When it comes to choosing palettes, decorations, place cards, invitations, bridal party outfits, the color of groomsmen’s cufflinks…the list goes on and on…and on. It’s easy to get decision fatigue when you are planning the ins and outs of your special day.
It takes about a year to eighteen months on average to plan a wedding. And you can expect to spend around thirty thousand dollars for the rings, reception, and ceremony if you take the traditional route. If you want to consolidate your planning and your budget, a theme is your secret weapon.
Choosing a theme is an easy shortcut that helps do most of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to these minute details. While choosing the theme itself is a tall order, after that you are in for a smooth ride because the theme itself is half the battle.
Here are 7 wedding themes that will make your day fun and stand out in the minds of your guests for years to come!
Shakespearean
If you love traditional aesthetics, drama, and period pieces, then a Shakespeare themed wedding might be right for you! Think of women dressed in romantic, warm colors and big loose curls and Italian loafers on men with ceremonies on high balconies: that’s that type of experience you are in for with a Shakespearean wedding.
Wild West
The wild west might not be your first thought when it comes to planning a wedding, but think of it: Gone with the Wind era Antebellum south; vast deserts as far as the eye can see; open land full of possibility and ripe for exploration. What an exciting notion to bottle for your big day!
“Think mason jars and chuckwagon catering to make your wedding one to talk about years down the road,” say the wedding specialists at Keyah Grande, who provide Colorado destination wedding packages. “This wedding style is for the county at heart couple.”
Think of yourself and your spouse riding away from your wedding reception in lacey, windswept dresses and dusty boots. How romantic!
Desert Nights
If you live in a hot climate, a desert themed or Arabian nights themed wedding could be a good excuse to have an outdoor wedding with more weather-appropriate attire.
After all, people are reticent about being scantily clad at a traditional event, but an explicitly desert themed wedding will open up your guests’ creativity.
Even a beach wedding can be made bougie with the right theme! If you have a destination wedding and are struggling to justify climate-appropriate attire, this is your theme.
Forest Fantasy
Take advantage of the beauty of the great outdoors to have a wedding in a national park! You and your loved ones can buy into the shared fantasy of being forest fae royalty, wearing flower crowns and free-flowing dresses.
National parks are available for wedding ceremonies at little to no cost, but they do require a lot of hoops to jump through.
National forests can be a time or budget friendlier alternative for those that do not have the time or resources to jump through hoops to secure national parks. Because national forests have less regulations, they might not be as pristine as national parks, but checking the location ahead of time should be enough insurance.
Safari
If you are really committed to the idea and have some cash to burn, you can go all out in giving your guests an exotic experience they won’t soon forget.
You can enlist the services of a local exotic pet wrangler or an animal rescue that does on-site demonstrations. Another option if you have money to spare are petting zoos. This can be a sillier take on what would otherwise be a grandiose theme if you do not have the money to shuttle your wedding party across the world to an actual safari.
Happily Ever After
A happily ever after or fairytale themed wedding can translate into nearly any setting, in any venue, with any budget. This is an especially poignant theme for brides who prefer to wear poofy, more princess-like dresses. If you want the real royal experience, this is the theme for you and your beloved.
Think Cinderella, with traditional pearls and tulle skirts and pastels.
Winter Wonderland
If you are having a winter wedding, then you already know how beautiful a wintry color palette can truly be. Icy blues and pastel lavenders in a sea of white—what can be more pure and more soothing?
A winter wedding fits easily with other themes, like forest weddings, destination weddings, fairy tale weddings, and even Shakespearean weddings. Snowy landscapes require certain lighting arrangements for videography and photography purposes that you should be cognizant of when choosing your theme as well as your setting.
