Style editor Vanessa Gore gives her advice on choosing a theme for your wedding
Vanessa's Tip
'Draw ideas from your past to create your dream wedding space.'
Theme: Pick 'n' mix
Q "We are having a ‘pick and mix', multi-coloured wedding theme. Any suggestions?" A Use a mix of bright coloured napkins and contrast them with tablecloths in different tones. Add a bit of fun to your tables with a polka dot or stripe table-runner, and my centrepieces, made by inserting a smaller vase into a bigger one and filling the space with brightly coloured sweets.
Marshmallows also work well, as their colours are so child-like. Don't forget to check out the receptions section here on the website for more inspiration.
Theme: Black and white
Q "I have chosen a black and white colour theme and I'm looking for cake ideas, what would you recommend?" A The wedding cake is taking centre stage more than ever and it is important that it fits in with your overall theme and is a reflection of your personalities. We love ‘Eastern promise' by Little Venice Cake company (www.lvcc.co.uk).
Theme: Beach chic
Q "My partner and I met on a beach, so we want the mood of our day to be based on the idea, what do you suggest?" A How romantic! Have you seen the mini natural shells called ‘shell-fetti' from Accessorize Your Wedding (www.accessorizeyourwedding.co.uk)? Why not scatter them on your tables to add extra decoration or even fill blue favour pouches?
If you're stuck for centrepiece ideas, Kenneth Turner (www.kennethturner.com) does some practical white wooden based wind lights that can be filled with bigger shells. Have them in the centre of your tables surrounded with small votives to compliment your beach theme.
Theme: A Midsummer Night's Dream
Q "I would like to re-create the mood of ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream', what flowers would work best?"
A Bring the magic to life and create a surreal environment with a floral archway to welcome your guests. Florist Paul Thomas (www.paulthomasflowers.co.uk) has a theatrical style with flowers. Let him turn your church or reception space into a fantasyland. Giving your guests fresh flower petals as confetti and scattering them on your reception tables can create a further touch of magic.
Theme: Winter wonderland
Q "I am looking for decoration ideas for a winter wedding. Can you help?" A It depends what colours you've chosen. Why not get your florist to turn your initials into some stunning chair-back decorations, using red and white roses or flowers that match your scheme?
Wedding planner extraordinaire Kathryn Lloyd (www.kathrynlloyd.co.uk) can help you with further ideas. Love blues and whites? Silver buckets filled with silver spray-painted willow covered in blue pea-lights would look fantastic! Log onto (www.lights4fun.co.uk) for all your fairy light needs. You could also go for the traditional ivy, fur cone wreaths, with red candles and gold baubles as centrepieces.
Theme: Autumnal
Q "I am getting married in the autumn and my colours are orange, brown and cream. What sort of cake would work best?" A What a beautiful autumnal colour scheme. I love this chocolate cake by Purita Hyam (www.chocolateweddingcakes.co.uk). It's decorated with bright orange gerberas, oak leaves and hypericum berries and the icing looks so smooth!
Theme: Pink and green
Q "My colour scheme is sage green and pink. I am looking for table decoration ideas. Any suggestions?" A A pretty favour/place setting idea is to pop a sprig of sage on top of a biscuit coloured napkin tied with pink ribbon. Jones hire (www.joneshire.co.uk) offers a ‘Venetian' style pink glass with a green stem that would work wonders.
Think about getting your table numbers, menus and nametags to fit in with the scheme. I love ‘Emma' or ‘Hibiscus' by With Love wedding stationery (www.withloveweddinginvitations.co.uk).
Theme: Passage to india
Q "We are having a purple, ivory and gold theme at our wedding. How can we show this on our tables?" A The Pier (www.pier.com) is offering stunning gold champagne flutes that would compliment a gold candelabra for hire at Theme traders (www.themetraders.co.uk). Your colours make me think of India, so if you like orange, throw it into the mix as an accent colour. Orange butterflies can decorate ivory napkins rolled up and tied with purple ribbon and orange roses can decorate the candelabras.
To make your budget stretch, think about alternating the floral/candelabra idea with smaller centrepieces made of ivory candles in a cluster surrounded by gold votives. Ivory rose petals scattered can be the final touch.
Theme: Elvis
Q "My partner and I are both Elvis fans and want our wedding to be inspired by the King. Can you help?" A Do you like the idea of arriving in a 1960s pink Cadillac? American Dreams specialise in American style car hire, (www.americandreams.co.uk). Consider using pale blue tablecloths combined with pink napkins to keep within the colour trends of that era.
Elvis was obsessed with his image, so get Duffy London (www.duffylondon.com) to create retro self-portraits on canvas, based on pictures of yourselves and hang them behind your top table.
