Why You Need a Wedding Theme and How to Choose One

Maybe you’re wondering: can’t my wedding just be a wedding? Now I have to have a theme, too? What the heck!

It does seem like a lot. Especially with everything else you have to do. But having a theme can actually make things easier. It’ll help narrow down your decisions, save time and money. And it’ll make decorating a no-brainer.

Do I Need a Wedding Theme?

No, you don’t need a wedding theme. But it will make things easier in a lot of ways.

When you start looking at all the wedding things, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Invitations alone - there’s millions. Literally, look at the internet and you’ll see millions of wedding invitations. With no way to narrow it down you could be looking at them forever. But if you’ve decided on a theme, your choices will be simpler. You can look at only rustic invitations, or only traditional invitations. If you’ve got a theme, you’ve got a starting point.

Or, you’re out shopping and you see a sale on something that might be perfect for your centrepieces. If you buy them now, you’ll save a ton of money. But if it’s a mistake - you’ll be wasting money! If you’ve already decided on a theme you’ll be able to decide right away. Maybe your theme is vintage style with burgundy accents. All you need to do is ask yourself “Are these vintage looking? Are they burgundy?”

If the answer is no, you can move on and forget about them. If the answer is yes, you can buy them and know that they’ll look great at your wedding.

Your theme doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t need to have a vision board with Pantone colors and fabric samples. If that’s your thing - go for it! But choosing your theme can be as easy as deciding on your style and a color.

Decide on your style:

Formal
Semi formal
Casual

Choose a favorite color:

Rose gold
Royal blue
Navy blue
Lavender
Dusty blue
Pale peach
Light pink
White

Another easy theme is to choose a season or a holiday:

Winter
Christmas
Valentine’s Day
Spring
Summer
Fourth of July
Fall
Halloween

You can choose a theme that fits a style:

Boho
Beach
Country
Vintage

Need more ideas? Here’s a checklist: Wedding Theme Ideas.

How To Choose a Theme For Your Wedding

When you start planning your wedding, the biggest decision is your venue. And it’ll have the biggest impact on your theme. For example, if you’ve chosen a ballroom, you might want a traditional, black and white theme. If you’ve chosen a community center, a cozy vintage theme might be perfect. If you’ve already chosen your venue, think about the style and colors of the room you’ve rented. Try to think of themes that will match the space.

If you haven’t chosen your venue yet, decide if having a certain theme is important. If it is, keep your theme in mind when you start touring wedding venues.

If a theme isn’t too important, you can find a venue you love. Then decide on a theme that best fits the space. Maybe you’ll find a fantastic barn and decide on a rustic or country glam theme. Or you might find a room rental in a botanical garden, or a brewery. Then it’s as easy as saying “we’ll go with a garden theme.”

Or “lets have an industrial theme, with craft beer.”

How to Use Your Wedding Theme

Some people put their theme everywhere, others are more subtle. Most land somewhere in between. If your theme is a color or a flower, use it wherever you need a color or a flower. Use if for your bridesmaid dresses, bouquets and centerpieces.

If your theme is more of a mood or personality, you can choose the actual items from your theme. If you’ve chosen a literature theme, your centerpieces can start with a stack of books. Or your bouquets can be paper flowers made from book pages.

If you want to be creative, the sky’s the limit. You can have a lot of fun choosing items and decorating for a certain theme.

If you do find a theme you love, have fun with it. If the idea is making things more difficult, don’t knock yourself out over it. Whether you go big or small with your theme is up to you. No one’s going to check up on you or give your wedding marks. Your theme can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Pick one that suits you, and your partner, and use it to make your wedding planning easy and fun.

Want more wedding ideas and inspiration? Follow me on Pinterest: Affordable Wedding Venues and Menus