Choosing the theme of your wedding can be a daunting task. There are so many options out there, and it’s hard to know where to start. When you’re faced with all of those different possibilities, you may feel lost. It doesn’t have to be difficult, though. If you go about this process in the right way, then you can find a theme that suits your needs perfectly, one that everyone in attendance would surely enjoy.

The following tips are designed to guide you in deciding on the most suitable theme for your big day:

Make A List

Be specific about what you want your wedding to be like. What sort of feel do you want it to have—romantic, sophisticated, or vintage-inspired? That aspect will affect every detail of the event, even down to the bouquets for bridesmaids.

After this, you can start drawing up a checklist for the major elements that’ll make up the ceremony and reception. Keep going until all the workable ideas are on there. By creating a list, you’ll make your priorities easier to manage and save time when choosing which parts of your theme to work on first.

Assess Your Personality

List down some words that describe you as an individual as well as those that describe your partner. Think outside the box with this one—try not to go for terms like ‘funny’ or ‘creative’ as those can’t be used as themes.

Once you’ve got a list of traits, look at the themes you’ve come up with so far and circle the ones that might match. You can probably get an idea of which themes would suit both your personalities. If not, come up with another list of different characteristics.

Consider Your Love Story

Think back to when you first met. What was it that made you fall for each other? What do you love most about your partner? By thinking about such matters in detail, you might just find some inspiration. 

Perhaps there’s a theme based around your night out in a certain city or a special place where you go together often. It doesn’t have to be obvious. Things like candle-lit dinners or picnics at a park are pretty cliché for themes, but it’s a good idea as long as it’s personal to the two of you.

Use Inspiration Boards

Make separate inspiration boards for the ceremony and reception, and then join them up in chronological order into one wedding inspiration board. Pull in ideas from your research that might work together, or use different colors or styles that match your themes. Place images of things like flowers, ideas for boho weddings (if you plan on having one), fabric swatches (if applicable), and tableware designs (again, if applicable) on there too.

This step might sound like an unnecessary bit of effort when there are so many other aspects of the wedding to think about. However, having everything in one place makes it easier for you to see how all of your ideas fit together and will give you more confidence in making decisions later on.

Get Creative

If you’re not confident about coming up with ideas yourself, why not ask friends and family for suggestions? You could even split the work: come up with some themes, ask your partner to do the same thing, and then you can meet in the middle or combine one of each person’s ideas to make a brand-new theme.

This is especially useful if you have very different tastes. Perhaps you love vintage design but your partner prefers modern styles. Whatever the case, it helps to give your guests more variety when they arrive at your wedding rather than have everyone wear matching attire that shows only one side of your personality.

Be Flexible

Once you’ve got an idea of what sort of vibe or theme complements your personalities, keep an open mind about the details. It’s fun to plan a glamorous wedding you never thought you’d have, but being flexible can help take some of the stress out of planning, especially if one of you has a busy work schedule.

Rather than expecting everything to be perfect on the big day, stay realistic and remember that it’s all going to come together in the end—even if it isn’t exactly how you imagined it.

Check Pinterest

Pinterest is an excellent place to go and find inspiration for your theme. Search your preferred themes for ideas and swatches, and then save them all in separate folders so they’re easier to find later on when it’s time to make decisions about details like tableware.

Take note of whether or not certain colors or styles work well together and which ones you prefer. But don’t be afraid to mix and match, too!

Accessorize

Everything about your big event should be coordinated and in sync with each other, from the décor to the gown to the makeup. They should all be themed the same even where they differ in color. So no doubt that the accessories you choose need to be well thought out, too.

If your theme is elegant and stylish, perhaps a statement earring or necklace would fit the bill. Choose from a wide range of accessories that complement your outfit but relate to your chosen theme, whether it’s something as subtle as a pocket square or as bold as a vintage hat.

Keep Calm And Carry On

Remember that no one else has to know all the details of your planning process apart from you two. That’s why there’s no need to feel stressed if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned on the day itself.

There might be last-minute changes made, unforeseen issues you can’t prepare for in the best of circumstances, or the cake you ordered might not turn out how you imagined it. But even in those situations, try to stay calm and remember that it’s all part of the experience.

Stay Organized

Write deadlines down in your calendar with an allotted amount of time to get things sorted, and then work toward those dates together. It can be easy to forget tasks when you’re busy thinking about other important things like outfits and flowers, so keep everything organized in one place, whether you use sticky notes on the fridge or a Google document shared between you both. When everything’s written down clearly, there’s no excuse for forgetting anything.

Think About Your Guests

Make sure to take into account how your chosen theme will affect the people attending your wedding before you make any final decisions, and not just in terms of their outfits. Check whether or not there are certain foods they’re allergic to, if they’ll be comfortable sitting on benches for eight hours straight, or if there’s wheelchair access available where you’ve chosen to have your ceremony.

Enjoy

Hopefully, you’ve gotten some valuable insight into choosing your theme and making it cohesive, but don’t forget that, ultimately, it should be something you enjoy working toward together as a couple So get planning, explore new ideas, and keep coming back to this article whenever you need a reminder about what matters most: having fun with the one you love.