h Halloween just around the corner, we are currently being haunted by all things ‘spooky’. Not to mention the array of Christmas decorations and sweets popping up in shops across the country as we near the end of the year!

If you are someone who loves these festive times, then you may be keen to incorporate some holiday elements into your upcoming wedding.

Here, we look at how you can tackle planning a themed wedding without going too far and making it tacky!

Picking Your Theme

First of all, there is no point in pursuing a particular theme if the holiday or subject doesn’t appeal to you. So, even if you have booked a date in early November for your nuptials but yourself and your partner have never been big Guy Fawke’s Night fans, then you would be unlikely to do the theme justice and it could, well, blow up in your face.

While fireworks can work beautifully at a wedding reception, this doesn’t mean that you must try to revolve your day around the nature of this historic event.

Winter weddings commonly call for some Christmas imagery, whether it’s the choice of decorations and favours or the meal served as part of the wedding breakfast. But, with no guarantee of snow on the day, how can you make your wedding resemble a merry, seasonal wedding without the need for artificial snow or decking out the halls? For one, Parklands boasts acres of stunning grounds with deer roaming around the gardens!

Other ideas might be to have a beach theme (particularly if you’re both from a coastal region), or something that has been inspired by a much-loved movie. Regardless of which you choose, the main thing to remember is to pick a theme that speaks to you both as a couple and that can help you to tell the story of your relationship.

Bringing Your Theme To Life

Although tempting, don’t make the theme the sole focus of your day.

To pull off any kind of creative wedding requires subtlety, therefore you should aim to bring the theme in here and there. If your theme isn’t picked up in immediately by guests, this simply means that you have tied your day together thoughtfully and imaginatively without being too obvious.

You may, for instance, for a woodland-themed event, use wood or branches on your table display, and opt for a rustic wedding cake topped with berries before inviting your guests to enjoy the parkland outside for celebratory drinks. Simple, classic, understated.

What Not To Do

Unless you have very bold personalities or are avid holiday fans (and this is something that defines you), then we wouldn’t recommend asking your guests to dress up for your wedding day.

Most guests like to look their very best at a wedding, often paying for hair and make up artists to look the part on the day. They might, therefore, be horrified to open up your invitation and discover that they must dress up in a ghoulish Halloween costume!

Not only that, but themed weddings are very hard to carry off for the entirety of the wedding. Could you imagine the vicar’s face when you turn up to church dressed completely unrecognisable?!

Furthermore, don’t choose a theme that might seem fun at the time but will leave you cringing years down the line. For example, it’s not a good idea to have a ‘La La Land’-inspired occasion if, ten years down the line, you don’t even like the film anymore. Yet, if you and your other half are musicians, then a festival-themed wedding could be quite appropriate.

Finally, don’t decide to incorporate a theme into your wedding without telling your other half. The chances are that if you’re keeping them in the dark about such a huge decision, then it’s probably because they would disagree with your choice!

Instead, if you have your heart set on an unconventional celebration, why not discuss arranging a unique wedding anniversary revelry later down the line?