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Wedding Theme Ideas
Read on for some of our ideas for Asian, Beach, Garden & Winter Theme Weddings.
Planning an Asian Theme Wedding
Location: Banquet room at a Chinese or Japanese restaurant, any hall you can decorate to fit your theme, botanical gardens or Japanese gardens.
Colors: Calm, soothing colors for a Zen-style wedding: black and white and pastels. For a Chinese-themed wedding, stay away from white - in Chinese culture, it is used only in funerals. Red, yellow and black are the colors of celebration.
Attire: You don't have to wear a kimono or Chinese cheongsams to have an Asian wedding. Simple gowns complement a Zen-style wedding, while dresses of rich brocades or silks fit with Chinese weddings. For Chinese weddings, don't wear white; wear red or gold. If you really want to wear white, try finding a dress in cream or off-white. Carry parasols in place of bouquets.
Decorations: For Zen-style weddings, think simple, clean and elegant: lanterns, Shoji screens, Zen gardens, candles and white and black stones. You can also decorate with bamboo, orchids, lotus blossoms, lilies and bonsai trees. Use Japanese characters to decorate invitations, table cards and other printed items. For Chinese weddings, make your decorations bolder: hand paper lanterns, Chinese dragons and Chinese symbols.
Food: Sushi, Chinese food, Japanese food, Thai food, Vietnamese food. Serve sake and Japanese beer (look for Sapporo, Asahi or Kirin) at a Zen-themed wedding. Serve tea instead of coffee.
Favors: Chopsticks, take-out boxes filled with fortune cookies, bamboo sticks (a symbol of good luck), mini parasols or paper fans for the women, sparklers and firecrackers for the men (check your local fireworks laws).
Miscellaneous ideas to think about: Offer an alternative to ethnic food for guests who do not like Asian food. Hire traditional dancers. Play traditional music during the dinner hour.
Planning a Beach Theme Wedding
Location: Beach, waterside park or historic site, a reception/banquet hall on the water, boat, pier.
Colors: Blue, green, aqua, white; think of colors you’d find on the beach or in the water.
Attire: Light, flowy dresses for her; Hawaiian shirts and light pants for him. Light sundresses or sarongs for the bride and/or her bridesmaids. If you’re really daring, wear your bathing suits! Skip the heels -- they’ll only sink into the sand. Go barefoot or wear sandals.
Decorations: Tropical flowers, sandcastles, pearls, seashells, sea glass, candles, boats, lighthouses, tiki lamps, lanterns. Play island music (think steel drums). If you’re marrying on the Chesapeake, decorate with plastic crabs, traps and fishing nets.
Food: Seafood, barbecue, tropical/island food.
Favors: Candy or cookies shaped like seashells, fish, sand dollars, boats, seahorses, etc. Miniature lighthouses, sand castles, boats, etc. Tropical-flavored candy. Flip-flops. Candles. Sand pails and shovels. Hawaiian leis.
Miscellaneous ideas to think about: Use the message in a bottle idea for your invitations, placecards or guestbook. We even saw one website that sells save-the-date flip-flops.
Special needs: Be sure to have a shaded place in case of rain or extreme sun. Have non-alcoholic drinks, sunscreen and umbrellas to help your guests beat the heat. Marry later in the day when the sun is less intense. Check the tide tables and know the rules and regulations of the beach you want to get married on -- you can’t just show up!
Planning a Garden Theme Wedding
Location: Public garden or park, historic site, inn, private home, banquet hall.
Colors: Pastels, white, pink, yellow, blue, lavender. Match the flowers of your location. Accent with greens or terra cotta.
Attire: If your ceremony is in the garden, wear a simple A-line or tea-length dress. If your ceremony is more formal and in a church, wear a formal wedding gown. For the guys, suits or tuxes for an outside ceremony; tuxes for a formal ceremony. Bridesmaids will look great in gingham or sundresses. Carry wildflower bouquets.
Decorations: Outdoor locations will need little or no enhancement. Work with the flowers and greenery already in place. Add white twinkle lights and candles for a feeling of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." You may want to rent an arch or gazebo for your outdoor ceremony site if none is in place.
To make an indoor location feel like a garden, use lots of flowers and greenery, arches and arbors, garlands of flowers, trees and twinkle lights. Decorate tables with flowers or potted plants, candles and loose petals.
Food: Picnics, barbecues, light finger foods, appetizer only, dessert-only.
Favors: Packets of seeds, flower-scented soaps or oil, tree seedlings. Candy shapes like flowers, butterflies, etc. One of our favorites is a kit that includes seeds, a small pot and some dirt.
Miscellaneous ideas to think about: Work with in-season flowers and colors. Remember that there are different kinds of gardens: Oriental, botanical, English, tropical, Victorian, etc. Use dried flowers on your invitations, place cards, guest book, etc. Decorate your cake with real or gum paste flowers or gum paste bees, butterflies and dragonflies. Set up popular lawn games such as croquet and horseshoes.
Special needs: Outdoor weddings can be breath-taking, but they also raise a lot of questions. Think about the weather, bugs and whether the ground is level. Will you need to rent a tent? Tables and chairs? Portable toilets? Is there enough electricity for the lights, DJ? Are there kitchen facilities? If you’re marrying at a private home, consider parking availability, whether the noise will bother your neighbors (best solution: invite them!), whether the gardens and lawn are suitable for your size party. Provide water, sunscreen and a shaded area to help guests handle the heat.
Planning a Winter Wonderland Wedding
Are you considering having a winter wedding? Recently we had someone ask for some ideas for a December wedding theme. This is a fun time of the year because so many decorating items are available for the holidays that its easy to find ways to incorporate it into your wedding day decor.
Colors: Winter White, Silver, Evergreen
Elegance is what we're shooting for so we're going to use mostly white and silver and also some evergreen to throw in as a bold accent.
Flowers: White Roses
Enter into your ceremony location between two large where the aisle stands are decorated with lots of white tulle and floral swags made with white roses and holly sprigs.The altar flowers carry the same theme and are part of a large silver candelabra with off white taper candles.
We're envisioning the bride's bouquet to be made of white roses with stems wrapped in white satin ribbon and white organza or even a silver tussy mussy. Bridesmaids have smaller versions with a touch of holly sprigs to offset the white, wrapped in white satin ribbon and silver organza.
The groom and his attendants can wear black tuxedos with silver ties and vests along with single white rose boutonnieres.
Reception Decorations:
Continue the winter theme with several lighted trees throughout your reception site.
Table settings:
White and silver accented table cloths. In the center of the table, use a round mirror and purchase a silver plated vase large enough to insert a potted real life miniature table top tree. Cover the tree with battery powered lights. Decorate the tree with silver ornaments and cover it with imitation snow. Surround your centerpiece with several frosted candle votives (safe distance from the trees). Try using a 5 x 7 silver frame to hold the dinner menu.
Use a silver angel ornament as a wrap around the napkin and allow your guests to take them home to use as decorations for their Christmas tree. Or how about miniature boxes filled with chocolates and wrapped with a silver and white personalized "Thanks" ribbon - yes, like a present. We even found a place that carries personalized photo snow globes!
Place card settings:
We found some beautiful holiday pewter place card holders with images of snowflakes, ice skates, holly and more engraved on them. Its a nice touch and keeps with the holiday theme.
The Cake:
Try a white three-tiered cake in the shape of a present made with rolled fondant in classic white. Get creative with your cake flavor to keep it along the lines of your holiday winter theme. How about egg nog? Consider a sweets table with customized mint tins announcing your wedding or even monogramed cookies wrapped in vellum paper pouches with your customized wedding information on the label.