With many guests often attending several weddings in one year, more and more couples are turning to wedding themes as a way to make their ceremony stand out from the crowd. From historic and period themes to movie genres, colour themes and more, choosing a theme wedding has plenty of benefits. Having a theme can help you with important choices when planning your wedding, and also helps guests who are struggling with what to wear. Themes also allow you to add plenty of clever little touches to your wedding, making sure your guests will remember it for years to come.
Here's our pick of some of the best wedding themes:
1920s Wedding
A popular choice at the moment due to the popularity of 1920s-themed cultural phenomena like Downton Abbey and the Great Gatsby, the decade of flapper dresses, decadence and sequins is the perfect inspiration for your special day.
Medieval Wedding
Also popular with fans of the books and TV series Game of Thrones, a medieval-style wedding guarantees plenty of fun on your big day. Choose embroidered dresses with pointed sleeves, indulgent banquets packed with meat and game and period drinks like mead for an authentic touch.
Festival Wedding
Channel the celebratory spirit of Glastonbury for your own festival-style wedding. Great for couples on a budget, all you need to create the right atmosphere is a field, a marquee, some willing bands and a bar stocked with cider and real ale.
Fairytale Wedding
A fairytale wedding is what many brides dream of, and there are plenty of ways to make it come true. If you can afford it, a castle makes a magical setting for your special day, but there are also plenty of woodland venues around the country offering the same enchanting atmosphere at a fraction of the price.
Beach Weddings
Whether you're opting for the exotic white beaches of somewhere like Thailand or Fiji or the more accessible (and affordable) beaches of the British coast, a beach wedding is a truly romantic occasion you're sure to remember for years to come.
Extreme Weddings
From getting married while skydiving to saying your vows in the basket of a hot air balloon, extreme weddings are all the rage. And don't worry if not all your guests are as adventurous as you are - simply hire a more traditional venue near by and set up an internet link so they can watch the proceedings in comfort.
Attraction Weddings
Britain boasts hundreds of magical and unique tourist attractions, so why not use one of them as a memorable setting for your big day? From museums and aquariums to art galleries and even theme parks, there are lots of different venues to choose from.
Seasonal Weddings
For a simple and effective theme for your big day, why not choose a seasonal theme? Summer weddings can make use of bright colours and abundant fresh flowers, while Winter weddings look magical with shades of white, red and green.
Gothic Weddings
A Gothic wedding doesn't mean you have to go down the aisle swathed in black, but simple touches like carved pumpkin lanterns and atmospheric décor make a Halloween-themed wedding a quirky and unusual choice.
Geeky Weddings
With more and more people falling in love with 'geek culture', weddings themed around Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or favourite video games are no longer an obscure tradition. All you need to do is make sure your invitations contain an overview of the theme, so that any uninitiated guests won't be left in the dark.