Themes for a Wedding Reception

Traditional Theme: Traditional themes are not to be confused with formal themes. By traditional theme, I mean a theme that is symbolic of your folk, culture and nationality. For example, if you are of Italian origin whereas your partner is a pure Texan, you could have a theme that incorporates the wedding traditions, cultures and customs of both the places.

All-Black Theme: Another favorite of many, an all-black theme has class written all over it. It is an all-time favorite with the celebs and it gives a sleek, shiny look to the entire wedding proceedings. Let’s face it, nothing can match the style of a black tailored tux and the legendary little black dress!

Formal Theme: One of the most popular wedding reception themes, a formal theme gives the occasion a traditional, no-nonsense touch. If you are someone who is not typically flamboyant or who doesn’t like to experiment much, then this is the safest and best option for you.

All-White Theme: White is a color that depicts purity and, therefore, is the natural choice of many at their weddings. An all-white themed wedding reception looks simple as well as suave, and it adds immense charm to the special occasion that a wedding is.

Hollywood Theme: Are you and your better half both movie buffs? If yes, then a Hollywood theme could be just about the perfect one for your wedding. You could dress up as your favorite Hollywood celebrity and ask the guests to follow suit. Plus, if you can manage to pull a few strings and get a Hollywood celebrity to actually make a guest appearance at your wedding, that would really be the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?

Beach Theme: If you want to be innovative, try having a beach theme. Beach wedding reception themes are fast becoming a rage and they can be great fun as well. Make it even more enjoyable and entertaining by giving it a Hawaiian touch.

Musical Theme: Music lovers? You could opt for a melodious marriage and a lovely musical wedding reception. Along with the regular wedding music, make a CD of your and your spouse’s favorite love songs and have it played in the background after the ceremony. Have the band play your partner’s favorite love ballad when you take the floor for your first dance as a wedded couple. Once again, if you can somehow rope in your favorite singer to make a special musical appearance, there would be nothing like it, would there?

Rent a Tent: Remember that lovely movie ‘Father of the Bride’? You could have a lovely wedding reception right in your home itself. Decorating your backyard with a beautiful white tent will give a nice cozy and homely touch to your wedding reception.

Fairytale Fantasy Theme: If you have forever dreamed of being a beautiful princess locked far away in a tall tower, who is rescued by a handsome prince in shining black armor, then you should really consider going for a fantasy theme for your wedding reception. Think about it, you could literally have a fairytale wedding!

Flower Theme: You can either consider this as a separate theme in itself, or you can combine it with any of the above-mentioned themes. Each flower symbolizes a particular quality or a behavioral aspect. Think about which ones would complement both of you as a couple and then go about deciding upon the wedding flower decor accordingly.

wedding ceremony

Every culture has their own wedding traditions, and these traditions seem completely normal to the people who grew up with them.  Because of this, wedding traditions from other cultures may seem very strange if you have never seen them practiced. The tradition of removing the garter and throwing the boutique probably seems odd to people from other cultures. However, some people incorporate wedding traditions from other cultures into their weddings. There are certain African wedding traditions that would be very strange to see practiced in the west.

Dowry is a very common wedding tradition in many parts of Africa. A dowry is basically a negotiated gift that the groom gives to the bride’s family. Although the amount of dowry can be determined a number of ways, it is very common for the dowry to connected to the bride’s overall desirability, as far as beauty, education, class, etc. In some cases, especially with arranged marriages, this can get out of hand and monetary value can determine who a girl gets married to.  

There are several African ceremonial traditions that would be considered outlandish in many parts of the world. One African tribe has a number of “good luck” practices that would be considered anything but that in most places. As part of the marriage, the bride must gather all of her possessions and set off for the groom’s home on foot, sometimes walking very far. To bless the marriage with good luck, the bride’s father will spit on her before she begins her journey. When she arrives at the groom’s home, the women of his family, once again as a good luck charm, will yell insults at the bride.

Other cultures have other ideas about the wedding night and when the marriage is final. Certain tribes give a lot of help with the actual wedding night experience. For instance, one tribe has an older woman give the bride tips on what to do on her wedding night, and they may even hide in the room in case the bride needs any help. In other parts of Africa, the marriage is not complete until they have two children, and some women enter into an agreement called a “temporary marriage,” in which they receive pay for being a wife, but they cannot inherit money if something happens to their husband.

If you are stressed because of an upcoming wedding, just remember that it could be worse. Unless things go terribly wrong, at your wedding you should not be spit on, insulted, or have your lovemaking skills critiqued on your wedding night. You also will not have to help your husband convince your family to accept whatever kind of dowry he can come up with.