Wedding Themes

When a bride comes to us here at Smart Wedding Planning, the first question out of our mouths is usually "What's your wedding theme?" If they answer that they haven't chosen a wedding theme (or a wedding color scheme) we usually let out a collective sign.

Wedding themes and wedding color schemes are so much more important than most brides imagine! Unless you've been envisioning the perfect wedding since you were a little girl, you're probably going to need something to guide you as you choose wedding invitations, wedding favors, a wedding gown, a reception venue, and all of the other elements of a modern wedding.

If you don't have a wedding theme, you may just find yourself with five different unrelated things in your wedding, which can look messy and uncoordinated. So pick a wedding theme! A wedding theme doesn't have to be big or overt -- look at who you and your fiancé are. What are your hobbies? What do you do for a living? How about these wedding themes: Golden Age of Hollywood, Mardi Gras Masquerade, Country, Mediterranean, etc.

The possibilities are endless! And just to simplify things, your wedding colors can be your wedding theme. However, you must be consistent. If your "theme" is going to be green and pink, decide on shades and stick to them. Don't have forest, chartreuse, lime, and mint all over the place. Also, try to pick a maximum of three wedding colors and make sure that they complement each other. Try to pick "in-season" colors as well -- pastel pink at a November/December wedding is a bit off.

Remember, your wedding theme will pull your whole event together, from food to favors to flowers.


Click to read more about choosing a wedding theme

Wedding Blogs and Wedding Websites

Getting a little bored reading the usual wedding websites? We feel your pain, and we'd like to suggest a novel solution: Make your own! A personal wedding blog or wedding website is a great way to make wedding planning a lot more fun and accessible to the important people in your wedding, like mothers, bridesmaids, and groomsmen. Oh, and your future spouse, too!

There are plenty of free wedding website hosting services online, or you can use a free blog program like Blogger to set up a simple collaborative wedding blog. We like both options, having tried each, though both have different utilities.

A wedding website is great if you're looking to share wedding information with your wedding guests. For example, you can put directions to the ceremony and reception on your wedding website, as well as links to the stores you're registered at. You can share the story of your courtship and pictures of you and your fiance on your wedding web site, and pretty much anything else you want to show people.

A wedding blog, on the other hand, can be a place where you share your wedding ideas (like we do) or a place for you to communicate with your bridesmaids. You can make both a wedding website and a wedding blog that link back to each other so wedding guests and wedding VIPs can keep track of your wedding planning progress.


Connect with other brides-to-be on our awesome wedding forum -- it's free!

Avoiding Wedding Risk

How can you protect yourself from unknowns like sick vendors, really bad weather, and fire damage when planning a wedding? You, bride, need some wedding insurance.

Wedding insurance (also known as event insurance) is a type of property and causality policy that originated in Great Britain in 1988, but has only been available in the U.S. since the mid 90s. It typically covers cancellation or postponement of a wedding if a member of the bridal party dies or gets sick. Keep in mind that if the wedding party member becomes sick or dies because of a pre-existing medical condition your wedding insurance probably won't cover it.

Wedding insurance also covers a bridal party member's failure to show because they are injured or are called up to active military duty or there is a shutdown of commercial transportation. Additionally, it will help pay for the reassembling of the bridal party in the event another photo session is necessary because the photographer lost the film or it's damaged at the lab. Finally, it will provide money for new wedding rings if the originals are lost and the replacement of damaged, stolen, or lost wedding gifts.

What isn't covered? Changes of heart! If you or the groom gets cold feet, your wedding insurance will not reimburse your expenses.

The typical cost for a basic policy is between $125 and $350 (with a $25 deductible). Like any other insurance coverage, the premium varies depending on the amount of coverage needed. But unlike other coverages, the premium is a one-time payment even if the policy is purchased well in advance of your wedding date. In most instances, a policy can be purchased from two weeks to two years prior to the event.