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Diane Warner, a nationally known wedding consultant and
prolific author of popular wedding books, has graciously agreed to contribute articles and
insights to Internet Wedding Links on a regular basis.
We are proud to offer this new feature and hope you will check back often to benefit
from her entertaining, common sense approach to the whirlwind experience called
"getting married." Here is her 2nd installment titled "Selecting a
Wedding Theme."
To preview or purchase Diane's books, visit her Web site.
 t's important to select a theme for your wedding and reception
before you start spending money or booking sites. As I mentioned in my first article, many
couples -- high on "wedding adrenalin" -- make the mistake of booking sites and
purchasing wedding attire before they've given thought to their budget or wedding theme.
As we have already discovered, the first step is to establish your wedding budget, but
the second step is to choose your theme. Here are the reasons why you should choose your
theme at the start of your planning:
- By choosing a theme ahead of time the planning will actually become easier because the
theme itself will determine which ceremony and receptions sites you choose, what type of
wedding gown, music, florals, food, cake and decorations you will want to have. Your theme
will create the mood that ties all these things together.
- You will avoid these two common, avoidable mistakes:
Having a hodgepodge of
disjointed wedding parts (for example, wearing a sleek, sexy, sophisticated wedding gown
for your "sweet Victorian wedding")
Allowing the vendors to "do their own thing" without a given theme, which
usually results in a common, everyday "cookie-cutter wedding." (Hint - hint --
vendors like to have a theme to work with once in a while -- it breaks their monotonous
routine and makes their day a little more challenging!)
Your wedding and reception will not only be memorable (and believe me, I've been to
enough "cookie-cutter weddings" to appreciate those that are), but will reflect
YOUR personality and feel "right" and comfortable to you as you make your
planning decisions.
Okay, so now that we've decided it's a good idea to have a theme, how do we go about
selecting one?
First of all, let me say that you can have one theme that carries over from the
ceremony to the reception, or you may choose two different themes.
Here is a list of theme ideas that may be used for the ceremony and/or the reception.
In each case, I've merely whet your appetite with a few ways the theme can be incorporated
into your wedding plans, but once you've decided on a theme, expand it as far as you can
by using your own creative ideas.
- Wreaths
Although this is a very simple theme, it can be effective if carried throughout. Decorate
Styrofoam or grapevine wreaths of different sizes to hang high on each side of the altar,
on each pew, over the windows, or under each sconce. Your bridesmaids and flower girl can
also carry wreaths decorated with fresh or silk flowers.
- Romantic Candlelight
This idea works best, of course, for an evening wedding, because there's nothing quite
like a darkened sanctuary or reception hall illuminated only by candlelight. The soft glow
created by flickering candles converts the homeliest site into a magical, romantic
setting. In fact, the use of candles is one of the "biggest bangs for the buck."
Use candles every way possible, from pillar sconces, to candelabra, to windowsills, to the
altar railing, to the ends of the pews, to the top of the organ. The bridal attendants can
each carry a single candle, as well, imbedded into an oasis filled with fresh flowers, and
you may also want to include the traditional unity candle as part of the ceremony.
- Love Doves
Stuffed, silk love doves should always be in pairs, of course, and can be used everywhere,
from the pew arrangements to the candelabra to the garlands along the altar, always
trailing ribbons from their beaks.
- Renaissance
You can take this theme as far as you like by sending invitations on rolled parchment,
renting or making velvet or brocade gowns for the bride and her attendants, and including
music played on a mandolin, lyre or harpsichord.
- Victorian
Here's a very trendy 90's theme that incorporates hearts, lace, roses, trailing ribbons,
fans, nosegays or tussie mussies, bustled, high-necked gowns and high-buttoned shoes or
dainty, sweet, "angelic" wedding attire. Although this idea works in any kind of
setting, it works especially well when the ceremony site happens to be an old chapel, an
historic building, old-fashioned country garden, a castle or a restored B & B, such as
Captain Walsh House in Benicia (707) 747-5653.
- Southern Plantation
Here is your chance to play Scarlett for a day! Get out the hoopskirts and parasols, along
with ruffled shirts and string ties for the men. Use lots of trellised arbors and magnolia
branches to recreate the ambience of an antebellum garden.
- Ethnic
This one is easy. If you have a strong ethnic heritage, take advantage of it by
incorporating it into your wedding theme. Wear ethnic wedding attire, if you like. A
Polish bride, for example, might wear an embroidered white apron over her wedding gown, or
a Mexican or Filipino couple may drape white silk chords over their shoulders to proclaim
their union. Then, at the reception site, let the colors of your country's flag take over,
giving the site an authentic, festive party feeling. Depending on the strength of your
own family's ethnic background, you can have a lot of fun with this idea because many of
your relatives may have things buried in their attics or cedar chests that can be
incorporated into the wedding or used as decorations, such as your grandmother's French
wedding fan, or your Finnish mother's wedding crown. Old family wedding photos can be used
to decorate the reception site, as well. You'll be surprised how far an ethnic theme can
take you.
- Black and White Wedding
This is another popular nineties theme. The bride wears white, of course, and the men wear
black tuxes. The attendants wear black dresses, each in a little different style. The
flower girl wears white and the ring bearer wears a black tuxedo. I like this theme, but
only when the starkness is broken up with bright flowers.
- Snowball Wedding
Everyone in the wedding party wears white! Even the mothers and grandmothers. This is one
of my very favorite themes, but to pull it off successfully ALL the whites must match. If
some of the whites are ivory, some cream and some "blue-white," the off-whites
will appear to be dirty. So, start with the bride's gown and match EVERY other white to
her dress. Then -- for dramatic effect -- show off the whites with bright, vibrant
flowers.
- Christmas
A Christmas theme can be a lot more fun than you would think by incorporating a few novel
ideas, such as white fur muffs for the bridal attendants, a bridal bouquet composed of
holly and poinsettias, a holly wreath or large decorated candy cane carried down the aisle
by the flower girl, and hundreds of small, white Christmas tree lights and white candles
with bright cranberry bows. This theme works best for an evening wedding.
- Country
Here's your chance to use those light, airy fabrics, such as dotted Swiss, organdy, eyelet
or checked gingham. Decorate with hand-tied wildflowers, sheaves of wheat or nosegays of
herbs. Also, include plenty of white wicker, trellises, arches and gazebos. This theme
works best for a spring or summer outdoor wedding.
I think you get the idea! By having a theme, your wedding will plan itself!
By the way, for more details, including theme decorations that are easy to rent or
borrow, plus specific "how-to" decorating instructions for many of these themes,
you might want to pick up a copy of my book, "Beautiful Wedding Decorations and Gifts
on a Small Budget." (The table of contents and a few excerpts from this book are
available at my web site: www.dianewarnerbooks.com, in case you're interested.)
Now, before I leave you until next time, here are a few more theme ideas for you to
think about:
- Spring Garden Party
- Nostalgia
- Western
- Polynesian
- Fifties Sock Hop
- Mexican Fiesta
- Hearts and Flowers
- Rose Garden
- Winter Wonderland
- "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"
- Summer in the Park
- Cupids and Hearts
- Chinatown
- Victorian Tea Party
- Autumn Harvest
- Gone with the Wind
- Gay Nineties
- Scandinavian Love Feast
- Tropical Rain Forest
- Canadian Sunset
- Carousel
- Mississippi Riverboat
- African Safari
- A Hollywood Movie Set
- Mountain Ski Resort
- The Love Boat
- German or Austrian Oktoberfest
Until next month, good luck and have fun with your wedding plans. And don't forget to
meet me "in person" on my web site -- I'd love to "see" you.
END OF ARTICLE
OTHER FINE ARTICLES BY DIANE WARNER:
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