One fun aspect of planning your wedding is choosing a theme upon which the wedding attire, décor, invitations, and foods are based. Your wedding theme reflects your interests and sets a mood and tone for the ceremony and accompanying reception. If you need to stretch your wedding budget, you can easily do it with your choice of wedding theme.
Wedding themes can be as simple as choosing a color for the bridesmaid’s dresses. Then you can use that color throughout the ceremony in the décor of the church and the color of the flowers. Infusing your color into your wedding favors, table settings, and centerpieces at the reception completes your nuptials in your own special cost-saving design.
Or wedding themes can be more complex, reflecting concepts like a garden, the Asian culture, or the beach. Selecting a conceptual theme allows your creativity to shine through. Clothing, flowers, church décor, the reception hall, and even food selection can create a lovely, personalized wedding.
Consider these ideas for budget-friendly wedding themes:
- Color theme. Choosing a color-themed wedding can make it easier for you to spend less money on your wedding. For this example, let’s say you’ve chosen red and white as your wedding color theme. Because the colors of red and white “pop” when used together, you won’t have to spend much extra money to add more flair to the event.
- The bride wears either a white or red dress purchased at a bridal sale. The groom wears a rented black suit, white shirt, red tie and vest.
- Select simple arrangements of inexpensive white flowers. White delphiniums, statice, larkspur, spider mums, carnations, and gardenias are low-cost, lovely white flower varieties.
- On the day of the wedding, the bride’s helpers wrap the bouquets in flowing red ribbons. Do the same for flower centerpieces on reception dining tables.
- Large white bowls filled with red apples or strawberries are budget-friendly table centerpieces and keep within the red and white theme.
- Choose table settings of red tablecloths, white plates, and red napkins at the reception.
- Garden theme. The garden theme focuses on all things related to nature that might be found in a garden.
- Several artificial green potted trees provide a lovely garden setting as a low-cost alternative to real greenery.
- Line the church altar with smaller silk potted plants to reflect a garden look.
- Use inexpensive, fresh flower arrangements as centerpieces on the reception tables.
- Small garden statues and bird figurines arranged near the centerpieces provide a nice touch, as do birdhouses. Shop for the statues, bird figurines, and birdhouses in a discount craft or garden store.
- A perfect setting for a garden-themed wedding is, of course, outdoors where green grass, trees, and beautiful plantings surround the entire wedding party and guests. Many outdoor venues cost thousands of dollars less than renting an indoor location.
- Beach theme. An oceanside or beach theme allows everyone to get in on the act, even your guests.
- The beach theme reduces wedding costs because the theme is less formal. Therefore, wedding attire for the bride and groom is less expensive. The bride wears a simple white dress. The groom dons light blue trousers and shirt to reflect the ocean’s colors.
- Wedding invitations inform guests to wear colors that reflect the hues of the sea and sand.
- Use clear glass containers brimming with seashells as décor and table centerpieces. Add white or sand-colored candles, if you like.
Exploring themes, décor, and wedding attire in advance will help you decide what you can afford. If you’re willing to do some of the work yourself and ask friends and relatives for help, you can celebrate your themed wedding without breaking the bank.
