Wedding Themes—To Have or Have Not?

And What Does A Theme Mean?

A wedding theme is a flexible concept... At its core, a theme is exactly what we talk about developing during our wedding consultation process. That doesn’t mean that every wedding has to be a “beach” wedding or a “day of the dead” wedding. Still, every wedding is inspired by some concept or idea that is then transformed, personalized, and integrated into a wedding ceremony and celebration. How you transform it and how your basic, core concept inspires you... well, that leads to infinite variation.

In our wedding design consultation, we use a four-step process to find the central, core concepts on which to build your wedding ceremony. This process also helps you find the right wedding theme. The first step is “Examine”... to look at what you want... how alternative is your ceremony really going to be? What is it you truly want and need and love? Then, the really fun step... where theme ideas really come into play... is to “Create.” This is the fun part where ideas flow and you stop dreaming of “I want,” and start acting on “I can.” Think images, concepts, colors, and passions. Think wild, think big, think crazy, even if it’s impossible. Every couple has a unique vision of what is evocative of their own love story. Maybe your ideas will merely become inspiration. But perhaps your vision will translate into a wedding ceremony theme—something that gives a tangible feel to your love.

Themes can be as subtle as a color or an abstract concept, or as obvious as designing the ceremony and reception around, say for example, Shakespeare’s Midsummer’s Night Dream, Disney’s Cinderella, or Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. A historical period ceremony, such as a Renaissance wedding, is another type of obvious theme. A more subtle theme might design a wedding around winter, or snow, or evergreens.

If you’re looking for a strong, pervasive wedding theme, you can have your guests join in the fun with appropriate dress and gifts. Stationery, attire, florals, and music will all be based on, and geared towards, your theme. But you’re free to pull back from a full-on theme seeping into every nook and cranny of your wedding. You can pick and choose where and how to apply your theme, as inspiration or as a template for your big day. Whatever degree of theme you decide to interject can bring a cohesive and unified feel to the day, whether subtle or obvious.

Do you want to develop your own personalized wedding theme? The potential themes are infinite, and the best themes are the most personal. Try filling in our Wedding Theme Questionnaire. Examining the answers to these questions can help to determine what aesthetic and common cultural imagery you want your ceremony to evoke. Print it out for your own use, or send it to us to find out how we can help you develop and apply your wedding theme. We'd be glad to help you turn your abstract concept into a concrete reality.

Looking for theme ideas to get your creative juices flowing? Sure. We've got them in our sample wedding themes collection. Of course, this is just a small sampling of choices. Remember, “don't dream it, be it.”