How to Have a Great Theme Wedding

You're getting married. Congratulations! Now the work begins. There's so much to be done before you're Big Day - picking a date, making out the guest list, choosing a caterer, and booking a church are just the tip of the iceberg. If you're like many of us, you've already been to several weddings, and perhaps you're a little bored with the same old "traditional" trappings: white dress, tuxedo, flowered centerpieces. Don't get me wrong, those things are all nice, but after a while, they all become…well, the same old thing.

When I got married in 2000, I was in a similar predicament. I wanted my wedding to be something special and not just another cookie cutter event. Since I have an interest in the Renaissance and Medieval periods, I decided to make that the theme of my wedding.

Having a theme wedding is not as hard as you think it might be, and it can be a lot of fun. There are many themes you can choose from, depending on your own tastes, like the Civil War (think Gone with the Wind), Victorian, Roaring Twenties or even the 1940's. If you are a little more daring, a Sixties flower child wedding or even an Ancient Greek wedding is just the thing. Do a quick Google search and start researching your chosen theme. There are many websites, even some done by brides, where you can see what it is you're getting yourself into.

Making your theme come to life is easy. Dressing the part is the biggest thing you can do. By this, I mean the bride's dress. The style of dress for most of the themes I have mentioned can be just as elegant and beautiful as any modern dress. Think of Scarlett O'Hara - big hoop skirt, lots of frills, long gloves, southern hospitality. Or Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love. Gorgeous dresses, beaded headdresses, elegant clothes.

You don't have to break the bank with a theme wedding, either. My sister and I made my wedding dress (which was royal blue with a cream under dress, who says you have to wear white?) from a pattern we got at the local fabric/craft store. Most mainstream pattern companies have patterns reflecting about any theme you can think of. After purchasing the fabric, pattern, undergarments, headpiece and shoes, I only spent about $500 total. Of course if you choose to have a dress made, it will cost more, but that would be true even if you were having a traditional wedding dress tailor made. If you're frugal, you can rent a dress from a costume shop. We also made all of my attendants' dresses, but those can also be rented.

And what about the groom? Take him to the local costume shop. My husband refused to wear tights, so the lady at the shop had pants that came to the knee, a loose white shirt and a jerkin (kind of like a vest) for him. She accented it with blue to match my dress. The groomsmen all wore similar attire, with colors to match the brides' attendant that they were paired with for the ceremony.

Having the ceremony or reception somewhere that's theme related also helps. I happened to use an old stone church that had a Tudor interior. Big stained glass, the works. Find a place that works for your theme. Add touches to your reception, if you can. I made several Medieval looking banners out of cloth (it was much easier than it sounds) that hung in the hall, and I rented a fake stone archway from a local theater group to set just inside the door, so that all the guests had to enter through it. For a Roaring Twenties theme, you can decorate your reception hall like a speakeasy.

When the bridal party enters the reception, play some theme related music. I bought some Celtic and Renaissance CD's online and gave them to the DJ to play during dinner. After dinner we had regular dance music. I didn't do anything strange with the food, but you certainly can serve themed dishes. Find a caterer who can make them, or get some recipes and have a friend who can cook do the catering.

Other little things: instead of table numbers, I named each table for an ancient castle. On each table was the history of that castle in a frame. You can name your tables after southern cities involved in the Civil War, famous battles, or jazz singers. Find cute favors that reflect your theme, like tiny pewter dragons, small Victorian picture frames, or fans for each of the female guests.

Don't leave your guests out! Send a little note with the invitation, explaining what you are doing. Ask them to dress up and give them suggestions on where to look for ideas and the name and address of local costumers. I think about half my guests were in theme dress for my wedding. People still talk about it, five years later. Most of them tell me it was the best wedding they have ever been to.

One last word of advice: don't stress yourself out on the details. If something isn't working or becomes too hard to do without losing your sanity, leave it out. You don't have to make every little thing theme related, just giving the impression of the theme can be enough. It's your wedding - something that you'll remember for the rest of your life. Make sure you remember to have fun!