Themed Weddings

Gone are the days when it's only the color motif that makes your wedding stand out. Theme weddings are now in vogue and are slowly being adopted by many couples today.

Themed weddings are mostly based on the couples' shared interests, personalities, and lifestyle. From one theme, the rest of the wedding essentials are coordinated to this idea: the dress, invitations, souvenirs, styling, etc.

For example, for a vintage-inspired wedding theme, you can use a vintage bridal car as transport. You can get dress design inspirations from the 50s. Brides using this wedding theme can wear birdcage veils as headpieces. For the reception, hire musicians who can play songs from the Big Band Era.

Summer-themed weddings can use flowers that are in season. Use sunflowers for your bouquet. If you're having a beach wedding, incorporate a sand ceremony and have everyone come in flip flops during the ceremony and reception by the shore.

If you choose to have a fairy tale wedding theme, it would be nice to coordinate your entourage's dresses with the theme. Your flowergirls will definitely look really cute as they saunter down the aisle wearing fairy wings. Use pastel colors or some greens and yellows as the motif. You can have a wedding dress with ballgown skirt ala-Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Find inspiration from those old fantasy and fairy tale movies.

Green weddings are so much in vogue nowadays, and you can have one, too. Give potted plants or plant seeds as giveaways. Use recycled products as decors and table centerpieces. You can even use recycled paper for your invitations. It's pretty and helps you save the environment at the same time.

If you or your partner comes from an Asian family and you want to celebrate the Asian culture, you can choose souvenirs that speak of the theme. Chopsticks with your names etched on them or parasols made of bamboo would be perfect giveaways. You can have your cake maker create pastries using details that revolves around your theme. Cherry blossoms or cake toppers with Japanese dolls are sure to be a hit among your guests.

If your interest lies in sport, then have a sports themed wedding. Use golf placecard holders on the reception tables. Bring in a mini sports bag or baseball caps as souvenirs. Votives shaped like yachts also spell of "sportsman."

If both of you love movies, then go for a Hollywood or movie-themed wedding. Shape your save-the-date cards into movie tickets, or your invitation into a movie clapper or film reel. Make a sort-of movie poster of you and your partner and play romantic movie theme songs during your reception. Or you can be your own star in your sci-fi-inspired union, like this couple in a "Star Wars" wedding.

You can also base your theme on the time of season you're having your wedding. For spring, you can incorporate blooms like roses, lilies, tulips, and the like. For the dresses, you can choose dresses with sleeves or wraps for your bridesmaids. Have fresh greens on the menu during the reception.

For autumn, you can use reds, oranges, and yellows as the color motif. Caramel apples would sure be a hit with guests, kids and adults alike. For the centerpiece, go for silk maple leaves with pumpkin-shaped votives.

Incorporate snowflake designs on your winter-themed wedding. Fur wraps and coats will look fashionable and, at the same time, will come in handy when the cold winter chill breezes in. Location is also vital: some venues would probably have winter or Christmas decorations put up, so you won't need to style it much as the venue already gives out the winter-y feel.

There are still a lot of wedding themes you can think of, just remember that it should fit your personalities and interests as a couple. Don't be afraid to explore on what you can do for your themed wedding.

Photo credit: Vintage Rolls Royce Park Ward Convertible from PremierCarriage.co.uk; Fairy wings from Fairy-Wings.com; Paper Parasols from Beau-Coup.com; Winter Wonder Ring Bearer Pillow from BridalPeople.com.

Colored wedding gowns

It's always been tradition that brides should wear white on their wedding day. Wearing white is a symbol of the bride's purity. And of course, it makes her stand out from the rest of the crowd.

But lately, some brides opt for bridal gowns that come in colors other than just pure white. Either the embellishments, like beadwork or sashes, are infused with the wedding's color motif, or the whole gown itself isn't white.

Wearing a colored wedding gown is a statement of the desire to be unique and contemporary. Though other people, especially the older ones in the family, may frown upon this, colored gowns are slowly making their way in the runway and in the aisles.

There are some things, though, that you should take note of when you're going for a colored wedding gown: first, it should complement your skin tone, and second, its design and shade should be different from your bridesmaids' or they could wear dresses with a complementary color. Otherwise, you'd just look like the others in your entourage.

Here's a board which showcases colored wedding gowns, all for your inspiration. Colored wedding gowns may not be for all, but for the more adventurous bride, you can take a shot at this.Top row, from left: Style M565 from JordanFashions.com; Purple Strapless Satin Wedding Gown from PerfectWeddingDressStore.com; Style VE8025 from VenusBridal.com; Style Y2940 from SophiaTolli.com; Suzanne from MaggieSottero.com.

Bottom row, from left: Style GR163 from DemetriosBride.com; Style 2037 from AlfredAngelo.com; Style CO72727 from ToiSpose.com; Carole - 7236 from AlyceDesigns.com; Zenia from PeterLangner.com.

Inspiration Board - Purple

My sister and her boyfriend are thinking of settling down. This I knew from the guy. They first thought of getting married this year, but with the recent turn of events, the preparations seemed to take so long. My guess is they're getting hitched next year (hopefully, they've been together for 10 years now).

She loves the color purple, and for her wedding she's thinking of mixing it with green or wine (my mom doesn't approve of purple, though -- it reminds her of Lent). So I came up with this inspiration board that has purple as the main color and green as accent. Enjoy!

First column, from top: Style 7014 Bridesmaid Dress from AlfredAngelo.com; Bouquet of purple tulips and green hydrangeas from TheKnot.com; Purple Rose Cufflinks by Robert Charles from KJBeckett.com; Mini Rosebunch Favor Pot from FavorStudio.com.


Second column, from top: Jordan Almonds from CandyWarehouse.com; Silver 'Sibak Tatah Leaves' Amethyst Bracelet from Overstock.com; Lombardia Colecciones Novia from LaSposa.com; Ladies Purple Satin Peeptoe Evening Shoes from FootwearStudio.co.uk; Bundled Flowers invitation from InvitationConsultants.com.


Third column, from top: Lilacs in May wedding cake from JacquesPastries.com; Purple Flowers and Candle reception centerpiece from ProjectWedding.com; Jessica Lynn Flower Girl Dress - Belle from EmeraldBridal.com.

Bouquet and garter toss alternatives

One of the highlights of a wedding is the bouquet and garter toss during the reception. The tradition of throwing the wedding bouquet and the bride's garter stems from an age-old belief that the bride and anything she wore or touches were lucky. Thus, guests would get a piece, even tear a portion of the bride's dress, as a souvenir of good luck which they could take home.

In these modern times, it is believed that whoever catches the bouquet and garter would be the next to marry. But nowadays, couples want a newer and fresher version of the bouquet and garter than just tossing it to guests. Here are some ideas you can do as an alternative take on this tradition:

1. A cousin of mine did this: instead of a tied bouquet, she had 11 roses on hand. She invited 12 of her single friends in front and tossed the flowers to them. The one who didn't get a rose is the lucky girl.

2. A friend of mine tied ribbons on the stems of the gathered flowers, one of them of a different color. Whoever gets to pull the different colored flower gets the bouquet.

3. Have the bride blindfolded and let the single ladies gather around her in a circle. As the music plays, the bride turns clockwise while the ladies turn counterclockwise. When the music stops, the bride hands the bouquet to the girl directly in front of her.

4. For the garter, have the guys gather around. When the music starts, the garter is passed among the boys. Whoever gets the garter when the music stops is the lucky guy.

5. For our wedding, we had the garter game first. The lucky guy sits on a chair while the girls surround him. It's like the Musical Chairs game, except that there's only one chair and the girls have to sit on his lap when the music starts. Whoever gets to sit on the guy's lap when the music stops is eliminated. The game goes on until there's only one lady left. The last girl left standing gets the bouquet.

6. For a little bit of fun, have the groom blindfolded. Let other women (bridesmaids, female friends, aunts, and even grandmas) join the bride in showing their legs. The groom has to guess which leg is the bride's before he can take off the garter.

7. If you have more married friends or guests than single ones, you can call on the married ladies on the floor. You can start by asking who has been married for X number of years and start eliminating them from the fewest to the most number of years she has been married, until there is one lady left, the one who's married the longest. She gets the bouquet.

8. Instead of throwing the bouquet away, you can give the bouquet to the woman closest to you -- your mom, sister, or best friend. Sort of like a dedication bouquet.

9. In lieu of a garter toss, you can have a dose of entertainment as you watch the guys vie for the garter by way of a Limbo Rock. My cousin did this during his wedding. Whoever gets to win gets the garter.

Some couples opt to remove this tradition from the reception program. But if you want a spark of enjoyment, you can just tweak this tradition to give your wedding reception a little spice.

Photo credit: The Bride's Things by gbosworth from sxc.hu.