20 Wedding Themes To Suit Your Style
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- Updated: 20th March 2024
The key to simplifying your wedding planning is this - start with a theme. Wedding themes are optional, and if you decide to use one, you might find, with a clear vision in mind, that everything comes together with ease.
A well-chosen wedding theme will narrow down your choice of decor, wedding cake, style of bridesmaid's dresses, and which band you hire for your reception. A theme will also help you choose the all-important wedding dress and venue of your dreams-perhaps the two most memorable elements of any wedding celebration.
The best part is that because it's your special day, you can simply use your theme as a guide—a source of inspiration if you will. Ultimately, the final decision is yours!
But how do you even begin to decide on a wedding theme? Never fear, this is where we can help! If you aren't sure what wedding theme ideas might work for you, let our ultimate guide to the top wedding themes in 2024 provide you with some inspiration!
1. 50s Rock 'n Roll
A 1950s-inspired wedding is joyous not to mention incredibly iconic. It’ll also allow you to embrace a bit of old-school glamour and fun. The bridesmaid's dresses can end just below the knee in that wide-hemmed, cinched-waist style we all recognise as quintessentially 50s. Up-do hairstyles that imitate beehives will add to the look while also appearing elegant and appropriate for your wedding.
For decor, think striking black and white with pops of red. Play on the concept of the old 45" vinyl records in your decor with black circle placemats or viny-esquel focal points in flower arrangements. Hire a vintage car to arrive in style.
And not forgetting the most important part of your themed celebration—making sure the venue you hire has ample space for a dance floor. There's no way your guests will stay in their seats once your 1950s Rock 'n Roll Band starts stepping on blue suede shoes and rocking around the clock!
2. Bohemian Chic
Boho weddings are calm yet playful, comfortable, and laid-back, with just a hint of sophistication. Inspired by the 60s, think natural and go for any of the warmer colour combinations that you'd find in a garden. Flowers are wild and wispy, such as baby's breath, pampas grass, or pressed palms.
For a cake that matches your Boho style, choose a pumpkin spice cake laced with generous handfuls of walnuts. Or go for a naked cake dressed by Mother Nature herself in multicoloured blooms.
Boho wedding dresses offer simple lines that are effortless to wear. Empire-style waistlines and long sleeves, perhaps with linen or lace trims, are a perfect fit for this relaxed style. Bridesmaids can dress in a mismatched style to suit individuals, with muted colours as the common thread.
Bohemian Chic wedding venues include large greenhouses or botanical gardens for a real flower-child feel. The soundtrack to your Boho wedding is provided by a live harpist.
3. Classic Traditional
One of the most popular wedding themes, for good reason, a classic wedding theme is a timeless masterpiece of elegance. As one of the more formal wedding themes you could choose, classical leans toward clean lines, white arrangements, and romantic beauty. Bouquets feature long-stemmed calla lilies, roses, or tulips.
A traditional classic wedding cake is a rich, dark fruitcake, complete with marzipan and royal icing. Two or more tiers are the norm, separated by cake pillars, and decorated with fresh, or icing flowers. The cake may also feature a wedding topper that resembles the bridal couple in some way and it’s always tradition to keep a tier for the christening of the couple’s first child. A beautiful nod to the beginning of a family.
For this traditional theme, the ideal venue is a garden courtyard, a mansion, a vineyard, or a classic ballroom complete with the twinkling lights of a chandelier overhead. Keep your decor sleek and minimalistic, allowing the venue to shine. Why not choose a jazz band to fill the air with sultry rhythms as your guests sip champagne at your pre-dinner drinks reception?
4. Vintage
Wrap your special day in nostalgia with a nod to the past at your vintage theme wedding. Choose a venue that’s been around long enough to tell the stories of generations. Here in the UK, we’re not short of mansions, estates, and historic courthouses that moonlight as beautiful wedding venues so it won't be difficult to find your dream location. Create comfortable lounge areas with antique love seats or old armchairs to set the tone.
For the perfect vintage wedding theme, opt for soft lamplight and flickering candles in polished silver candlesticks. This isn't the time for crisp white tablecloths but rather softer fabrics, linens and silk, in muted colours. The alternative is to simply spread a delicate lace runner over each table for casual elegance.
When it comes to the dress, think simple lines in off-white, cream, or shell-pink lace, embellished with beads and pearls. Spaghetti-strap shift dresses or a sleek mermaid silhouette are both ultra-vintage and flattering. For bouquets and buttonholes, choose delicate pastel flowers for a rich feel of yesteryear.
For music, explore our roster of vintage bands to create the perfect soundtrack for your occasion.
5. Eco-Friendly and Natural
Caring for the earth doesn't have to be forgotten when it comes to planning your wedding. Sky lanterns and balloons are traditional favourites because they're visually appealing, but what they do for the environment isn't great. Focus on using recyclable, reusable elements such as glass, bunting, bio-degradable confetti and glitter as alternatives.
Eco-friendly wedding dresses tend to be made from natural fabrics that are produced under sustainable conditions. The other option is to hire or buy a pre-loved wedding dress. Electronic save-the-dates, invitations, and RSVPs are another great idea for your environment-conscious celebration. And if you'd prefer printed invitations as keepsakes, these can be created using recycled paper and natural elements such as petals and dried flowers.
Potted succulents replace traditional cut flower arrangements. Guests can take these home after the night ends and care for them for many years to come.
For an act suited to a natural, eco-themed wedding, how about a roaming acoustic band that performs unplugged.
6. Glamorous
Glam more your thing? Book a gorgeous rooftop venue, a ballroom, or a luxe estate to host a dazzling occasion dripping in sparkles and luxury. A glamorous wedding uses every opportunity to celebrate the best things in life!
Glamorous weddings are known for their grand gestures and attention to detail. The dress can be anything from an extravagant corset-bodiced ballgown to a slinky number with a long train embedded with Swarovski crystals.
Use white as a base colour for decor, pick a striking accent colour or two, then bring it all to life with sparkles & shimmer. Metallics are a must too. Incorporate them in table and room décor, and hang mirrors on the walls. Choose elements that create reflections to double the impact of the glitz and splendour.
Why not plan some extraordinary entertainment for your guests too; such as a dynamic ballroom and Latin American demonstration team fresh from Blackpool, or a dazzling display of fireworks?
To add a rich sound to your occasion, hire a Postmodern Jukebox style band.
7. Modern Industrial
A modern industrial-themed wedding might offer an urban backdrop, paired back simplicity and edgy decor—Imperfection in the best possible way. The textures within each element of the decor design contrast and highlight the softness of the bride’s look.
For a venue, look for a loft or industrial warehouse with exposed brick and metal pipework. Pair those with oversized windows to let in tons of natural light and sparkling city views after dark. The look is enhanced by lights dotted throughout and tons of greenery.
Ditch traditional flowers and go for terrariums of stones or succulents. Streamline your colour scheme and thread it through every detail to create a rich tapestry of depth. Shades of black and grey, with silver and natural dark wood. A monogram of your initials can embellish menus, table numbers, and the dance floor.
A modern industrial wedding cake will be an understated, yet delicious creation. Think nouvelle cuisine in cake form. For a minimalist bride, the choice of an elegant wedding pantsuit would fit in perfectly with this theme.
To match the gritty atmosphere of the backdrop, hire an Indie Rock Band to offer an alternative vibe and the feeling of being at a gig venue collectively watching music you truly love.
8. Romantic
Romantic weddings are all about low lighting, gentle shades, and flowing dresses in airy fabrics. Colours are delicate - blush, ivory and soft pastels. Fresh flowers imbue the essence of romance and can be used in decor, as centrepieces on tables, in buttonholes and in bouquets. Let champagne flow liberally.
A romantic-themed wedding is adaptable and would be equally at home in a castle, oak-framed barn, or an elegant historic house. A venue with a lake or fountain would make for magical photos, with reflections mirroring the gorgeous bridal party.
Hairstyles are soft curls pinned up with fresh floral headpieces and bows of ribbon. For a romantic spin on the wedding cake, choose a light sponge with fluffy buttercream icing and fresh flowers on top.
For a truly romantic wedding dress choose an off-the-shoulder neckline or an illusion bodice paired with an extravagantly puffy skirt, or a fitted silhouette with a flowing train.
Carry the romance through the music with the lilting sounds of a solo violinist.
9. Rustic
The rustic wedding theme creates a down-to-earth atmosphere of close friends and farm-fresh, good food. A renovated barn, a genuine farm or a ranch are ideal venues for the theme and will set the tone before you start decorating.
Draw on natural textures such as wood, stone, and fabric to carry this wedding theme. Dress naked wooden tables with sprawling, low, floral centrepieces. Mix 'n’ match glassware for an eclectic, on-trend style element. Incorporate the natural textures of hessian and twine for raw beauty in the placemats and serviettes.
Rustic brides often get married in boots that make crossing uneven or muddy ground a simple matter. Rustic-themed wedding dresses tend to be shorter but as with all themes, it's your day, you make the rules!
For some extra soul in the atmosphere, hire a Motown or Soul Band for smooth, easy tunes that will get feet tapping.
10. Alternative
For those quirky bridal couples who simply don't fit in with the traditional wedding ethos, an alternative theme allows for a celebration that embraces their uniqueness. You may want to base your theme on the common thing that led you to each other, such as the love of a great Steampunk book series or a passion for Marvel comics or opera.
Think of hiring a museum, an art gallery, or a renovated movie theatre. Allow your common passion to inspire your decor choices and outfits. Does this mean that your bridesmaids have to come in Hulk suits? Not necessarily. But you could use green as your main colour!
Your decor, outfit and cuisine can all find inspiration from your common love. Get creative with textures, colours and lighting to create the feel you want. Your wedding cake offers a wonderful naked canvas for your unique creative style to be expressed. Work with your caterer to craft decorative details incorporating elements of your chosen inspiration.
When it comes to choosing a band, look for music that will enhance the unique ambience that you've created. Your options are wide open. For a floor-thumping vibe that will get your guests up and shimmying on the dance floor, choose a 90s Cover Band.
11. Celestial
If you’d say your love was written in the stars, then celestial is the theme for you! Hire a gorgeous rooftop, or transform an inside space with midnight draping, hang stars from the ceiling and fairy lights across the room. You could play with the star signs in your décor to add an extra element of fun. Name guest tables after constellations.
Go dark and sparkly with dresses and decor, make the dress code black, and silver to bring an element of shimmer in. Subtle uplighting and a multitude of candles will make you feel like you’re in heaven.
Let an electric string quartet bring the night alive with an exhilarating star-studded live performance.
For a wedding dress fit for the stars, think beaded embroidery and a veil dotted with sparkling diamante. This is the perfect occasion to step out in sparkly shoes too.
Serve LUMO cocktails to light up the bar area and create a wedding cake reminiscent of a midnight sky with painted galaxy details and dusted with silver sparkles. A celestial theme celebrates a love that’s out of this world!
12. Tropical
If you’re beach lovers but aren't lucky enough to be close to the sea for a real beach wedding, there’s nothing to say you can't still bring a little something tropical to your venue! Hire in truckloads of plants and greenery and lean towards bright colours within your decor.
If your wedding is a daytime wedding, use oversized beach umbrellas to create pools of colourful shade for guests. For a tropical evening wedding keep the umbrellas, but edge them with fairy lights to add to the after-dark atmosphere. Serve up a banquet of finger foods that guests can help themselves to, or beach-style barbecue food. Exotic cocktails presented in pineapples or coconut shells would be a great touch too.
Go for floral tablecloths and create table centres using seashells, beach coral and sea urchins. Find candles with scents that remind you of a fresh sea breeze and implement these into your style as much as you can.
Your dress can be a light, easy-to-wear number that floats in the air as you dance the night away to the joyful sounds of a Caribbean Steel Band.
13. Festival
A festival wedding is the way to go for a couple who label themselves as super-chilled music lovers. Pick an outdoor venue with an area set up as a stage. Hire a folk Mumford-style wedding band to provide the vibes for this one.
Set out picnic blankets or low tables with cushions for guests to lounge on. Food can be served to each blanket in picnic baskets. This is a casual theme that works beautifully for a bridal pair who prefer a celebration with minimal fuss and a focus on spending time together.
Wrap trees in the colour of your choice and fill the open spaces overhead with strings of lights between branches to create a warm glow. Use glowing lanterns around the bases of trees to layer the light in a way that creates a moody depth to the atmosphere.
Choose a wedding dress style that’s easy to move in. Or pick a style that transforms and adapts, such as a dramatic ball gown skirt for the actual wedding ceremony that is removable for the reception. Underneath, you could have a shorter skirt or dressy pants suitable for dancing the night away.
Little tip: Include a dress code on your invitation so that guests arrive in clothes suited to lounging on cushions under the open skies!
14. Whimsical
If you imagine a garden party jumbled up with your favourite Alice in Wonderland-ish fairy tale, that's whimsical. A playful explosion of colour set against a backdrop of lush greenery - a forest, a botanical garden, or a quaint woodland.
Set the enchanting tone of the day with clever wordplay or a quirky motif on your wedding invitations. For the celebration use mismatched, borrowed china on the tables. Let the bridal party wear individual, unique dresses.
Organise elements of fun such as giant chess, a photo booth with themed props, or a live artist painting portraits or fun caricatures of your guests.
A gypsy jazz band will deliver a smooth sound with a touch of wilding to weave magic through the crowd and keep the fanciful vibe flowing.
15. Art Deco
Glitz and glam are the order of the day with this roaring 1920s-based theme. Avant-garde décor is the way to go with bold geometrics in black, gold, and other metallic touches. Sparkly sequin tablecloths or runners add to the glamorous intention of the evening. Break strong lines and create contrast with plumes of soft white ostrich feathers.
For a dress to match the occasion, look for something with an unusually geometric neckline, or asymmetrical construction lines. Go for uniquely textured fabrics and impeccable construction.
If you're looking for a show-stopper, a champagne tower is a must, paired with the live performance of a 1920s band, you cant go wrong. A museum or historic home would be ideal for this opulent wedding theme.
16. Travel
If you’ve spent time travelling as a couple before tying the knot, it would be truly fitting to have it as your wedding theme, a nod to the places you’ve seen. Name tables after places you have strong memories connected to or places on your bucket list. Decorate each table with a unique element that gives a hint to where.
Wedding invitations can be designed as aeroplane tickets with the address of the wedding as their destination.
A wedding dress created from fabric bought on your trips makes a unique outfit loaded with memories of happy travels and sentimental value. Set the menu and drinks according to your favourite dishes from overseas.
Use vintage suitcases for décor. Stack closed suitcases on each other, but leave the top ones open and let trailing plants, fabric, or knickknacks spill out. This could also be a great way to allow guests to present their gifts or wedding cards.
Live music of choice will be a band related to your favourite destination, such as a delightfully fun Mexican Mariachi Band.
17. Ibiza Dance Party
Sticking with the travel theme, is Ibiza your thing? If you fancy returning to your favourite party destination for one night only, how about an Ibiza dance party theme for your special day?
Guests can wear their favourite holiday evening wear, with novelties like glow sticks and beach umbrella cocktails making up the nighttime fun. Bridal wear might also give off a similar summer holiday vibe with floral additions and bright colours.
Location-wise, anywhere your crowd can rave after the ceremony would be fitting. A venue with a stage for a DJ, room to dance and a well-stocked spirits bar. You could also incorporate a more traditional Ibiza vibe into your wedding breakfast with Spanish tapas as finger food and sangria for the toast.
An incredibly cool Sax DJ would be the perfect option for your Ibiza dance party wedding so you really can transport you and your guests to the Med for a while.
18. Pop Punk
For the more alternative crowd, especially those who entered adulthood in the early 00s, how about a pop-punk theme for your wedding day? Think Blink-182, American Pie, plenty of guitars and a party atmosphere!
A pop-punk party band are the perfect addition to your night’s entertainment and they’re sure to bring the fun. Get your guests reminiscing and singing along to iconic tunes they all know and love.
For the dress - think skater style. A shorter simpler dress, perhaps with a bright-coloured fishnet underskirt as a nod to the light and playful style of the day. You could even wear white Converse or checkerboard Vans as a nod to your gig-going past.
Food could be something seriously laid back like loaded hot dogs, nachos, and chilli fries. Pure comfort food alongside fantastic craft beers and a well-stocked gin station.
The ceremony itself would be a casual affair, with everyone up and dancing as you stroll down the aisle to an acoustic version of our favourite anthem. Have some fun with this theme as it has nostalgia written all over it.
19. Sports
Sports fans? Fancy a wedding theme related to your passion - football, rugby, even Formula One? Decor-wise, this is super simple! Choose your team’s colours as a scheme and work with this to decorate every element of your space - from tableware to soft furnishings.
The dress I'd keep simple and elegant, something that suits you and works well for dancing later. But focus again on those colour choices in bridesmaid’s attire, floral bouquets and flower girl shoes! Extra touches like team emblems on invitations, laid out on the tables, within the overall decor. Table settings can be named after players or teams. Perhaps even countries if a World Cup wedding celebration floats your boat!
Venue choice could even be a sports ground, as many will have a super function room attached for this exact purpose. You may even get to head down to the pitch or spend some time trackside for those all-important photos.
At the end of a sports-themed wedding, a high-energy party band is all you need. Playing classic party / indie tunes everyone can dance to and celebrate your big day as an impressive win!
20. 70s disco wedding
If you loved Saturday Night Fever and the colourful, retro feel of the 1970s, perhaps a disco wedding would work for you. Think multicoloured lighting, a traditional DJ booth, light up dance floor and some epic shoe choices!
The dress is easy—a relaxed full-length dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline. You could even change into a flared pantsuit for the evening if you’d prefer to dance with ease! Incorporate those 70s muted browns, greens, and oranges into the bridesmaids' outfits and guys' ties and shirts.
The venue needs space for an epic dance floor as this is one of the most important, almost essential elements for a 70s disco wedding. I’m pretty sure a giant disco ball wouldn't go a miss either. For the music, a classic 70s band would do the trick, playing all favourite tunes. Get your flares ready and your dancing shoes on for this memorable party night!
Ready to choose your wedding theme?
The theme you decide on for your wedding is there to help simplify your design choices and create a seamless flow for your celebration. You have absolute freedom to choose whatever you want at any point in the process; it's your day!
So why not use a theme to make each wedding planning decision a little easier? More than wedding themes, though, what truly creates a memorable occasion is the love and friendship between you and your partner, the guests you invite to share your day, and the music that brings everything together.
That’s where we step in. Choosing the right live band sets the tone for your special day. As you’re choosing those all-important musicians, try to think about the kind of atmosphere you want and how you’d like your guests to feel. Does the music fill your soul and make you happy? If you can't quite figure out which band, singer, or DJ might check those boxes, we’re here to help! Contact us, and let's make those memories last a lifetime.
