Planning a wedding is one of the few chances you have in life to create the day of your dreams – and your choices are endless. But when you have the opportunity to let your imagination run wild, how do you settle on a theme? And what should it be? Ideally, your wedding day should reflect your personality, so read on for three very different wedding theme ideas to reflect your particular style.

Cool Urban Wedding

Ideal for: City Slickers, Hipsters, People who Like Heights

If you want a dramatic wedding that oozes slick urban glamour and spectacular views over London, then tying the knot in any one of London’s dramatic new buildings will hit the spot. The Shard or the Gherkin are good choices, and licensed for civil ceremonies. Or if you want to be especially hip and your budget won’t stretch that far, how about an uber-cool ceremony in a warehouse with exposed brickwork as the backdrop?

You can either emphasise the industrial theme, or soften it by creating a romantic fairy light lit intimate setting to create a striking contrast. Just remember that you’re likely to have aunties, uncles and grandparents too, so make sure it’s comfortable for the older generation!

Weddings Inspired by Films or Books

Ideal for: The Incurable Romantic, Film Buffs, Book Worms

Whether you love ‘Pride and Prejudice’ or ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ then a book or film styled wedding is a great choice as a theme and will give you masses of inspiration. You can print invitations and place cards like cinema tickets or your favourite book cover, use the soundtrack for the ceremony, and of course, recreate the look with your choice of venue and wedding dress.

Remember that if you’re creating bespoke invitations based on a book or film, then allow plenty of time for getting the invitations designed and created. According to http://www.piccolopress.co.uk/ the greatest challenge for wedding planners is deciding on the final design, so always allow yourself time to review your invitations.

Vintage

Ideal for: The Nostalgic, History Geeks, the Financially Challenged

Vintage weddings are now one of the most common choices for a wedding theme, but the joy of this theme is that no two vintage weddings will ever be the same. You can take your pick from any number of era’s or themes, from a glamorous Gatsby type affair to the rustic charms of a Victorian country style wedding. And if money is short, a rustic wedding lends itself perfectly to handmade styling.

However, if you’re planning a vintage wedding, be careful not to go too overboard, especially if you’ve chosen an era such as the 1920’s, as it could end up looking like a fancy dress party. Instead, add a contemporary twist to your theme. Choose one or two key elements such as the gown or the historic setting, and create the ‘essence’ of the era around it by adding details with a modern twist. If in doubt, keep it simple.

Don’t overwhelm a rustic barn or beautiful historic house with so many details you don’t notice the environment – think of enhancing the space rather than drowning it.

Wendy Lin is a writer and entrepreneur. She enjoys spending time with her growing family and enjoying the summer days on their family boat.