Weddings are usually a standard fare, guided by traditions and customs that ought to be followed. But who said you couldn’t add an element of fun to them? After all, your wedding is one of the most important days in your life and you want to cherish it fondly as you look back in the years to come.
So, how do you make your wedding a stand-out experience for yourself and your guests? To start with, you can add a theme to your wedding. The theme should be such that it reflects your personality and is easy for the guests to follow. It could revolve around the wedding venue, for example, a beach, or an era or your favorite color.
Here is a handy guide of wedding theme ideas that will add a dash of entertainment to your big fat Indian wedding:
Retro
Think of the decade when Mumbai was still Bombay, before Gateway of India replaced Apollo Bunder, and the classic movie, Sholay, was still in cinemas. The retro theme should transport guests back in time. The time of Maharajas, horse drawn tram cars and the Victoria Terminus… The décor and venue has a big role to play in this theme. Treat the guests to your favorite yesteryear numbers in your sangeet and invite them to shake a leg. Make use of rustic centerpieces, vintage books, old movie tickets and coins and notes to give guests the perfect retro feel. Spare no effort in looking the part either; polka dotted dresses, the classic bouffant and anarkalis, should help you look the part with ease!
Royal Theme
While India does not have much of a royalty culture, the lives of kings and queens have always fascinated many. If this includes you, what better way to experience a royal life than incorporating the theme in your own wedding? The royal wedding begins with the traditional shehnai and dhol to set the tone of the proceedings. Goes without saying, of course, that such a wedding is best held in a palace. The festivities should have all elements of royal weddings, such as folk performers, puppet shows and a procession of musician and dancers. Pick sangeet songs from movies such as Jodha Akbar to elevate the mood. For the reception, decorate long tables with goblets, flowers, gold and silver thals, and serve the choicest Indian fare and sweets.
Bollywood
If you and your better half can’t get enough of Bollywood, then this the theme for you. A Bollywood wedding theme offers a lot of scope to jazz up the wedding celebrations. From music to clothes to décor, customize everything to reflect your favorite movies and stars. There are a variety of rom-coms and all-time classics to choose from such as DDLJ, Mughal-e-Azam, etc. You could also host a special award-themed night along with your sangeet, with relatives dressed up as iconic celluloid couples, and have a special red carpet entry. Raise the glamour and drama quotient of the celebrations with huge mirrors adorned with bright lights and a photo booth with life-size cut outs of popular characters.
Fairytale
Think you’ve found the Prince Charming you were looking for? Why not celebrate it in the good-old fairy tale way? Set the mood right from the invitation cards, unfolding like a story book, with lines such as “A love story waiting to be told, on this date it shall unfold”. Put touches of the theme in the décor with antique candelabras, roses, a mini Cinderella coach, happily ever after signs and gold urns. Choose from fairytale songs such as “A Whole New World” from Aladdin to add to the atmosphere. You can also treat guests to a small clip that tells them about your own romantic fairy tale.
Color-specific
One of the simplest and more elegant wedding themes is the color-specific one. Not only is it easy to follow, it lends sophistication to the wedding. Choose from a palette of colors such as purple, red, peach or the classic black. Apart from your dress and the decorations, the theme can be well depicted through macaroons, chocolate lollies on tables, and balloons, pom poms and flowers, scattered all over. Be creative with how you incorporate the theme; the possibilities are endless. For example, if the theme is white, you can create the effect of snow at the venue.