Some brides have their wedding theme fully planned out in their head before they’re even engaged. For others, however, choosing from wedding theme ideas can be daunting.
The theme of your wedding is entirely up to you, and will help dictate your colors, decorations, venue, and other aesthetic elements of your wedding day. Use our list of themes to find the perfect look for your big day so that you can start planning down to the details!
Find the best wedding theme ideas for your big day, from popular wedding themes to unusual and creative themes.
Romantic Wedding Theme
Everyone wants their wedding day to be romantic, but a romantic wedding theme entails more specific decor and style choices. Romantic themes generally entail soft, candlelit lighting, lots of florals, pink and red color palettes, and other ethereal elements.
Beach Themed Wedding
For couples who love the beach, or possibly met at the beach, a beach wedding theme is the perfect way to say “I do!”
Whether you get married at the beach or celebrate elsewhere, you can decorate with seashells, sand, and natural hues like ocean blues and sandy browns.
Country Wedding Themes
A country themed wedding is an incredibly popular option, but you can easily make it your own! Whether your version of “country” is a western theme or more of a farm focus, there are plenty of country wedding ideas to choose from!
Consider wooden touches, plenty of wildflowers, wooden barrels, and bourbon signature drinks. Barn weddings are all the rage right now!
Vintage Themed Wedding
Opt for a throwback wedding with a classic vintage theme! You can choose a specific era to go back to, or just decorate with antiques, worn-in furnishings, lace details, and more. Finish your retro wedding with a vintage getaway car if it fits your budget!
Rustic Theme
Rustic weddings have grown in popularity over recent years, so you can find plenty of rustic wedding inspiration. It’s easy to DIY plenty of rustic decor and add natural touches like wooden accents, burlap and lace, mason jars, greenery, and more.
Whimsical Wedding
Create a fairytale wedding in a whimsical wonderland. For a whimsical look, consider lots of florals, bright pops of color, mismatched decor, and other storybook details.
Some brides opt for an Alice in Wonderland-esque theme, but you can take your big day in other whimsical directions.
1920s Themed Wedding
View this post on Instagram
Throw a wedding that would put the Great Gatsby to shame! A roaring 20s theme can be tastefully done with art deco era decorations, ornate golden accents, and all the glitz and glamour of the 1920s.
Royal Wedding
View this post on Instagram
Recreate the British Royal Wedding with your own royal nuptials! Use elegant decor, incorporate crowns or tiaras into your decorations, opulent floral arrangements, and other royal elements. Consider historic venues or gorgeous estates for an extra noble look.
Winter Wonderland
If you’re getting married in the winter, lean into the seasonal aspect with a winter wonderland wedding!
Decorate with winter colors, fake snow, and sparkles, and serve up hot cocoa at your dessert bar. There are plenty of great winter ideas to incorporate into your wedding.
Garden Theme
Turn your wedding into a garden party! This is a great theme if your wedding is outdoors, but you can also fill an indoor venue with plenty of plants and flowers to create an indoor garden!
Other venues to consider include actual botanical gardens, greenhouses, and parks. Consider lots of greenery and pastels as well as ornate details.
Modern Wedding Themes
For brides and grooms hoping for a cool, modern look, there’s lots of wedding inspiration out there! Today’s modern wedding is a bit more minimalistic – think geometric shapes, metallic accents, and cool-toned color schemes for a sophisticated wedding.
Boho Chic
Bohemian wedding themes are popular as well, and this theme can range from boho chic to fully hippie bohemian. Consider big flowers, crochet or macrame decor, naked wedding cakes, and natural color schemes.
Christmas or Holiday Themed
If you love Christmas, consider a Christmas or holiday wedding! Getting married during the holiday season is romantic, and coming up with Christmas decorations is easy – you can even use your Christmas decor from home to deck the halls at your venue.
Southern Charm
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jessica Bordner Photography (@jessicabordnerphoto)
Whether the bride and groom are from the south or just fans of southern style and culture, a wedding with southern charm is sure to look amazing!
For a southern themed wedding, Think men in bow ties, sweet tea or bourbon signature drinks, comfort food, and classically old-fashioned touches. Consider outdoor or estate venues!
Classic Formal Wedding
There’s nothing wrong with a classic wedding theme, including a formal black tie dress code and a full sit down dinner in a banquet hall or other classic wedding venue. Plan for a formal event with classical floral arrangements, metallic accents, and crisp white tablecloths and linens.
Natural Wedding
For the eco-friendly couple, consider a natural wedding theme! You can go simple with natural colors like greens, pastel florals, and wooden accents, or create a sustainable wedding using recycled materials for invitations, biodegradable confetti, and living plants instead of cut flowers.
Celestial Space Theme
View this post on Instagram
Whether you love astrology or the other mysteries of outer space, a space themed celestial wedding is a new trend! Decorate with twinkle lights to light up the night sky, use galaxy colors in your decor, or shiny silver accents. The sky’s the limit!
Tropical Wedding
Tropical themes are great for destination weddings or beach weddings, but you can create a tropical theme in any location. Pick brightly colored flowers, tropical plants like palm trees, warm weather co*cktails, and other lush details.
Alternative Themes
If traditional weddings bore you, mix it up with a totally alternative wedding. Exactly what “alternative” means is up to you – some brides choose non-traditional dresses and unique venues. You can also opt for unusual color palettes or quirky, mismatched decor.
Glamorous Wedding Theme
Go full glam with a sparkly, glamorous wedding. For a glamorous wedding theme, take your standard black tie wedding and step it up a few notches.
Bridesmaids can wear plenty of sequins and sparkles, and your wedding can be full of metallic accents, champagne toasts, fancy hors d’oeuvres
Nautical
Host a nautical themed wedding on a boat! If a boat venue isn’t an option, you can still have a nautical theme with colors like navy and other shades of blue, decorative anchors, sea shells, and more. This theme is great for a summer wedding!
Desert
A desert wedding can be cool and trendy, with a bit of a boho vibe. Consider getting married in an actual desert if you love the outdoors and live near one.
If not, decorate with rustic western accents, cacti, and a color palette with rust, browns, greens, pale pinks, and other natural colors. Add dried flowers and grasses to your bouquet!
Backyard BBQ
There’s nothing wrong with a backyard wedding – and it can help you cut on costs if you can get married at a family home for free!
You can still dress up your backyard with string lights and hang decor from the trees. Bring in a caterer or opt for a classic cookout with dad at the grill!
NYE Wedding
Ring in the new year with a glamorous New Years Eve wedding. Consider hosting a black tie affair on new years, complete with lots of sparkles, fireworks, and champagne toasts.
Forest Wedding
For an earthy, natural wedding, consider a forest wedding theme! Many couples opt to get married in a forest to take advantage of the beautiful natural backdrop and to connect with nature.
If you want to get married indoors, you can still incorporate a forest theme with lots of lush greenery, wooden accents, and a green color palette.
Brunch Themed Wedding
A brunch wedding is a unique and fun option that will wow your guests! A daytime wedding is often less expensive, and you have more date options to choose from. Serve up brunch classics like bagels, waffles, or even eggs Benedict.
View this post on Instagram
Set up a make-your-own mimosa and bloody Mary bar with all the fixings for added fun.
Campground Wedding
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ↟↟Simon↟↟ (@simon.fromthesmithsphotography)
If you and your partner met at camp, or both loved your childhood campground, consider a summer camp themed wedding!
Some couples even get married on their old campground, which offers a fun, rustic backdrop with cabins, lakes, tents, and other fun details. Serve s’mores and other campfire classics!
Seasonal Themes
Match your wedding theme to the season in which you get married. Fall weddings give you plenty of opportunities to use beautiful autumn colors, and the winter has lots of lovely, snow covered opportunities.
For a spring wedding, break out plenty of florals and other festive spring accents, and for summer you can enjoy bright colors and sunshine themes!
Film Theme
View this post on Instagram
For movie buffs, consider a movie theatre theme! You can even get married at an old-school movie theater for a vintage look. Otherwise, consider rolling out the red carpet and paying homage to your favorite movies with your decorations, signature drinks, and more.
Travel Themed Wedding
Before your next adventure (your honeymoon) consider a travel themed wedding, especially if the bride and groom are big world travelers. If you’ve taken lots of trips together, you can celebrate your past adventures with wedding decorations inspired by those trips.
View this post on Instagram
Consider setting up food stations from around the world for a cool alternative to a sit-down dinner! You can even make wedding invitations that look like boarding passes.
Literary Wedding Theme
View this post on Instagram
If you’re a couple of avid readers, consider adding a literary theme to your wedding. You can decorate tables with piles of beautifully bound books, use your favorite literary quotes on signs, or incorporate your favorite stories and characters into your menu.
Go for a general literary theme or focus on one book for your theme!
Back to School Wedding
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Invitations & Stationery (@enhancethecelebration)
Whether you met in school or the happy couple is made up of two teachers, a back to school themed wedding is fun and easy when it comes to ideas! Decorate with apples, classroom decor, and chalkboards.
A wedding theme is an overarching style or motif for the wedding day. The theme you choose dictates what venue you’ll choose, how you’ll decorate your wedding venue, what colors you’ll choose, your menu, and more.
Some couples don’t choose a theme for their wedding, and they opt instead to focus on a color scheme. You can choose both a theme and color palette, or both. For example, you may want a rustic wedding theme with dark green and pink colors. You might also choose the same colors with no specific theme.
Wedding themes are helpful because they give you a focused direction for how you’ll decorate and what other choices you’ll make for your wedding day. Weddings a complex to plan, so choosing a theme can help you start honing in on details.
Before you start planning your wedding, discuss theme ideas with your significant other. You don’t have to choose a theme if you already have an overall vision for your wedding – you could just start planning and fill in the blanks later.
If you do want a theme, browse our list of ideas for inspiration. You can also check out real weddings to see what themes they used.
Consider factors like the date of your wedding and the season when picking a wedding theme. You can also consider factors like your venue or the type of venue you’re interested in, whether you want to be married indoors or outdoors, colors that you like, and more before committing to a theme.
This page may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we'll earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
