Deciding whether to move beyond the traditional wedding theme
If you’re looking to host a wedding like none other, then a unique wedding theme may be perfect for you.
Infusing your personality into the day and creating special memorable keepsakes will make your event stand out. When you choose a unique location, style and activities for your guests, your big day will be even more memorable because guests will have more reasons to enjoy it.
Having distinctive ideas for your wedding offers a special edge to your photographs by generating more opportunities for one-of-a-kind pictures.
Unique Wedding Ideas
If you’re ready to dive in and plan an unforgettable wedding, here are four ideas to help get you started!
The Vision – Imagine yourself surrounded with only your closest family and friends, tucked away in a relaxing seaside cottage or a cozy cabin in the woods. Backyards and historic bed-and-breakfast hotels also make fantastic locations for intimate weddings. Huddle together in a quaint, English-style pub filled with lots of warm laughter and enjoy an acoustic set from a local guitarist, or enjoy a picnic-style family sit-down, complete with fresh apple pie and a backyard band.
This couple invited a total of 16 guests for a week-long stay at cabin in the mountains for their wedding.
Activities – Draw from your surroundings and unique local culture to give your guests the most authentic, memorable experience possible. Sit around a fire and roast marshmallows while you enjoy cake or cocktails. Stroll along the beach at sunset to collect shells or enjoy drinks on a sailboat after the ceremony. These are a few examples of activities that are ideal for small, intimate groups.
Ever thought about a barn wedding?
The Vision – Barn and country weddings are great if you like rustic charm and a relaxed but picturesque setting. Wide open space, fresh air, and your loved ones gathered around for food and laughter equals a recipe for a welcoming, homey wedding event. Make your entrance memorable and stay true to the country theme by arriving in a vintage pick-up truck. Set up your reception tables outside of the barn and cover straw bails with blankets for benches. Top the tables off with flower pails and hay-inspired centerpieces to really make your barn wedding theme shine.
If you’re a homebrewer, this is a great opportunity to create something fun and original by brewing your own beer for the reception. It gives the event an extra personal touch, adding an intimate feel to the occasion, not to mention it’s plenty of fun for you and your guests.
Activities – Have outdoor games, like horse shoes or bocce ball, interspersed in the setting (but not too close to the dance floor!). Games are not only a different touch to a wedding but also offer great fun for adults and keep children occupied. Showcasing special entertainment that complements your theme is another possibility. Hire a banjo player or bluegrass band to play during the reception, and have a chef prepare a special dish live while you enjoy cocktails and mingle outside of the barn.
View this video of a fun country wedding at a farm in Loveland, CO.
Vintage Garden or English Tea Party Wedding
The Vision – Refined elegance, an abundance of flowers, mismatched seating, and wrought iron touches come together to create a charming vintage tea-party wedding motif. Dress the reception tables with floral, lace, or voile linens, and use weathered watering cans for your centerpiece floral arrangements. Don’t be afraid to mismatch the china, style of seating, and even the table dressings. This unique wedding idea works best when you combine a myriad of old-fashioned accents and designs that appear as if they came straight from the antique shop. Host this style of wedding in your own garden if space allows, or consider a local winery, historic landmark, or bed-and-breakfast.
Activities – Nothing says “vintage tea party” quite like hats and flowers, so it’s fun to utilize these elements by including them in the activities you plan for your guests. You’ll be sure to get the laughter going by provide elaborate, floral-inspired hats for your female guests, or invite them to bring their own. There are plenty of good finds at local consignment shops, or if you’re crafty and have the time, you can even make your own. Just imagine how fun the photos would turn out as your guests are into their third drink and wearing elaborate hats. Another fun activity would be to schedule a tea-tasting portion during the reception. Feel free to warm up the fun with mixed tea drinks. Liquors like amaretto or Grand Marnier go great with an Earl Grey tea. Or serve a variety of flavors from around the world or choose your local favorites.
Maybe you’re the nautical type
The Vision – Set sail for the wedding of a lifetime with sailor-knotted touches, maritime-inspired fabrics, and décor that celebrates the sea. Use blue and white baker’s twine to tie everything from your invitations and bouquets to garlands and napkin rings. Dot your reception tables with trails of cord-wrapped votive candles, accent your seating with striped medallions, and start your nautical event off right with anchor-themed wedding invitations. Carry a blue striped clutch and have your bridesmaids join in on the fun by donning striped accessories. Host your ceremony and reception on the harbor, beach, or at any restaurant with a waterfront view.
Activities – Make an entrance by arriving on a boat with your father and walk ashore to make your way up the aisle. Or, if you’re having a smaller, more intimate wedding, arrange for a sailing excursion. You can also arrange excursion exclusively for your bridal party and immediate family the day before the main event. This would be a great opportunity to spend some quality time together and allow your families to get to know each other.
Additional Touches of Originality
- Instead of the traditional guest sign-in book, create a photobook of pictures of you and your fiancé where guests can write notes. While reminiscing over old photos of you, your family and friends will be prompted to write more personal and thoughtful messages. This will also be a great keepsake for you and your spouse for years to come.
- Hire an artist to create a live painting of your reception. Not only will this entertain your guests but you’ll have a completely original piece of artwork to take away from the event.
- Consider sending everyone home with a custom music playlist. Include songs played during your cake-cutting ceremony, your father-daughter dance.
- Set up a table of fun props and have some costume pieces on hand—anything that ties in with your wedding theme—and let your guests play dress-up for their own mini photo session. Arrange for your photographer to capture every silly moment and then send your guests the shots with your gift thank-you cards after the event.
These groomsmen threw a splash of color to liven up the common black tuxedo.
- Hire a magician to perform during your reception. Providing additional, live entertainment for your guests really switches things up and is fun for adults and children.
- Last, but certainly not least, choose favors that complement your wedding’s unique theme. Doing so will add that special, final touch and place emphasis on the style you worked so hard to create.
Challenges
Uniquely-themed weddings are appealing for a number of reasons, but it’s important to explore the depth of the planning they entail to decide if this is the path for you.
Just as there are benefits to planning a unique wedding, there are also challenges. If you really want the theme to pop, the details are hugely important. This means you need to choose a location that matches your theme, as well as attire, favors, and a menu that complements the environment you create. Finding that ideal venue can require a significant amount of research and location scouting. While arranging these elements can certainly be fun, the tasks are not always easy to manage alone. Luckily, you don’t have to!
The bride and groom came up with a unique and fun idea of celebrating their wedding at the bowling alley of Moe’s Bar-B-Q in Denver, Co. The guests certainly loved the fun wedding reception idea too.
Know When to Ask for Help
You might find that you’re better off hiring a professional wedding planner to assist you. Should you decide you’d prefer professional help, it’s important to select an event planner who shares your vision for the occasion. Ask yourself whether you’re really capable of planning the event on your own, given your existing commitments. Can you achieve the vision you have in mind, and do you have the time to invest to make it a reality? Do you feel out of your league or overwhelmed in terms of making all the arrangements? Working with a professional can not only bring you peace of mind, it can also be an invaluable tool when planning an event that requires a lot of attention to detail.
Unique weddings are festive, fun, and provide an inspirational backdrop for your wedding photos. If you do decide on a unique wedding, don’t miss the opportunity to capture these memories with a skilled photographer.
The theme ideas discussed here are just a few of the many you can explore. Whichever idea you decide to go with, remember being flexible opens up more opportunities for creativity and creativity is the key to a one-of-a-kind experience and memories you will cherish for a lifetime.
Additional useful articles:
- Tips for Choosing a Wedding Venue in Colorado
- How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
- A Guide to Budgeting Your Wedding
- How to Get Married in Colorado
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