyn Lewis, 2008
