Themed weddings

If the thought of flouncing up the aisle in a frilly white dress sends you bolting for the church doors, or if you're just looking for something a bit different on your big day, themed weddings are a great solution.

Choosing the theme is the easy bit. You can make it special to you - for example, a Scottish or Irish theme if one of you has Celtic heritage, or just something you both enjoy, such as country and western or mediaeval fantasies.

Putting it into practice is not so easy, as there are many factors to consider - the most important being whether the venues you have chosen are happy with a themed wedding taking place.

Not only will the reception venue have to be notified if you want special decorations or food, but the vicar or registrar may not appreciate you turning up for the ceremony dressed as aliens from Star Trek.

Also, find out what extras you are allowed while you are exchanging vows. A Scottish piper might be a romantic touch during the signing of the register, but a full-scale civil war re-enactment outside the church may not go down too well!

The next thing to consider is how far you want to take the theme. Much of this will depend on cost, but spare a thought for your guests as well. You and your other half may think it's fun to have all the guests dressing up - but will your they be able to afford costumes and will auntie Maud see the amusing side of parading round in Bermuda shorts and a bikini top?

But if you're sure you don't want to restrict fancy dress costumes to just the bride and groom, make sure you spell out your plans clearly on the wedding invitations well in advance of the day itself.

Depending on your budget, you could really go to town on your chosen theme. For example, if you fancy a Mediaeval or Tudor wedding, a few clicks on the internet will turn up castles and country houses where you can hold the reception or even the ceremony.

You might also want to organize some more unusual transport. A popular choice is a horse and cart, but how about arriving to the ceremony on a motorbike, tractor or an open top bus? Whatever you choose, make sure you have alternative options if it rains.

But if you're worried about your budget, just simple table decorations or a special cake may be enough to accentuate your theme.

If you are considering having an outlandish wedding cake, shop around and ask to see previous examples of the baker's work and find out how much it will eat into your budget. Again, give them plenty of notice - not many chefs can knock up a miniature, detailed replica of the Titanic overnight.

As for the rest of the reception, the color of the balloons, the seating cards, menus, flowers and food can all be incorporated into your theme. You might even want to add some unusual centerpieces for the tables, such as an arrangement of shells or some origami figures.

If you are having a themed menu - such as fish and chips, curry or a full mediaeval banquet - bear in mind that it's unlikely to be to the taste of all your guests, and suitable alternatives will have to be provided. And make sure you have informed the caterers of all your plans well in advance.

If music is not your thing, then you could even turn the reception area into a casino or have unusual rides such as a bucking bronco or a bouncy castle - it'll make a change from your dad embarrassing himself on the dance floor!

Themed weddings Ideas

Weddings with themes are becoming increasingly popular. Just look at Posh and Beck's' - they opted for a fairy-grotto-type theme that incorporated a simple black-and-white dress code for their guests. Like many brides and grooms, they wanted to create a unique style and mood for their special day. And whether you liked what they did or not, they succeeded in creating a day that had meaning for them.

Which theme and why?

The most important question to ask before you decides to theme your big day is why? What does it mean for you as a couple? For example, it may be that one or both of you has a Scottish heritage and so you'd like to give your wedding day a suitably Scottish theme.

Or, like many couples before you, you may want to select a theme based on a particular season or date or special interest you share, and then build your wedding around it to make your big day a statement about who you are.

Whatever your reason, it's important to be clear about your motivation. Organizing a wedding is not unlike planning a military campaign and adding a random theme on top could quickly become a hassle if it's not something close to your heart. Also, knowing why you want a theme will help to inform the choices you make about the overall look of your day, all the way down to the moment you leave for your honeymoon.

How far do you go?

Having decided on a theme, the next step is to consider the practicalities of putting it in place. Do you, for instance, want to extend your theme as far as your guests' dress code? Think it through carefully. If you want a Scottish theme, for example, do all the male guests really have to wear kilts?

Remember: the theme doesn't have to apply to every single aspect of the day. The best plan is to apply it to areas where you have most control, such as table decorations and music. In other areas, such as what your guests wear, keep it simple.

How to theme your wedding

Break down your day into different elements to work out the best way to apply your theme...

Wedding dress

Whatever the bride, groom and attendants wear sets the theme for your wedding. And for many couples, this may be as far as you need or want to go. But depending on the theme, it may be fairly easy to extend it to your wedding party, too. Be careful, though. Does your dad really want to be decked out like a Spanish matador or a Russian Cossack when he walks you down the aisle? Asking the guests to follow your idea is even more difficult - as you have no idea what spin they may put on your theme...

Wedding invitations/order of service

The invitation is the first time your guests will know about any special plans you have for the day. If they're to be included in the theme, now is the time to carefully brief them about what it expected. Your invitation is also an effective area in which to extend your theme: it could be tartan-trimmed for a Scottish wedding or heart-shaped for a Valentine's wedding. This can then be applied to the rest of your wedding stationery: the order of service, place settings, menu and thank-you cards.

Flowers

This is a very easy and effective area to extend your theme and create the atmosphere you want. For example, a Christmas theme bouquet could be picked up with sprigs of mistletoe and holly, or it could be pure white. This theme could be extended to buttonholes, church arrangements and reception flowers.

Wedding music

This is one of the areas you can have most fun with and it can really make the day special. A Spanish-themed wedding, for example, could include a musician to play Spanish guitar as prelude music, before the service or at the reception. For the evening session, think about hiring a salsa band.

Catering

Theming your wedding cake is a good idea. But remember to make whatever your choose well within the talents of your cake maker. Better to have something simple that hints at the theme, rather than a complicated design that's too hard for your cake maker to pull off.

The catering could also reflect your theme. For a Christmas wedding you may want to serve turkey and mince pies. For a Scottish wedding, you may want to serve a haggis.

What's in a theme?

Here are some ideas for wedding theme, with hints on how to put them into practice:

Fairy tale.

This is such a romantic theme and there's lots of scope for your wedding dress and the flowers.

Old England

There are plenty of old country houses around the country to really pull this off. Decide on the century and go for it!

Dos and don'ts

DO choose a theme that's close to your heart - if it's a last-minute whim; it's likely to show.

DO consider all your guests. If you have elderly relatives, for example, they may not appreciate being asked to turn up looking like Dracula or in a boob tube!

DO give people notice if you want them to come in special dress, and provide ideas of what they could wear and where to source it.

DON'T choose themes that might date very quickly.

DON'T forget that the theme doesn't have to apply to every single element of your day - better to keep it simple.

DON'T forget that a themed wedding could add significantly to your wedding budget - and to your guests' expenses. Try and find ways to make your theme cheap and easy to comply with.

Finally, DON'T FORGET - themes ARE meant to be fun. Have a laugh