Back to Basics

You can’t read about weddings without encountering wedding themes. There are lengthy discussions about choosing a wedding theme, wedding theme inspiration boards, and just about everything under the sun can grow into a wedding theme, from the flowers to the venue. But as both I and Twistie have said more than once, there’s nothing wrong with your wedding theme being… well, weddings! In other words, it’s enough that you’re doing some color coordination with regard to the bridesmaids’ dresses and the embellishments on your cake. Maybe you have a font or monogram that appears on the wedding invitations, the seating chart, and your ceremony programs.

Not that there’s anything wrong with wedding themes like Paris in the 1930s or Traveling the World or The Library, but there’s something to be said for getting back to basics when it comes to wedding decor and reception tables and cakes, not to mention the save-the-dates and the favors. For inspiration, look no further than these images from wedding photographer Stella Alesi. There’s plenty of beauty, plenty of flowers, but not a single truly theme-y element in sight. It’s just a lovely wedding where color plays a starring role.

purple bridesmaids dresses

flower girl kissing bouquets

wedding place cards

wedding cake wedding cookies

simple wedding reception table

Full disclosure: The closest I got to anything theme-y at my wedding was our kitty wedding cake toppers, but felines played no other part in my ceremony or reception. Now I want to know: Did you have a wedding theme? (Or just a wedding color scheme?) Why or why not?

(Photos by Stella Alesi)

10 Responses to “Back to Basics”

  1. The title of our theme is A Love Story. When I started planning, I didn’t intend to have a theme. But as I was thinking about save-the-dates, I got the idea to do a bookmark. And it expanded from there. It works so well for us since both my fiance and I are big readers.

  2. Giggles says:

    Our theme was “inside jokes between the two of us.” Except it was so subtle that nobody really noticed. We sure had fun with it though.

  3. Giggles that’s a great idea!! How fun that you made it subtle enough that it was really personal and special for the two of you. Sometimes a simple theme is the perfect route.

  4. Kate says:

    We had a wedding-themed wedding. We did end up gravitating towards shades of blue for napkins and candles and things, but there was a significant amount of green as well, and the women in the bridal party wore shades of purple (which was a total coincidence). I think we *told* people that the colors were “sparkly and shiny.”

    Now we’re putting together a baby-themed baby room, but we keep gravitating towards jungle and safari animals. Because how awesome are zebras and giraffes????

  5. we’re trying to avoid having a themed wedding. It’ll be a modern Jewish, (hopefully) warm fuzzy ceremony with our sibs holding the 4 poles of the huppah and our parents (yes, both of them) walking us each down the isle followed by a veggie Italian buffet luncheon reception, lots of board games, and some sort of music (we’re still hashing out if it’ll be the string quartet I work for or a DJ).

    I think what puts me off on the whole theme idea is that when someone mentions a wedding theme is that they’re really talking about their reception and not the ceremony. Isn’t the ceremony what makes it a wedding? I don’t feel that weddings should have a theme (unless you’re going for the Renaissance Faire, pirate, Halloween, or some other totally off-beat look). I think that it’s fine for the reception, or the stationary, or decor to have a theme, but when someone shows off their theme the marriage part of weddings seems to be getting swallowed whole by the reception! Receptions used to be an afterthought, a thank you from the bride’s family to the community for joining in the simcha (joy) of witnessing the marriage ceremony.

    Can we just go back to getting married and forget about getting weddinged?

  6. Gina says:

    No theme for me. And it’s funny that right after I told my dad I’d gotten engaged, his next question was “What’s your theme?” I don’t like any one thing enough to make it the theme for my wedding day. I’ve got my colors (blue & orange) which have guided our choices for bridesmaids dresses, groomsmens ties, flowers, and invitations.

  7. April says:

    I normally go for an elegant and traditional themed wedding.Palette and navy blue colors are usually quite elegant and are commonly used during such occasions.

  8. We just had the colour theme for our wedding a few years ago, but I am loving all the themed weddings people are getting into as well. I’d really like to shoot a medieval wedding someday!

  9. CMQ says:

    my husband is a scot, and we were married in the winter, so we went with red plaid as our color theme – used subtly from our invitations to my shoes. any time i searched ‘red plaid wedding’ i came up with the same 2-3 items, so i’m thinking this is not a common color theme.

  10. Li says:

    I think what puts me off on the whole theme idea is that when someone mentions a wedding theme is that they’re really talking about their reception and not the ceremony. Isn’t the ceremony what makes it a wedding? I don’t feel that weddings should have a theme (unless you’re going for the Renaissance Faire, pirate, Halloween, or some other totally off-beat look). I think that it’s fine for the reception, or the stationary, or decor to have a theme, but when someone shows off their theme the marriage part of weddings seems to be getting swallowed whole by the reception! Receptions used to be an afterthought, a thank you from the bride’s family to the community for joining in the simcha (joy) of witnessing the marriage ceremony.