What’s your Dream Wedding Theme?

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Posted on Mar 14, 2009 under Centerpieces for Weddings | 1 Comment

Okay, you thought your wedding was about looking into the eyes of the man you love and dramatically saying ‘I do’ in front of your closest friends and family. Well it is. But it is also about creating a unique experience and expression of the two of you. Well of you mostly (given your husband to be is probably perplexed by the whole business and has been relegated to cars and honeymoon organising duties, oh and showing up).

Now you can’t jump straight into choosing your favourite wedding centerpiece, which is kind of ironic as this is the title of this blog. You first have to choose a theme.

This can be as simple as a uniting colour scheme, but it can be so much more. It can become the very essence of your wedding day. The point from which everything else flows. The magic and spark. It’s easy to tick the boxes and create a stock-standard experience but using your imagination is a lot more fun, and doesn’t have to cost the earth.

In my research I have found that surprisingly there are really only four categories that wedding themes fit into. But inside these categories are a myriad of unique and different inspiring ideas that I plan to collect together in one easy place with loads of links to places to buy and more information and ideas from all the experts out there.

I’m starting with Old Style Romance, a category close to my heart. If it is for you too, then keep reading. This is really just to give you a flavour – I plan to build this up in the weeks to come with loads more ideas and variations. If this isn’t your style, then stay tuned for the other three categories – Relaxed Beach-side, Exotic Escape and Contemporary Cool.

Old Style Romance

I love this theme because there are so many different takes on it, but it ultimately comes back to the same fundamental insight which is romance never goes out of fashion. So get back to the 20s, 30s or even 40s with flappers, bowler or gangster hats, cotton club jazz bands, elaborate headpieces, white lace parasols, old love poems and feather bowers. Get your guests to dress up. Choose a glamorous old-style art deco hotel where everyone can stay. The best place to start to get you in the mood is the swing tune ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ by Benny Goodman. Download a copy from Amazon if you like:

Okay I admit this isn’t a wedding centerpiece, but it’s the starting point. Once you have the mood and feeling, you can begin searching for the images and materials that fit that mood and build one big collage. It may mean your wedding dress is vintage style with beautiful old lace. Or more grecian with a gorgeous antique broach. Wear a stunning headpiece as an alternative to a traditional veil. Check out Stephanie Browne for the most beautiful vintage inspired jewellery: http://www.stephaniebrowne.com.au/

You can’t go wrong with flower petals and tea-lights on the tables, but a lovely touch is to use an old crystal vase for your flower centre-piece. You can pick these up at markets or charity shops pretty cheaply. Three little vases on the tables with classic flowers like David Austin roses can create an intimate romantic feel. Theme your tables with the names of famous stars and celebrities from the era you choose – think Charlie Chaplin, Ella Fitzgerald or Al Capone. Use bold art deco shapes on your invites. In fact a great idea is to read (if you haven’t already) ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald to really get a sense of how to throw a proper soiree or party. Get a copy here:

Take the theme even further by putting black & white or sepia photo’s of your friends and family into vintage or plain white frames to grace the table settings. A great alternative to name cards. People can simply find their table by looking for themselves! You can cheat by choosing photo’s of couples or friends sitting together, so it’s a frame per couple. Ikea is a good place to start:

Hopefully that has given you some initial inspiration. If it feels like your kind of theme, then start looking through magazines and cutting out pictures you like. Once you have that collage or scrapbook it becomes easy to make decisions about everything else, because now you have a criteria: Does it fit the theme? Is it truly unique and different? Will it interest and fascinate people? Goodluck finding your Dream Theme.