How to choose your perfect wedding theme

When it comes to deciding how to design your big day, it can be hard to translate what makes you special into colours and favours. The most important thing is to take a little time to think it through and come to a decision that reflects aspects of what you both love. Here’s some tips below to help you decide on your wedding theme.

Your perfect day

The idea of planning a wedding can be overwhelming, and trying to map out your initial thoughts and ideas can feel hopelessly complex. A neat trick is to map out a perfect day for you as a couple. What would you eat? Where would you go, and what would you wear? What music would be your soundtrack?

This forces your brain into considering what you really love rather than what you think a wedding should be. Take aspects of this perfect day – locations, menus, music and even colours – and weave them into a wedding theme. That favourite trip to the coast could soon transform into an idyllic seaside themed wedding.

What can’t you live without?

It’s likely during your relationship that you have thought about your dream wedding, and there are probably a few ideas that you can’t shake. You should both write out a list of what you really want on the day and see where they overlap. Highlighting your similarities and priorities for your day will help you begin to build a bigger picture, and eventually a theme that wraps around those ideas neatly.

Consider unusual inspiration points

It’s tempting to pick a tried and tested wedding theme because you believe that is what a wedding is. In reality, your wedding is all about you. Try to take inspiration from ideas and visuals that you love. Your favourite piece of art, book, movie or even album could provide the jumping off point for a personal and lovely wedding theme. This doesn’t mean you have to host a strongly themed wedding based on one idea. Pull out bits of what you love from the things that inspire you and make it your own.

What don’t you love?

Sometimes when it comes to theming, knowing what you hate is as important as understanding what you love. If pink gives you the shivers, or the thought of a Disney themed wedding is your idea of hell, then shout about it. Tell each other your nightmare wedding scenario to clear lots of ideas off the table and give you a clearer view of what could work for you.

Create a mood board

A mood board is a perfect way to visualise your theme and find out if it really works. You can even create a number of competing theme boards to find out which one grabs your heart. Do this online or create real life boards from magazine cuttings, fabric swatches, and photographs. Being able to see your theme laid out in one place is the best way to know if it is a good fit for your big day. Remember to create your boards together to ensure you find a theme that works for you as a couple.

Get inspired by real weddings

Being just a little bit nosy is a great way to find wedding themes that you love. Get inspired by our Real Weddings feature and find fresh ideas to fire your imagination. You can search by colour or wider theme to track down weddings that are based on the ideas that you already love. This is the perfect way to discover a concept you hadn’t ever considered. Our imaginative brides and grooms are constantly amazing us with their creativity and we know you will love discovering their stories.

Pinning down your wedding theme is the first step to planning your dream day and an exciting stage in your journey to the aisle. Have fun trying on ideas and suggestions until you come across your perfect match. Remember your final choice should always reflect you as a couple and the journey to your very own happily ever after.