When you close your eyes and envision your wedding day, what do you see? What is the mood and setting of the room? Does your atmosphere give your guests the experience you’ve always imagined? Your wedding theme is the foundation of every detail in your planning—it sets the stage for your big day and all the pre-celebrations leading up to it. 

Don’t be hasty when you choose the theme for your big day, because it’s a key decision in planning the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. You want to land something that reflects you and your partner’s personalities and tastes, and one that sets the perfect vibe from the very beginning of the wedding events to the last dance of the night.

If you’re trying to land on a theme for your upcoming wedding, these are some important questions to ask yourself during your search:

What do you envision as a couple?

Choose your theme as a couple—the day is about both of you! Make a list of the different themes and create an inspiration board for the ones that fit the mood you want on your big day, like a bohemian beach wedding with a relaxed and natural vibe, or a cozy winter woodland wedding. If you’re stuck, there are online quizzes that tailor wedding themes for you by asking you questions about the things you enjoy as a couple, your favorite color schemes, and your personalities. Maybe you both love to travel and want a theme inspired by your around-the-world adventures—create invitations designed like plane tickets and use maps and globes as decor throughout the venue. 

What is your budget?

Some themes are more costly to execute than others, so keep your budget in mind as you narrow down your ideas. A glamorous party in a large ballroom involves lots of lights, flowers, and decor, but a vintage chic garden-themed wedding can be much more cost-effective because you can use natural elements for decor—think wood, natural greenery, and wildflowers. 

What mood do you want to set?

What mood do you want your theme to create for your guests during all of the celebrations? If you’re imagining a glitz and glam celebration inspired by the roaring twenties, create an art deco theme with energetic jazz music, warm lights, metallic and sequin accents, and lots of dancing. Also, consider how formal you want your wedding to feel. If you’ve always imagined a formal black-tie affair, a grand ballroom wedding matches the mood. A more laid-back mood calls for a beachside or backyard wedding.

What is the atmosphere of your venue?

Find the wedding location of your dreams and choose the theme that fits with that space or shop around for venues with a theme already in mind. If you’re marrying along the oceanside, a beach theme with a color palette of sea glass, ivory, and blue fits the setting perfectly. Maybe you’ve always imagined a beautiful country chic wedding—look for restored barns or beautiful backyard spaces for your venue.

What season is your wedding in?

Your wedding season is actually an important factor to consider—winter wonderland isn’t exactly a theme that works in the middle of July. Let your wedding season and theme inspire each other. Winter weddings can be classic or glamours in their theme, but dark, romantic colors like emerald green, plum, and deep navy always suit the cold season. If you want a spring wedding, you can build a theme around garden settings, pastel colors, and natural elements like berries and bright greenery. Beachy themes are always fitting for summer weddings, and woodland settings and warm colors are a popular fall theme.

What is the style of your dress?

Your theme is the setting of your entire big day and the bride’s dress is the showcase, so you want the two to compliment each other. You can choose a wedding theme and location, then choose a dress to match. Are you planning a bohemian wedding? A delicate whimsical dress with lace accents is a beautiful look. If you’ve already found the perfect dress, use its style to inspire your wedding theme. Think about the aesthetic and details of the dress. An A-line trumpet dress is perfect for an elegant vineyard wedding while a princess gown with lace and embellishments is made for a glamorous ballroom wedding. 

Southern, modern, boho-chic, garden party, tropical—no matter the venue, no matter how unique, there’s a wedding theme that will inspire your own. You can’t move forward with your planning until you choose your theme, so ask yourself these questions and find the right one that brings all your wedding visions to life. If you need more inspiration for your wedding theme, give us a call. You can reach our event coordinators by email or phone at 877-545-1002.