Wedding themes are becoming more and more popular. And it is easy to see why. Every bride wants her wedding to be different… special. It's all about creating memories.

As you can imagine there are hundreds of themed wedding ideas that you can choose from these days. The truly creative themes will help you to best show both who you are and offer a lot of fun for the guests. Below is a list of excellent wedding theme ideas that are truly unique in case you are not sure what select.

* cinderella theme wedding
* fall wedding theme
* beach theme wedding favor
* butterfly wedding theme
* summer wedding theme
* western wedding theme
* beach theme wedding cake
* black and white wedding theme
* wedding reception theme
* hawaiian theme wedding
* winter wedding theme
* tropical theme wedding
* asian wedding theme
* fairy tale wedding theme
* spring wedding theme
* theme wedding questions
* theme wedding favor
* daisy theme wedding
* Elizabethan wedding theme
* wedding color theme
* tiffany blue wedding theme
* las vegas theme wedding
* beach theme wedding idea
* wedding theme and colors
* garden theme wedding
* fall wedding theme idea
* calla lily wedding theme
* angel theme wedding
* precious moment wedding theme
* country theme wedding
* Greek wedding theme
* halloween theme wedding
* pink wedding theme
* prom wedding theme
* italian wedding theme
* nautical theme wedding
* outdoor wedding theme
* movie wedding theme
* victorian theme wedding
* disney wedding theme
* ocean theme wedding
* beach theme wedding accessory
* christmas wedding theme
* irish theme wedding
* beach theme wedding decoration
* Spanish theme wedding
* medieval wedding theme
* tv show wedding theme

The list is endless. I hope this helps to get your creative juices flowing.

As for the reception, the color of the balloons, the seating cards, favors, menus, flowers and food can all be incorporated into your theme. You might even want to add some unusual centre pieces for the tables.

And of course you want a Wedding MC that will help bring your theme alive. The MC, short for Master of Ceremonies acts as the host for the wedding reception. He, or it could be she, introduces the various ceremonies that take place during the reception. It’s a very important role – the success of the reception is in their hands so it is important to choose wisely. That person must have good organizational skills and it goes without saying that they must have good social skills.
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Bridal favors are super to have at your special day celebration, along with unique favors all of these perfect favors have a great potential to make any wedding reception a dream. Even better, wedding favors fit your wedding budget and make quite a bit of difference. That's a big bang for the buck to make a part of your wedding and use at both your wedding and your reception.

A lot of folks get help from the future in-laws to write the check for their unique wedding day event, however, the odds are that the couple will be stuck with paying for the event Spending less money spending less in certain aspects of the wedding, like with elegant wedding favors, will help the wedding planning process more simple than you can believe. Start with bridal wedding favors. For example, if you leased a wedding hall, you do not have to decorate much past the seating area as well as the cake table. All you have to do is place [some favors | a couple of wedding favors | just a few little unique wedding favors | some candle wedding favors | some themed favors[/spin] at your guests' table that compliments the theme you are trying to create. In the center of the table, place an inexpensive wedding card holder , something like discount wedding favor, and a couple of your favorite themed wedding favors.

Wedding reception centerpiece ideas are not hiding under some moss covered rock. They are on several do-it-yourself shows and even available on the internet. Wedding packages often include centerpieces on the reception tables but if they do not, do not worry. Centerpieces can be as simple or as elaborate as you want and most are incredibly easy to make.

wedding planning ideas
Many brides do not have the time to sew linens and collect pine cones for an elaborate table piece. There are wedding planning ideas that anyone can make that require very little time and can even be put together without lifting a needle with thread.

With time being in short supply, the idea of having to create several wedding reception centerpieces can be daunting. It does not have to be so. Centerpieces can be simple yet elegant.

steps to planning a wedding
A crystal vase can be purchased from craft supply stores and filled with flowers. Simple pictures decorated with faux gemstones in an inexpensive frame adds a nice touch. Consider using childhood pictures as a way to bring a touch of whimsy and help start many interesting conversations.

Do not be afraid of height. Cardboard boxes, found at craft stores, can be draped with fabric remnants to create a tier effect. The platforms can then hold picture frames of the couple, flowers or even desserts. Wedding reception centerpiece ideas can be a part of the meal.

wedding gifts for bridal party
A great idea to help with space on the dessert table is to place cupcakes on clear cake stands. Using three different sizes, stack the cake stands in the center of the table. On each level place cupcakes decorated with fresh flowers. This is only one of the great wedding steps to planning a wedding available on the Internet.

If you find yourself unable to make the wedding gifts for bridal party by yourself, consider asking trusted family and friends to help you. Many do-it-yourself websites offer detailed instructions on craft projects that can be printed out and distributed to your helpers. Elegance can be found in the simplest of things. By allowing others to assume some of the tasks and burdens will help minimize stress on you.

If you are having your wedding reception outdoors, that opens the door for many activities that would be hard to pull off indoors. You can plan games and activities based on the outdoor theme and carry that theme indoors if part of the reception is inside as well.

Depending on where the reception will be held, you can plan many activities based on the setting. Whether it is the park or on a farm, there are a myriad of activities you can plan.

Let's start with some basics based on popular wedding locations. One fun game for a winery wedding is a blindfolded wine tasting game. If the bride and groom are wine drinkers, this might not be a game the bride and groom should be a part of, but instead guests and wedding party members. Blindfold say a half dozen volunteers and have them do a blind taste test (provide something to clean the palate between sips). The volunteers have to guess which wine is the Cabernet, and so on. A bottle of wine is the obvious prize for the winner of this game.

Say you are having a reception at a country club on a golf course. It's possible your theme will include golf elements, so why not include golf in some reception activities or games? You certainly could head to the golf course for a "hole in one" contest, or have a driving contest to see which guest has the best stroke. As a simple, "who gets the centerpiece game", you could have guests guess how many golf balls there are in the floral centerpiece (which could decorate a plain large glass vase filled with flowers). Or, there could be a large vase or other clear container filled with golf balls at the reception somewhere and guests could guess how many golf balls are in the vase.

A silly game could be made on the dance floor by asking everyone to incorporate their best golf swing into their dancing for one particular song.

Now, if your reception and ceremony are both to be held outdoors and guests will be milling outdoors, think about games or activities that can take place outdoors and still keep to your level of formality or informality. For example, if the reception is being held at a park, perhaps guests might enjoy a "walk down memory lane". Prior to the reception, someone can use potted plants or arbors to create a little private lane, which guests can walk through. Along the path, guests will find pictures of the bride and groom at various stages in their lives. There should be a table for guests to record their thoughts and memories along the way as well.

I’m sure you can think up many more outdoor games and activities

Have you thought about who is going to act as the mc for the wedding reception? If not, you simply must check out these articles:
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Wedding mc

Some couples would rather elope than have all the aggravation and expense of an elaborate wedding. This is particularly true if they are on their second or third weddings.

If this is the path you decide on you will learn that you may be tasteful and frugal at the same time. After all, the brides and grooms of yesteryear were quite resourceful when it came to getting things done. Of course, many of them still want to have the reception when they get home.

Before the days of the huge wedding there were simple ceremonies and a few friends and family members got together to celebrate the marriage of the happy couple.

Men can be in charge of grilling or moving chairs and tables if the event will take place outside, as well as spreading a few decorations in honor of the happy couple. While some people drink champagne the rest drink beer from a tap. Tapped beer only costs around $150 and will last all night long. Enough champagne for toasting purposes will run under $75. With everyone in casual or their Sunday best there is really no need for a new outfit.

The bride and groom will want to wear something new of course, but it will be much less expensive than a traditional gown and tux. Flowers can be a fresh picked bouquet of seasonal flowers. The cake may not cost you more than $50 dollars if you do not have someone that will make it for you as a wedding gift. There are simple tricks to remember when having a simple affair and that is color coordinating and display.

If you can find that special person with an eye for decorating put them in charge of having things displayed in the right manner, this is half the battle. The ladies can put together their best pieces of china and dishes to make a beautiful table for the buffet style table. Some ribbons and bows will set apart the bride and groom at no extra costs.

The ceremony itself need only be a preacher or a visit to City Hall to be married in the judges chambers. The whole set up here will only be the cost of the license and a donation to the official.

Someone to decorate cars and take charge of smaller tasks like that will keep others free for more challenging jobs such as lighting for night time and arranging a place to dance or kick up your heals.

All of this might only take a couple of weeks or a few days if you push it. Make sure you haven’t forgot the camera because when all is said an done the most important thing to remember is the people that love each other are together and they have wonderful fond memories to share for many years to come.

The price of some disposable cameras is about $7 per 27 pictures so if there is no one with a camera you can use this very effective way of preserving your favorite poses. All the way through the beginning of the preparations to the grand finale of the happy couple leaving the guests for the wedding night keep snapping those pictures. It will be much appreciated later.

An economical wedding like this will cost you less than $1500 but will be just as beautiful as the most elaborate weddings ever.

Don’t forget to send some thank you cards to all the helpful friends and family that made your wonderful day possible. And perhaps you could offer to return the favor sometime in the future.

A quickie wedding may not be the wedding of many people’s dreams but for a second and third wedding, these are often the perfect choice.

And of course, a friend or family member can act as the wedding emcee. Learn more:
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Nothing is worse than having a reception filled with seated wedding guests who look tired and perhaps a little bit bored. Perhaps this wedding doesn't feature a DJ and rockin' music. Or maybe the guests are not into that whole dancing thing.

What to do? It's not that hard. There are a myriad of activities you can organize that will not only engage and entertain the everyone, but also help them get to know each other and – more importantly - the bride and groom just a little bit better.

Here's one that's fun and might remind you just a little bit of a football game. Make a placard for each guest. On one side, letter "Bride" and on the other, "Groom". Someone, usually the weddingemcee asks a series of questions. They might be easy, such as "who was born in Seattle"? Or they might be more complicated, such as "who, at age 9, broke their arm when they were playing with their Golden Retriever dog"?

Guests don't shout their answer, but rather show their placard, turning it to the "bride" side if they think the question relates to the bride or to the "groom" side if it's the opposite. The guests' guesses can be revealing, but even more revealing, are the true answers. It's a great, fun way for all the wedding guests to get to know a little more about the bride and groom.

One word of caution about the above activity: Keep ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends out of the questions and don't ask anything that might be a little too revealing or too risqué. Remember, grandmothers and grandfathers and young children may be be present!

If it's too much work to make signs for each guest, you can make just two signs and organize two teams - a team of men and a team of women. Grouped together, the teams can work together to decide on the answer and answer as a group. This "men versus women" concept is always popular and sure to be fun for everyone.

One silly game that's always popular really puts the groom in the spotlight. How well does he know the feel and touch of his new wife? In this game, everyone finds out. You can do this several ways. You can enlist just the wedding party in this game, or as many of the wedding guests that want to participate.

Line each participant up and blindfold the groom. Put the bride somewhere in the mix, and send the groom on a hunt for his bride. The participants can either shake the groom's hand or give him a kiss on the cheek. In some versions, he might feel their hair or their leg. The details are up to you.

Depending on how far you want to take this game, you can add a fun element to it that is sometimes popular. You have the groom feel the leg of each participant. The best man, or other male member of the wedding party, rolls up his pant leg, puts on a garter and has the groom feel that. The groom has to kiss whoever he thinks is his bride, while still blindfolded. Often, he ends up kissing a man.

Discover more about the wedding emcee duties:
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Hosting your reception outdoors can be a great deal cheaper and a lot more fun for you and your wedding guests. When you host your reception outdoors you have a lot of options as to how you want things to be.

The only downside to doing this is whether or not the weather conditions will permit it. Because of this your reception and its success is often at the hands of Mother Nature. Other than that, it can be the best decision that you could make.

Outdoor reception give you an endless supply of ideas and freedom in how your reception will be handled. The best thing is that you can host an outdoor reception at a hall or beautiful grounds, or you can do so in your own back yard.

If your own yard permits it, it would be best to do it here because it is a relaxed atmosphere and you need not worry about many of the small details that come in when using public grounds.

There are many ways that you can make an outdoor reception easy to plan, less expensive, and a great deal of fun. Of course, there are small formalities that go with it as well.

Reception to do List

You have to begin with a thorough to do list when planning an outdoor reception because this will keep your affairs in order. When drawing up your list, you have to consider having a contingency plan. The reason for this is to accommodate bad weather conditions that may stop your reception from taking place at all. Or having your reception ruined due to a thunderstorm or severe winds.

Here is a sample to do list for you to look at so that you will know all of the things that need to be considered.

To do list should include:
* Renting tent or gazebo and decorating it. Make sure that you confirm your rental date at least two weeks ahead of time or sooner if you can.
* Renting tables and chairs. It is cheaper when you set them up yourself
* Getting regular updates on the weather. Of course, you should have a contingency plan just in case the weather does not permit an outdoor party.
* Getting any miscellaneous items such as extension cords etc.
* Hiring a DJ or band and confirming
* Deciding on food items and drink and who will prepare what
* Getting permits that may be required in serving alcohol
* Getting permission from neighbors. You don’t want them complaining about the noise and the parking situation (invite them too). Of course this rule applies when you are hosting your outdoor reception in your backyard.

And you can ask a friend or family member to act as the wedding master of ceremonies. Pick the right person and the reception will be a great success. Find out more
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Giving a toast is a responsibility that puts anxiety into the hearts of most members of a wedding party. While it's not usually something that is particularly long or involved, it's still speaking in public and really puts people on the spot.

If you are organizing a wedding and know that most members of this wedding party are hams who won't mind the whole "public speaking" thing, then by all means keep the toasts traditional with dad, the best man and others taking their expected turns at the microphone.

However if you're looking for something different, either because you want to save putting people on the spot, or you simply want to do something different and fun, read on.

For starters, you can certainly take the whole toast thing off the agenda if you wish. There are no rules requiring a toast at any wedding.

But if you want to do something a little different, there are options. You can go the video route, where people essentially make a toast on camera and then the video is given to the bride and groom later. This isn't a particularly unique idea, but it does solve the issue of not wanting to put people on the spot and still gives everyone an opportunity to say something special to the bride and groom.

If your guest list includes many outgoing people then consider "pass the microphone". This can operate in several ways. You can either be silly with it, or deadly serious. Most guests like silly. Say dad takes the microphone first. His last name ends with T (so, let's say dad's last name is McNaught). He must pick someone whose first name begins with a T (Tim? Tony? ?) and pass the microphone to that person, who then gives a toast.

This method of delivering toasts does put guests on the spot (certainly before the fun begins you can warn them so if they are really uncomfortable, they can escape to the restroom or bar) but it can also be a lot of fun.

You could decide that one person at each is asked to give a toast. Number the tables and at various intervals, have the wedding MC call a number, which will require guests at that table to determine amongst themselves who will give the toast at that table.

Say you have plenty of public speakers in the party, and finding willing toast participants won't be a problem. But you think the subject matter might be. There's an easy solution to this problem. You can provide open-ended topics for the toast speakers. Say you are providing an "open mike" toast arrangement, where anyone can ask for the microphone and offer a toast. The wedding MCor someone else in the wedding party (perhaps the maid of honor or best man) can offer the speaker a surprise topic, which might be pulled from a champagne flute or drawn out of the floral arrangement on the head table. There might be slips of paper to choose, or just one sheet of paper with several suggestions.

The speaker might choose to finish this sentence, "I remember when (groom's name here) was a little boy, he always …" or answer this question, "When was (insert bride's name here) at her silliest? Tell us the story". You might have to give each speaker a minute or two to collect their thoughts, but you're sure to have some interesting stories, some unique anecdotes and some different perspectives on the bride and groom.

The role of wedding MC is a vital one at any reception. Make sure you choose wisely. Learn more
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When you are organizing a budgeted menu, you have to first know what your exact budget is when it comes to the food and drink specifically. Some people keep the food and drinks separate, but usually, the food and drink are a part of the same bill.

If you can afford the more expensive catering services, then by all means enjoy. However, if you are like most of us, you will likely need a little bit of help in creating a menu that is fits your budget.
If you are hosting an indoor reception in a hall and plan to have a dinner option, you have to ensure that you cater for the needs of all of your guests which include vegetarians. You should request that the guests RSVP beforehand so that you can get the right amount of vegetarian plates.

The way that you choose to serve the dinners can vary. Here are some tips on how you can choose to serve the guests to make it a bit cheaper for you.
* You could serve the meals buffet style, with this option you can have people forego wedding gifts in favor of bringing a dish
* You could offer vegetable, fruit an meat platters with dips and crackers instead of foods
* You could ask each guest to contribute a small amount of money to the reception or to make donations toward the reception rather than buying a gift.
* You could offer a soup and salad menu rather than a full blown entrée
* Offer a limited bar which means that you offer an open bar only at specific times such as after dinner and during toasting etc. that way your guests aren’t paying and you won’t go broke, the reminder of the time offer a cash bar
* Offer around the world appetizers instead of a meal. This will give you the opportunity to offer fill ups such as crab, shrimp. Etc. as well as casual appetizers like cheese sticks, chicken wings, and mushroom caps etc. the around the world motif will also provide your party with a variety of different tastes.
* Request that each immediate family member provide a dish instead of a present
* Do not pay for extras like servers, bartenders etc. asking a friend or family member to do it instead as a wedding present to you

Outdoor receptions give you much freedom when selecting your menu because you can serve anything that you want including barbecue, long group submarine sandwiches or pizza.

As long as you offer foods that will cater for both carnivores and vegetarians, you will be fine. You can always find items to suit all of your needs and every budget as long as your budget is reasonable for the number of people that you are planning to serve. If it doesn’t fit, you may have to reduce the invite list.
And ask a friend or family member to act as your wedding MC more about their role and duties:
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Wedding emcee

Reception themes are a first rate way to personalize your reception. People often choose their themes based on their personalities and individual character. Some themes are based around hobbies and others are based around dreams and hopes.

No matter what type of theme that you choose for your reception, you can always find the right way to represent it. Some special themes for your reception include but are not limited to:
* Fairy Wonderland: Decorating in fairy’s wings, sheer fabrics draped around you, moss, and serving fine breads and appetizers as well as all things beautiful. This theme really allows the bride bring her childhood dreams to life. Music like Enya would be nice to listen to for this theme
* Ethnic traditions: This theme requires that you choose specialty foods and decorations from the ethnicity of your choice. For example, if you choose a Scottish theme, you would listen to fiddle and bagpipe music, dress in the Scottish fashion and do all things Scottish.
* Mexican fiesta: This fun theme can have you hitting a piñata, serving popular Mexican dishes, mixing a bit of Santa Fe decorative blankets for the walls and many other things. You can play mariachi music or Spanish guitars for this theme.
* Holiday themes: for example Valentines day
* Arabian Nights: Filling your reception hall with beautiful linens; letting your bridal party have costumes should they wish to. You can also serve Arabic foods or appetizers and pita breads etc. this theme is very versatile and fun.
* Greek Mythology: This theme can be geared toward a particular Greek saga or more popularly, guests can each come dressed as a particular Grecian of their choice. Greek foods like fresh fruits, wine, and other edibles of ancient Greece can be offered.
* Hawaiian: You can use your imagination to create any Hawaiian fantasy that you wish. You can give out fresh leis or artificial ones as wedding favors. You can serve fresh tropical island fruits such as pineapples and serve those cute tropical drinks with decorative umbrellas etc. Wherever your imagination takes you.
* Disney
* The Wild West: This theme can be as fun as you want. You can set up your reception area to look like an old saloon. You can have dancers give a burlesque show etc. You can do all kinds of fun things with this theme. You can also serve easy to create entrees like meatloaf or more expensive steaks etc. As long as you stick with your theme (leave out the shrimp cocktail) you can have a super time.

When it comes to themes, the possibilities are endless. Coming up with them can be much of the fun. After you have decided on your theme, you can brainstorm ideas to expand upon it for the decorations and foods.

The themes that have been touched upon here were designed to be as easy as possible, but they can be as fancy as you want.

Another way to minimize the cost of your reception is to ask a friend or family member to act as the wedding emcee. Discover more about the role and its duties:
Wedding mc
Wedding emcee
Role of mc at wedding