Theme weddings are unique, memorable and make a statement. If you and your fiancée have bold personalities and want to create memories that last a lifetime not only yourselves but also for your wedding guests, then having a themed wedding is a fantastic idea.
Committing to a theme wedding requires an ample amount of time for pre-planning as well as a great degree of thoughtfulness when it comes to the smallest details for the big day. However, the end result is always well worth it.
Are Theme Weddings a Good Idea?
Theme weddings are always a hit, but whether you have one or not depends on who you are as a couple.
If both you and your fiancée often hold or attend theme parties, a theme wedding is a fantastic idea. Most couples who choose to have a theme wedding want to make a statement about their relationship, personalities and or shared passions. For example, perhaps both you and your fiancée share a passion for the disco era—then, a disco-themed wedding just makes sense. Or, if both you and your partner met scuba diving and have since travelled the world to go on scuba diving excursions together, then having an ocean-themed wedding seems fitting.
If you decide to have a theme wedding, it’s important to keep your wedding décor, food, drinks venue, music and outfits consistent with the chosen theme. Aligning all wedding items with your theme will ensure that your vendors and wedding guests understand the overarching theme and that your wedding makes a statement. When done right, themed weddings create unique memories and produce stunning wedding photos.
Although defining a theme for your wedding brings a sense of direction and cohesiveness to your wedding, having a theme for your wedding isn’t necessary. More and more couples describe their dream weddings by the feeling and atmosphere they want their wedding to invoke, rather than what they want the wedding décor to look like or how they want everyone to dress.
What couples often say is, “We want our wedding to be laid back, fun, and a time for all our closest family and friends to get to know one another.” Other couples say they want a wedding that feels “whimsical and romantic”.
Identifying the particular ambiance you want your wedding to invoke accomplishes a sense of direction, but still allows you to have flexibility. For example, if you want your wedding to invoke the feeling of “relaxed and rustic”, the options are limitless; you could have the “sit wherever you like” option to reflect the relaxed component, and hints of copper in the wedding décor to embody the rustic element.
On the other hand, picking a specific theme for your wedding (and being consistent with that theme) can significantly limit your options. For example, if you want your wedding to be 20’s themed, your choice of venue, décor, wardrobe, music and food need to reflect this theme. If you live in a bigger city, encapsulating a certain era or theme may be easier, as larger metropolises tend to have more vendor options.
How to Pull Theme Weddings off
So, you’ve decided to have a theme wedding. Picking out a wedding theme can be one of the hardest planning pieces that every bride and groom are faced with.
Do you want to go the romantic route, or keep things fresh and modern? To establish a theme, consider the following:
- What do you both like?
- What are your personalities like?
Once you and your partner have narrowed it down to one or two theme ideas, consider:
- How much will it cost to make this theme happen?
- Which wedding vendors can help us complete our theme?
Types of Theme Weddings
If you’re still on the fence about which theme you want to go with, we rounded up the best wedding theme ideas:
- Wizard of Oz
- Wild-Safari
- Sixties Wedding
- Disney Themed
- Downton Abbey (1920’s)
- Enchanted Forest Wedding
- Beach Wedding Destinations
Should You Expect Your Guests to Dress the Part?
The answer should be “no”, but this again is based on your personal preference.
Some of your wedding guests may not be able to afford “dressing up for the part”, or this may be an extra anxiety for them; it’s common for wedding guests to not like dressing up for a particular theme, as perhaps dressing up for a big event, or shopping for an everyday type of outfit is already stressful experience for them. Again, you will know your guests better than anyone so this may not even be an issue for your wedding guests.
Regardless, it’s good to establish a theme early on. The earlier you let your guests know what the theme will be, the more likely they’ll have time to plan what they’ll wear and purchase or create an outfit they are content with and feel confident in. It is a good idea to even let them know on their Save The Date invitations what the theme of your wedding will be and how you’d like them to dress.
On both Save The Date and official invites, be mindful how you request that guests dress according to the theme. For example, try wording your request as “we would greatly appreciate if guests could dress according to the theme” or “it’s strongly recommended that guests dress to fit the theme, but not necessary”. If dressing up for your wedding sounds too forceful, this may deter guests from attending your special day.
Best Kelowna Wedding Rentals for Theme Weddings
All Occasions offers the best Kelowna Wedding Rentals for theme weddings. From our exquisite glassware to the tents that protect your guests from stormy weather, we offer high-quality rental items at the price that makes the most sense.