One of the most critical components of your Big Day is the wedding theme. But trying to decide between a 1920s glamourous The Great Gatsby-inspired gala and an intimate Alice in Wonderland garden party can turn out to be as difficult as picking out that perfect gown. No matter which theme you choose, SingaporeBrides lists the tips and tricks to make your dream event come true.
When social-media baron Sean Parker – the man who co-founded file-sharing site Napster and served as the first president of social networking website Facebook – married singer-songwriter Alexandra Lenas in June, they exchanged vows in an elaborate medieval event set in an enchanted forest.
The Big Sur wedding was held in a redwood grove and featured a nine-foot tiered wedding cake, a pen of bunnies, fur-pelt-strewn beds in the lounge area, leather-bound keepsake volume as wedding favours, and Tolkien-ised costumes for all 364 guests by The Lord of the Rings costume designer Ngila Dickson. Details for the wooded site alone cost $4.5 million, and the star-studded affair caused a stir in town (for reasons that are both good and bad).
Now, the lavishness of this themed wedding is simply unimaginable for most of us mere mortals. But given enough time and effort, it is still possible to create a themed wedding that will leave you – and your guests – swooning in delight. And while it can be elaborate, it doesn’t have to be cheesy. Here’s how.
Pick a meaningful theme
In the traditional sense, a wedding theme is not a must. After all, a wedding is an event in itself (your conservative mother will be more than happy just to see you don the white gown and walk down the aisle). But if you are considering a themed celebration, then think about what’s meaningful to the both of you. Do you both love The Beatles? Or have you been dreaming of sashaying around your wedding like Daisy Buchanan in 1920s Flapper fashion? Or, perhaps, you and your fiancé have been talking non-stop about touring the whole of France together and he proposed right beneath the glittering lights of the Eiffel Tower. If so, it makes sense to plan a glitzy, glamourous Parisian dinner affair. Ideally, the theme you choose should reflect aspects of yourselves as a couple – and not just be entertaining for your guests.
Celeb inspiration! In 2010, Paris Hilton’s former BFF Nicole Richie tied the knot with rocker Joe Madden in a dress inspired by Grace Kelly’s iconic wedding gown – something she has wanted since she was a girl – in a fancy French Fete complete with a Versailles-themed tent and a real live elephant for good luck.
To be subtle or go all out?
Once you have decided on a theme, consider how far you want to take your vision. Do you want to just rely on colour and decorative elements to make a statement, or do you want to custom-build stage backdrops, fill the entire space with flowers and have all of your 1000 wedding guests dressed according to the theme? If you want to go big, it may be wise to engage a wedding planner and put together a team of bridal helpers to handle the massive logistical challenge. Be warned: Buying hundreds of decorative tchotchkes just to push a certain theme will make it look like you are trying too hard.
Celeb inspiration! When celebrity wedding planner Preston Bailey married singer Theo Bleckmann, they went all out with an over-the-top King Kong-themed ceremony on Valentine’s Day. The extravagant affair featured a large orchid bouquet-inspired wedding cake by Sylvia Weinstock, a 12-foot custom wedding gown mock sculpture by Reem Acra, King Kong statues covered in flowers and even mini Chandon sparkling wine bottles with a chocolate heart as wedding favours.
Colours matter, details count
A wedding theme comes in handy as it allows you to streamline your wedding elements and keep the whole look cohesive. So, let the chosen theme guide you in the colour theme and all the decor-related decisions. For instance, if you both love to travel and are planning a vintage travel themed wedding, it will be fitting to use a colour palette featuring shades of chocolate brown, off-white and cool grey. Beyond that, details like luggage tag favours, airline ticket invitations and globe displays do make a difference.
Celeb inspiration! R&B singer Toni Braxton painted her 1998 wedding to musician and former husband Keirston Jamal Lewis a singular, eye-catching shade of Tiffany & Co’s signature blue hue. From the chair covers to tablecloths to carpeting, as well as the four-tiered wedding cake, everything in the flower-filled Dean Gardens was Tiffany blue.
Add a theme-related activity (or two!)
A way of tying your wedding theme together is to incorporate a theme-related activity into the schedule. So if the both of you love the whimsical fun of a colourful carnival, how about adding a line-up of traditional booth games, entertaining guests with a clown, giving out popsicles to the kids or dancing down the aisle to say your vows? In other words, a themed wedding should not be merely focused on colour and décor.
Celeb inspiration! This isn’t a wedding per se, but songbird Mariah Carey and her husband, Nick Cannon, celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary this year by booking Disneyland for a fairytale-themed affair. Besides dressing up like princesses, Mariah and their daughter, Monroe, rode in a horse-drawn, pumpkin-shaped carriage as Nick and their son, Moroccan, waited in Prince Charming suits. Talk about making a dramatic entrance.
Timelessness is key
Before you go wild with your wedding theme, stop to think about how you will feel when you look back on your wedding decades later. Trust us, you wouldn’t want to cringe your way through an entire album of wedding photos. Sure, it’s really fun and entertaining to plan a 1980s disco-themed bash, but ask yourself if you are really all right with neon colours reminiscent of a child’s 10th birthday party, metallic leggings and Doc Martens directing the most special day of your life.
Celeb inspiration! Actress Hilary Duff married Canadian hockey player Mike Comrie in a rustic chic wedding. The romantic do featured a Vera Wang gown, unfrosted cake and ice cream sandwiches, nothing overly fanciful that the bridal couple and guests will cringe at – even years later.
No matter how you decide to celebrate your wedding, take heart that it is going to be the best day of your life – as long as you are marrying the person that you love!