Historical Wedding Themes

Period themes for weddings are becoming more and more popular as people want to plan something truly unique for their wedding day. Couples might choose a period theme because they share a special interest or affinity with that era, or it might just be that the bride may just find 'the perfect dress', which may look out of place in a traditional setting.

There are many costumiers and dressmakers that are able to hire or supply dresses to fit with a period theme. A local dressmaker will often be able to design something if the bride can provide them with a picture of the dream dress.

Some examples of popular historical themes are: Roman, Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Tudor, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, 1940s/1950s/1960s or futuristic. We take a look at one of these periods, to give you an example of how you might go about planning your very own period wedding.

Georgian and Regency Themes

Popular television dramas, such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility have made late 18th/early 19th century wedding themes very fashionable.

Ceremony

There are many fine mansions from this period that have been turned into hotels, and are licensed for weddings, or if you would prefer, a simple country church ceremony would fit well into the style of this era.

Poetry from authors of that era could be chosen as readings for the ceremony, such as William Wordsworth, Robert Burns and Lord Byron. Poetry of this time is written in a language that all can enjoy, and is very romantic.

Clothing

The dresses of the time are easy to wear and will remain comfortable during the day and on into the evening. You may consider hiring them from theatrical hire companies.

Hair tended to be long, and curled into ringlets, and worn with a veil or pinned with flowers. The bride or her attendants might carry a fan or a parasol as an alternative to a bouquet.

The top hat was introduced at the end of the eighteenth century, and so a hired morning suit with a frock coat would be appropriate for the groom, best man and other male members of the bridal party.

Transport

A horse and carriage is the obvious choice for a wedding of this period. There are a number of styles available from a single horse trap, to a coach and four.

Food

To follow the traditions of the time, only two, or at most three, courses should be served, and diners help themselves to whatever they want from a buffet.

The first course comprises of meat dishes, which should be served at the same time as the soup. Once the soup is finished, it is replaced with a vegetable dish. In the second course, a range of lighter meats and desserts should be served. If a third course is served, it should comprise of fruit, sweetmeats and cheese.

Decoration

Finding a traditional venue from the same era as your wedding theme will solve most of the decorative problems. If you have a large banqueting hall to decorate, pedestals of flowers would add impact and a softness to the room.

As most people will be serving themselves from their own 'buffet', it would be wise to keep table decoration to a minimum, allowing brightly coloured pottery plates already set out with food to decorate the tables.

Music and Entertainment

Hiring a string quartet or harpist to play at your ceremony and/or your reception would be an appropriate touch for this period.

Dancing was very popular at this time, with large family gatherings and ceremonial balls. However, it is unlikely that your guests will have an in-depth knowledge of dances of the time, and you might wish to go for something a little more modern for the evening.