So it’s finally real. He got down on bended knee, pulled out one sparkler of a ring, proposed and she said yes.
This life-altering event is generally followed by the bride-to-be envisioning herself walk down the aisle, wearing her version of idyllic wedding dress, which, despite being a couple of sizes smaller, fits her suddenly-shrunken frame.
Abruptly, the staggering chasm between dreams and reality makes itself felt and frenzied panic sets in. Several parallel universes of potential wedding choices open up transporting the bride-to-be into somewhat of a black hole. Once the budgeting and financial planning are dealt with, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get down to the practicalities of organising your most memorable day!
Rather than focusing on the specifics, it might be preferable for the couple to decide on the general feel of the event. Think less about the contents of the reception menu or the colour of the bridal party’s dresses and more about the overall ambience of your special day.
Here is where setting a theme for the wedding, can be very helpful, in narrowing down choices to be better aligned to the couple’s taste and personality. Here prospective bride and groom get to sit down and talk about their ideas for the event. Clear communication, tact and sensitivity are prerequisites here.
Various themes are popular for weddings in Malta, particularly:
- Colour
think anything from bright pops of colour to muted pastels and sultry nudes - Season
Vivaldi brought all four seasons to life with the notes he composed for violins, you can focus on one, for the theme of your wedding - Classic
less is really more here, trusting in the elegant understatement of the tried-and-tested
- Boho chic
Bohemian meets hippy in this easy-flowing, trendy style
- Vintage
Retro was so good that it made a glorious comeback - Floral
Since weddings are considered to be the greatest celebration of love, it comes as no surprise that these are so closely linked to flowers. Pretty petals of various hues and their fragrant smells alone set the imagination alight. - Traditional
Local customs have their own enchanting lore - Contemporary
Step into modern times, with verve and style
The Mood Board
A good tool to help the couple select their very own theme is to jointly develop a mood board for the wedding. This helps the couple immediately as it serves as a practical and visual guideline defining the overall motif of the wedding.
A mood board consists of visual images which inspire the couple about their theme. Images can be related to weddings, but they can also be more generic and inspirational, perhaps focusing on design, colour and accessories. The mood board can serve as a pleasant reminder of what really suits the couple’s tastes and personality style, enabling them to bring the entire event together, in a coordinated and stylish manner.
Time
Selecting the right time for your event, can help you brand it and generate a particular atmosphere on your special day. You can replicate the theme even before the event, through save-the-date cards and invitations, offering your guests a little teaser about the event. The venue, wedding party attire and even the wedding cake itself can all give the theme a nod.
Do Not Overdo it
A good piece of advice here is not to overdo it. Don’t go for a purple wedding cake just because you’ve themed your wedding in that colour. More tasteful and advisable might be to go for purple sashes around each tier of the white wedding cake. Similarly, a white wedding dress can echo the purple motif with a bouquet which includes a few purple flowers. You can also reinforce the mood and style of your event by having a themed backdrop for guest photos.
Caution
A final word of caution, particularly for those who easily get carried away on a flight of fancy – wedding photos last forever, so beware of kitschy and garish themes. Even if your groom is an avid biker, no need to get out his leather chaps for the big day. Similarly, no matter how much into Pokemon the bride is, nobody need find Pikachu on the big day!