Having a wedding like none other is as simple as defining your personal style and developing your wedding theme. Your theme doesn’t have to be as complex as creating a full-on Hawaiian luau, complete with a roast pig, ukulele players, hula dancers and grass skirts, but it should pinpoint an element that can be used as a thread throughout your wedding day – a color, a flower or even a vintage brooch. Here are a few of my ideas for creating a one-of-a-kind celebration!
Location, location, location
Locating the right spot to host your wedding and reflect your wedding theme will be your greatest challenge. Having the wedding in a hotel ballroom will lend a very different tone than having it in an old weathered barn on a local farm. Find a distinctive location: scout out old nightclubs, movie theaters, city roof gardens, hip restaurants, wooded parks, art galleries or historic mansions.
Let your décor speak
The vibe of every wedding is dictated by the décor. Find a common decorating thread to play through all the elements of your wedding, from the ceremony to your reception. It might be red roses in your bouquets and also in big arrangements on your dinner tables. Or it could be candlelight filling your ceremony site and your reception venue. Also consider your theme and choose an element that represents it – pennants, balloons, canning jars, damask patterns…the sky’s the limit!
Make it fun for your guests
Provide fun activities that match your theme for guests to enjoy at your reception, and they’ll be raving about your wedding for a long time! Hire a photo booth and have fun props for guests to use in the shots. Ask a local winery to do a wine tasting event for the cocktail hour. Provide a hand-rolled cigar station for the guys. And if your event is outdoors, set up lawn games like croquet, horseshoes and badminton for guests to play.
Lounge act
If your reception venue is very large, create intimate “lounge” spaces with groupings of comfortable furniture. Guests will love being able to take a break from the activity and relaxing in a small group.
White hot
White-on-white is never out of style. Talk to your florist about mixing shades of whites in the bouquets. Use all-white linens or linens that mix various shades of white – for example, ivory cloths with white overlays. Choose a white wedding cake with white rolled fondant frosting and accented with ivory sugar blossoms.
Visual interest
Consider setting up tables of different sizes and shapes (circular, square, rectangular) and use different textures or designs for the fabrics (pin-stripe fabrics on round tables and tiny polka-dot covers on square ones). Although your color palette will remain the same, each tabletop will render a distinct personality.
Just desserts
Talk to your caterer for clever ways to present many mini desserts, like chocolate-covered strawberries, tiny meringues and little fruit tarts. Arranged on trays and tiered serving stands, the desserts will become part of the décor – and show your love of sweets!
Enjoy the inspiration!
