June 26, 2019

Picking Your Wedding Theme

As wedding season 2019 starts to heat up (literally and figuratively) I start dreaming about all the amazing and beautiful things to come. I love a bold floral arrangement, mismatched anything, and I love the feeling you get when you walk into a well-executed reception and you immediately know just how the couple wanted their guests to feel.

I am a big proponent of a wedding theme. When I say theme, I don’t mean a color or a set of a few colors. I mean I love when a wedding is set around a few related ideas and feelings, and all of the other elements build into them.

Let me give you some examples:

Rustic

This is probably one of the most popular wedding themes on the Western Slope, and has been for quite a while. A few related words that can go with a rustic wedding are country, simple, western, and natural. A rustic wedding might take place in or around a barn or an open field. The bridal party might be wearing cowboy boots, and the guys might be in jeans or cowboy hats. The florals are usually simple and feature baby’s breath, sunflowers, or even wildflowers, and can be found in mason jars. Bar-b-que would likely be served for dinner. In general, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, never too stuffy or fussy. Can you picture a wedding like this?

Unique Design Rentals | Wedding & Event rentals in Grand Junction, Colorado featured on WED West Slope - a directory for wedding vendors.

Unique Design Rentals, Carved Tree Photography

Geoff Duncan Photography

Absolute Prestige Ranch

The Wildflower Floral

Y Bar Hitch

Orchard River View | Wedding barn venue in Palisade, Colorado featured on WED West Slope - a directory for wedding vendors.

Orchard River View, Amanda Matilda Photography

Boho

Picking up steam in recent years, the boho wedding theme is all about incorporating nature and having fun! Picture the bride in a floral crown (the quintessential boho wedding accessory) and maybe without shoes. The groom could be wearing suspenders and a cool hat.The florals are usually bright and bold with pops of vibrant pinks and plenty of greenery. The ceremony is probably non-traditional and mentions nature, and is probably backed by a big floral ceremony arch (or teepee). The vibe is relaxed and fun.

Country Elegance Florist | Florist in Grand Junction, Colorado featured on WED West Slope - a directory for wedding vendors.

Country Elegance Florist, Annelise Bridal, Ally Papko Photography

3 Leaf Floral

Afternoon Delight Bakery

Alpine Events Colorado

Breelle Hilsenrath Photography

Mallory Williams

Glam

Let’s swing to the other end of the spectrum and talk about a glam wedding. A glam wedding is about making a statement, but doing it in a simple and elegant way. Expect big, probably tall floral arrangements on beautiful round tables with a clean, light colored table cloth. The color palette is usually, but not always, light with plenty of whites, creams, and soft pinks. There might be a few gems or sparkle incorporated in the design, and you better believe that the bride will be wearing a show-stopping dress. The groom & groomsmen are probably wearing full suits in black, navy or charcoal gray. There is definitely real dinnerware (no plastic here), and dinner is probably chicken or steak served plated to the guests. The general feel is reserved and a bit formal.

Wedding ring with lots of diamonds shot on sparkly pink tableclothes

Amanda Matilda Photography

Knock on Wood Designs

Joe Hendricks Photography

Elite Events | Wedding & Event rentals in Grand Junction, Colorado featured on WED West Slope - a directory for wedding vendors.

Elite Events, Amanda Matilda Photography

Elite Events

Whimsical

This theme is for the couple who are ready to go for it! Whimsical themes can take on a huge variety of forms. For example, I’ve heard of plenty of Star Wars themed weddings where the bride is dressed like Princess Leia and there are fake lightsabers involved! Another whimsical theme is an Alice in Wonderland wedding. This theme is complete with lots of tea-cups, cute cookies labeled “eat me,” rabbit accents, and finger foods. While a whimsical theme isn’t for everyone, it can be a fun and memorable way to celebrate your big day!

Choosing Your Wedding Theme | Coppelia Cake Design | Wedding theme featured in Grand Junction, Colorado featured on WED West Slope - a directory for wedding vendors.

Carved Tree Photography, Harmony Lane, Raspberry Hill, Annelise Bridal

Carved Tree Photography, Harmony Lane, Raspberry Hill,

Carved Tree Photography, Harmony Lane, Raspberry Hill, Simply Cakes by Cambelry

Now that you get the idea, why is picking a theme, instead of wedding colors, so beneficial to your event?

First, picking a theme sets a mood for your wedding day in a way that picking colors doesn’t. Describing those different themes above gave you a real impression of how a wedding, based on that theme, really feels, whereas if I told you the wedding featured the colors light pink, cream and lavender you’d have a much harder time picturing it.

Second, choosing a theme gives you so much more freedom when picking out elements and decor. If you set yourself up in a small box of a few colors, you are tasked with constantly looking for color matches and skipping things that would be great, but aren’t in your color scheme. On the other hand, if you have a theme, like the rustic theme, you can pick elements that contribute to that theme without having to be so committed to a color.

Finally, choosing a theme sparks more creativity in your planning process than just a set of colors does. Maybe you want your rustic theme to include antlers because the groom is a hunter, or maybe when you are dreaming up your boho wedding you decide to include dream catchers as a part of your decor. Having a theme opens you up to more possibilities!