Picking the Perfect Wedding Theme
A GUIDE TO YOUR BIG DAY
One of the most basic decisions you need to make when planning your wedding is choosing your wedding theme. At first, choosing your wedding theme might seem overwhelming because you have to keep in mind important aspects like budget, venue, season, color palettes…etc.
However, with some essential questions and insight, making this decision won’t be too hard and will only add to the cohesiveness of your big day.
What is a wedding theme and why do I need one?
A wedding theme is a visual concept that guides the overall flow, design, and feel of a wedding. A wedding theme is a vague concept but when you break it down, you are looking at specific aspects like color palettes, patterns, decorations, flowers, venues, and other essential parts of your wedding. All of these elements culminate into your wedding theme. Choosing a wedding theme can help with other aspects of wedding planning as those decisions will need to follow your overall vision.
Helpful Questions to Ask Yourself & Partner:
To get started choosing a theme, start by asking yourself and your partner basic questions about your relationship:
How did you meet?
You can base your entire wedding theme on the actual place where you met or the overall flow of your relationship. It’s a great way to tell your story to your guests and look back at where your relationship started. You can also include small, subtle touches of your love story in your wedding theme like inspired drinks, displays, decorations, and stationery.
What activities do you enjoy doing as a couple?
This could give you ideas on what you want to include in your wedding reception. For example, if you both love to listen to rock music, then your theme could center entirely around a rock and roll theme. Maybe you and your partner love hiking and camping and want to base your theme on the great outdoors, nature, and wildlife.
What kind of clothes or outfits do you both like?
This is a good question because it will help you determine if you want your wedding to feel relaxed or formal. Are you the jeans and white T-shirt kind of couple? Do you enjoy formal attire? Knowing what type of clothes you’ll be most comfortable in, can help you choose a theme to go along with it.
How is your house decorated?
What colors do you surround yourself with and what style do you already have in your everyday life? Do you feel calm and centered around bright, tropical-like colors, or soft, neutral tones? Your theme can be based on the colors you feel most comfortable and happy being surrounded by.
What are your shared passions and interests?
What hobbies and activities do you enjoy doing with your partner? Did you meet while playing a sport or engaging in a shared hobby like pottery, reading, or cooking? You can choose a theme based on the things you love. For example, if you met in a cooking class and both love to travel, maybe you plan a destination wedding with culturally-inspired dishes.
Your answers to these questions can give you a better idea of your personal style and interests as well as a useful template for making other important planning decisions. The possibilities are endless, and answering these questions with your partner will highlight how you want to incorporate your story into your theme.
Things to Consider:
Season
The season of your wedding is a crucial detail to consider when planning your wedding. Nobody wants their guests to be shivering in their seats while watching you say, “I do”. Your wedding theme should be accommodating to the month/season you are getting married.
For example, if wintertime sports are important to your love story then consider planning a winter-themed wedding in December at a ski resort. Make sure your venue can accommodate your wedding season/theme and don’t plan anything until you’ve spoken to your venue.
Venue
Picking a wedding venue is arguably the most important aspect when choosing a wedding theme and shouldn’t be chosen hastily. Consider your wedding season and whether or not you’ll want to be outdoors and immersed in a natural setting or inside a large industrial space.
Do you want a more modern feel to your wedding with steel pillars and chic open spaces or a venue that is more intimate and features rustic wood beams and cozy farm-style aspects? Some venues have packages that include decorations and styling and might be worth considering as it could lessen the cost and overall stress.
Guests
What type of outfits do you want your guests to wear and feel comfortable in? Do you want a laid-back, barn wedding where guests sport jeans and cowboy boots? Maybe you want a formal, up-scale event with black tuxedos and strappy high heels? Or maybe you want something in between?
You can’t please every type of guest that will be at your wedding and you shouldn’t try to. However, keeping your guests and their comfort level in mind can help you when choosing a theme.
Color Pallete
Color is a powerful communication tool that affects mood and physiological reactions. Choosing a color palette for your wedding is an important decision and will directly impact the overall look and feel of your day.
A palette of neutrals will signify a more classic and basic style that is versatile and could work for any season. Bright colors like red, pink, and purple, have bold energy and could be perfect for a Bollywood or Bohemian theme depending on the shade. Don’t be afraid to mix colors and styles to create a pallet that is perfect for you.
Budget
For many couples, paying for their wedding is one of the most expensive investments they will make in their relationship next to buying a house. However, a higher price tag doesn’t always equate to a perfect wedding. There is a lot of wiggle room with a wedding budget and many beautiful aspects can be DIY or scaled down.
Basic cotton linens are cheaper than higher-quality patterned fabrics. Massive floral centerpieces will be costly and could impact how guests mingle during meals. Leaving chairs uncovered is cheaper than covering them.
Sometimes guests barely notice the details that you paid extra for and other times, small details can make a big impact. These are the types of specific details that should be considered when choosing a wedding theme that fits your budget.
Personality
How much of your personality and style do you want to be incorporated into your wedding theme? For some couples, budget is king, and they are okay with scaling down their theme and personality to save some money.
For others who might have extra dough, they want their personality fused into every aspect of their wedding day.
There is no guide on how much of your personality should be incorporated into your wedding theme and it should be a personal choice based on factors that are most important to you and your partner.
Your Big Day
The whole point of a wedding is to celebrate the deep connection you and your partner have and for loved ones to witness the vows and promises you make to one another. Aspects like the wedding theme, venue, dresses, flowers, decorations, and food are all second in importance to your committed union. The theme of your wedding should highlight your and your partner’s joyous dedication and compliment your relationship. If budget permits, consider hiring a wedding planner for extra advice and to ease some planning stress.
Carriage Lane Inn & Wedding Venue
If you’re looking for a beautiful wedding and event venue space in Tennessee, check out Carriage Lane Inn in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Carriage Lane Inn provides a historic and timeless wedding venue with multiple event packages for you to choose from. They specialize in all-inclusive weddings, receptions, and events perfect for a wedding, rehearsal dinner, baby shower, birthday party, family reunion, and more.
Carriage Lane Inn is the perfect place to celebrate your special day with a scenic Magnolia Lined Garden and four historical homes for timeless charm and sophistication. Don’t worry about a thing when planning your big event and let Carriage Lane Inn take care of every detail.
