I’m going to tell it to you straight, brides of Britain.
Your wedding has a theme.
My wedding has a theme.
Every wedding has a theme.
Theme, theme, theme, theme, theme.
(Am I mentioning the word ‘theme’ enough?)
Working in a bridal boutique and chatting with brides-to-be on a daily basis, I’ve come to realise that a lot of brides have two major misconceptions. The first is that they don’t have a budget for their wedding dress (sorry ladies, but this is simply not true). The second is that to theme your wedding is an unfortunate decision left to Sci-fi geeks and Disney fans only, and therefore deeply cheesy/contrived/uncool. Those that do admit to having a “loose theme” put quotation marks around it and grimace apologetically.
Now excuuuuuse me, but since when have we become a nation of haters??
My argument today is not that you should theme your wedding; my point is that, like it or not, your wedding will have a theme, however loose, and identifying said theme in the early stages of planning will help you to create a truly stylish, personal and memorable day.
Bold statement? Let me continue…
There are many definitions of the word ‘theme’, but the most relevant when it comes to weddings is:
2. a unifying or dominant idea, motif etc. (from Dictionary.com)
A unifying or dominant idea. As simple as that. You can replace the word ‘idea’ with ‘look’, ‘style’, ‘aesthetic’ or ‘vibe’ and you still have the basis of a theme.
It can be as bold and clear-cut as this kitsch and colourful Superhero-themed wedding from Green Wedding Shoes…
Image by Jagger Photography
Image by Jagger Photography
Image by Jagger Photography
Image by Jagger Photography
(This wedding is sheer joy. To appreciate in full click here.)
… Or your choice of venue and attire can simply evoke an era, like this ever-so-subtle but oh-so-elegant 1920′s inspired wedding from Love My Dress:
David Jenkins Photography
David Jenkins Photography
David Jenkins Photography
What I particularly love about this wedding is how the era of the 1920′s is merely a suggestion. There is consistency in the 20′s styling (her headpiece and his dinner suit combined with the grandeur and elegance of the setting and flower arrangements), and yet we get hints of other eras too- her bridesmaids are pretty in 60′s pink, and there are modern-day touches as well, with the bride’s snakeskin Jimmy Choos and white Kooples blazer. (Click here to see this stylish wedding in full.)
A myriad of styles can still a theme make. Fact.
I suppose this post has come about following a series of frustrating bridal appointments in the boutique. Not frustrating for me, but frustrating for those ladies who haven’t identified a theme/vision/aesthetic for their day and are therefore finding the dress-buying process inconceivably difficult. How do you choose if you’re one of those lucky ladies (I most definitely wasn’t) who suits most shapes and styles and feels just as special in a structured, lace fishtail as you do in a floaty Jenny Packham? Well, it comes down to how you want to feel on the day, and, I think, how the qualities or the ‘theme’ of the dress fits in with the qualities and overall ‘theme’ of the wedding.
Take this recent wedding from London Bride. Charley (the blogger/stylist behind London Bride) sums the wedding up perfectly with the title: A Feast Full of Fun In Just 4 Months. And what a feast it is.
Photography by James Melia
Photography by James Melia
Photography by James Melia
Photography by James Melia
Photography by James Melia
Laura’s dress is a 1930′s number from The Vintage Wedding Dress Company, chosen, she says, because ‘I didn’t want to feel ‘trussed-up’- I wanted something I could move, eat and dance in’. And likewise, the wedding itself is a very relaxed affair, with lots of moving, eating and dancing. Stylistically there are hundreds of elements- it’s a little bit bohemian, a little bit funky and a little bit London. The bride and groom are dressed with the 1930′s in mind, décor is simple and rustic, tattoo favours went down a treat and the colourful, wild array of blooms were arranged by the bridal party.
Eclectic and mismatched with a large colour palette… it’s a theme, kids, whether you like it or not. I have no idea whether this couple would have admitted they had a ‘theme’, but the way Laura talks us through her style choices indicates she had a clear vision and concept for the day, resulting in the fun, unique and stylish wedding we are lucky enough to ogle over now.
So what do you think? Do you agree that every wedding has some sort of theme, be it loose and suggestive, or bold and clear-cut? Or do you think it’s possible to have a completely theme-free day??
And what is or was your wedding theme? If you haven’t thought about it before, think about it now. It’ll help with all future wedding-related decisions, I promise.
The shortened version of mine is boho-glam. The full version would be something like colourful, eclectic fiesta meets bohemian romance with a whole lotta glitter and not a sombrero in sight. Or something like that.
You?
Sama xxx
