Bridal Club Magazine

Weddings Apart From The Norm – Make Up Your Own Wedding Rules

A couple's Wedding Favor Gifts really speak volumes. With such a variety popular of Wedding Themes to consider, you can get Themed Favors that will accent your concept.

New Zealand themed weddings are becoming more and more popular with Non-Traditional New Zealand weddings. With a bit of imagination - your wedding could be a success that will be talked about for the rest of your lives by everyone that attends.

So how do you decide what theme? Think back to childhood.  Remember your favourite role-plays - both you and your fiancé. Fun or romance are great sparks for inspiration. Whatever you choose for your theme - don't over do the decorations. Subtle is sometimes better; you don't want to take away the true meaning of the day.

Things to Think about When Having a Themed Wedding

Firstly, you can relax with the etiquette. Most rules can be completely disregarded when having a themed wedding. Whatever theme you decide to go with, pick clothing and decorations to match it. You don't have to go overboard and duplicate precisely every inch of the room. Decorate it enough so that when your guests arrive they can tell that the accents used coincide with that theme.

You may want to discuss you plans with the person who will perform your ceremony to see if they are compatible with their beliefs.  A Wiccan theme may not be up a Catholic priest's alley! Consider the season when your wedding will take place. You can't expect guests to show up for a Beach Party wearing shorts in August.

Make sure that everyone in the wedding party is comfortable in their costume. You don't want to embarrass anyone. Also the costume should fit properly, it's a long day to be walking around in a corset. Give them a softer option if dressing up is not really their thing.

Because themed weddings are growing in popularity the vendors of your location will be used to working with them, so don't feel weird about asking for their input and ideas.

If you are choosing a certain era, visit the library and look at pictures of costumes and decorations. If you like something, take the book with you when you have consultations with the vendors.

If you've dreamed about having a certain type of wedding, but are having a hard time planning it, hire a co-ordinator, they'll know what to do.

Invitations Set the Theme
This is your chance to prepare your guests in plenty of time - especially if they are reluctant fancy-dressers!

On a slip of paper explain the theme you've chosen to your guests.

If you will be serving theme foods at dinner, also let them know.

If you are having a cocktail party, champagne and cake party, afternoon tea party or anything along those lines where you won't be serving dinner; add those details to your invitation.

If you'd like your guest's attire to fit your theme let them know that period costumes would be a fun way to bring the night to life, but they are free to dress any way they wish.

Order or make invitations that fit your theme. Don't forget to include a phone number just in case anyone has questions. It could be the number for your bridal party or the two mothers, or someone else that will do this job and has all the information about the wedding.

Here are just a few samples for themed weddings:

Beach Party Wedding

This is great if you're having a garden wedding. Put a tarp down in your backyard and cover it with sand. Set up a couple of kiddie pools, pails and shovels in the sand. If you're having kids at the wedding they are going to love it. Let your guests know it's going to be a beach party so that they can dress appropriately. The women could be in something as simple as a sundress and the men in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. Place plants and trees around your pretend beach, take your shoes off and have your ceremony in the sand. Rent patio furniture with brightly coloured umbrellas, even if it's in a tent. Use pails with flower arrangements for your centrepieces. Because it's a beach party you can have a barbecue and serve beer and punches. Get a wedding cake that looks like a sandcastle. At night you can light up those bamboo torches around the dance area, just be careful of the tent. Don't forget to play a couple of Beach Boy's tunes!

A Winter Theme Wedding

This could work summer or winter - attire to match the season.  The bride and bridal party can all have matching white faux fur capes. The bridals party in red or green with the usher's accessories to match. Decorate with white branches and tiny lights. Christmas trees with tiny lights and white decorations. Poinsettias in red or white can be your centrepieces and also lined up in front of the head table, if you buy enough of them, you can give them away as the party favours. You can also give Christmas balls as your Bombonniere. If you're planning on a December wedding, don't forget to book early because of all the company Christmas parties.

Victorian Theme

The bride in a Victorian type wedding dress. The bridal party in flowing gowns tapered under the bust line and showing lots of cleavage with high-buttoned shoes. Both the men and women wear gloves. The men will be in cutaway "morning tuxes" with top hats, ascots, vests, pocket watches (that can be your gift to them), and spats over their shoes. Hire someone to play the harp and if not too far between locations, travel in a horse drawn carriage. Your wedding cake should have ribbons with charms hanging from it. The Victorian's believed that whichever charm a bridesmaid pulled out of the cake would symbolise what she could expect in her future.

New Year Wedding

Of course, if you have your wedding on New Year's Eve, your guests will have something to do, but this is a theme party and can be thrown any time of year. The Disc Jockey can do a countdown to "the beginning of the rest of your lives" or if you are doing it on December 31st then he'll do the real countdown. Make sure that every table has a bottle of champagne on it and sparklers (if you can afford firework's that's a bonus). Your party favours can be hats and noisemakers. Your wedding cake can be something like a top hat with noise makers and lit sparklers surrounding it, and have it wheeled out by the staff right after the countdown. Tell your guests to dress in their New Year's Eve outfits and the bridal party can be in satin or sequins and the men in black tuxedos. Attach some sort of netting above the dance floor filled with balloons and streamers, to be dropped at midnight. Use gold or silver accents everywhere. This won't be a wedding soon forgotten. Just think, if you know you'll be using this theme but getting married in the summer, you're going to save money on the decorations and accessories if you buy them after New Year's.

Medieval Wedding

Invitations should look like a medieval scroll. Roll a piece of parchment paper into a tube shape and seal it with a wax seal that has both your initials on it, then tie a velvet or satin ribbon on it. If you're making your own invitations, use a calligraphy font from your computer. You can use as reference any films that are period pieces such as Camelot, First Night and Excalibur. You will want to use period costumes. Don't fret, they are very easy to find in a costume store. Popular colours from this time were red, purple, royal blue and gold. You could suggest that your guests wear clothing in these colours instead of renting costumes.

So start researching - use the net, encyclopaedias or anything you can get your hands on to find out more ideas for your themed wedding.  Good luck.