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Tips for Planning a Themed Wedding
Planning a Themed Wedding can be overwhelming at the start. There are so many questions to answer, too many choices to make and there may be a few things you want to keep traditional.
Start with the Theme:
What’s do you envision? Sci-fi, Renaissance, Goth, Movie or Marvel?
What aspects of that theme do you like the most? Costumes, Set, Accessories or Mood?
And the big question: How detailed do you want to go?
Some Examples from weddings I’ve done:
Subtle: A Victorian theme with corset dresses, men in pinstripe tails, antique dried roses and a wedding venue that was an English garden. The wording in vows was very old style with thee’s and thou’s. If you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t know it was themed.
Elaborate: A Renaissance wedding in the forest, all members in costume and most of the guests. The ceremony was a Handfasting complete with Bride in flower garland and drinking from cups, lighting candles, etc. Music was a violin and guitar all renaissance themed. All guests followed couple out for a maypole dance followed by a meal of roasted pig on trencher plates (no silverware).
All Out Theme: Corpse Bride theme involving all the wedding party, make up, the priest in traditional garb (yes I wore it) and at sunset. The processional music was from the movie and the couples even play acted the parts. The reception heralded a cake made to look like the living bride’s dress in purple and black pin stripes with little skeletons climbing her skirt. From the favors to the music, everything related back to the Corpse Bride theme.
In planning the details, it’s important to consider 3 things, Budget, What you love and Budget.
Once you have a theme, you can break down in to what you want to focus on the most. If you’re doing a Star Wars theme then costumes will play a big part, whereas a fairy wedding may also need setting to keep the mood. A Goth theme at a modern hotel might not set the tone, while a masquerade might work well in the same location.
Like any wedding, decide where you want to spend the most money and time.
Is it the cake? The costumes? The venue?
I always tell couples there are two things to secure first once you’ve set a date. The venue and the Minister. Why? The venue is your starting point and the most likely to book up fast. They will tell you what’s possible to do at your ceremony (like can you bring your prize puppies, light bonfires or party till midnight.).
Questions to Ask a Venue:
- Are you available for our date?
- We're doing a theme, can you decorate for that or will we have to?
- We want special music, do you have a sound system?
- We want animals, dove release, etc. Do you allow that?
- Do you places for us to change in to our costumes?
- Can we put up sets, ice sculptures, vases (use your theme ideas)?
- How much time do we have to set up and take down?
- Can we take our engagement photos here?
- Do you know vendors who'd be willing to help us make this theme happen? (Cake, DJs, etc.)
- Have you done a themed wedding before?
The Minister is next because the ceremony is one place where you can really stand out and make a statement. Make sure the one you pick is willing to do the theme you have in mind. If you want non-religious say that upfront. Most Ministers will assume you want what's traditional unless you tell them otherwise.
Questions to ask a Minister/Officiant:
- Do you have my date available?
- Do you do customized ceremonies and can I write my own vows?
- Can we write our own ceremony for you to perform?
- Do you charge more for customized ceremonies?
- Would you be willing to wear a costume for our theme?
- Do you do rehearsals and can we run through our entire wedding then?
- Can we do alternate things like both walk down the aisle together?
- We want a special prayer, poem or story read- will you do that?
- We want to say, "partners in life" instead of Husband and Wife...is that OK with you?
- Our wedding is a production, do you have any experience with themed weddings?