Adopting a theme for your wedding does more than express your personal style. Working with a theme simplifies decision-making by focusing your choices, and it gives you maximum bang for your buck because all the elements of the wedding will play off each other. To stir your theme-choosing imagination, 7mgg here are my 100 favorite wedding themes and some of the details that bring them to life.

WEDDING THEMES FOR ALL SEASONS

• Classic Style: Flowers in urn-shaped vases, tightly manicured hedges, monograms.
• Chocolate: Chocolate liqueur, beef with chocolate and chili mole, chocolate mousse.
• Brunch: Mimosas, savory quiches, a jazz trio.
• Cocktail Party: Cityscapes, signature drinks, stilettos.
• Childhood Home: Garlands on the stairs, rolled up rugs, dressing for your wedding in the room where you grew up.
• Community: Long tables, young and old sharing the dance floor, making a charitable donation in honor of your guests instead of giving favors.
• Spheres: Spherical vases, bourbon balls pre-set on the tables, paper lanterns.
• Champagne and Cake Reception: Clinking glasses, heart-felt toasts, butter cream frosting.
• Surprise Wedding: Invitations that throw everyone off the scent, informalwear, a champagne toast to announce the wedding ceremony.
• Afternoon Tea: Lace huppah, herbed sandwiches, tiered serving platters.
• Vintage: Birdcage veil, bias-cut satin, champagne punch.
• Simple Elegance: White huppah canopy, a gown with simple lines, understated floral arrangements.
• Pot-Luck: Gathering around the huppah, buffet table overflowing with everyone’s best festive dishes, the heart-felt support of family and friends.
• Nights in Morocco: Hamsa, gold thread embroidery, a bridal crown.
• Family: Family members holding your huppah poles, manguerose a family slideshow, family-style meal service.
• Dancing: A dance floor, a DJ, friends you can count on to get the party started when the first song hits.
• Dessert Reception: Tiered serving plates, passed champagne, chocolate.
• Hors d’Oeuvres Reception: Savory hors d’oeuvres, carefully chosen wine, cocktail attire.
• Candy: Pastel colors, candy buffet, candy favors.
• Country Romance: Lace huppah, wooden tables, sweet tea.
• Lakeside Wedding: Raising the huppah by the lake, the wedding dress catching the breeze, The sun -or moon- reflected in the water.
• Roses: Rose petals strewn in the aisle, rose water, heaping bouquets of roses.
• The Big Tree in the Backyard: Huppah under the tree, tree leaf decorating motif, taking turns on the swing.
• Paper: Wrapping paper table runners, paper lanterns, paper flower centerpieces.
• Mini: Mini quiches, mini cupcakes, petite roses.
• Just Close Family and Friends: Handwritten invitations, shared memories, homemade wedding cake.
• Candles: A hundred borrowed candlesticks, candle favors, an internal glow.
• Jewish Artisanal Style: Hand calligraphed ketubah (wedding contract), roomidea Yaer Emanuel design kiddush cup, klezmer band.
• Sparkle: Beaded lace, champagne bubbles, a bride’s beaming face.
• Fiesta: Vibrant colors, Mexican peasant dresses for the bridesmaids, large paper flowers.
• How We Met: Food and centerpieces based on the place where you met, the natural conversation starter: “So, how did you two meet?”
• Fairy Tale Wedding: Pink roses, a tiara, silk satin.
• Passion Romance: Red roses, chocolate covered strawberries, passion fruit sorbet.
• Farm: Bushel baskets, tall grass, reception in the barn.
• Italian Feast: Italian wines, antipasto, cannoli, tiramisu, gelato, cassata, amaretti, pizzelles, panna cotta, limoncello semifreddo, zabaglione, mascarpone frosting…

SPRING WEDDING THEMES

• Spring Greens: Spring green satin pumps, spring green orchids, salad of mixed spring greens.
• Pinks: Mixed flower bouquets, strawberry punch, a blushing bride.
• Gingham: Bouquets wrapped in gingham ribbon, gingham tablecloths, favor boxes topped with gingham bows.
• Flowering Trees: Huppah by the trees, flowering branch centerpieces, flower petals dusting the ground.
• Berries: A mix of purples, raspberry kir, berries on the wedding cake.
• Tulle: Tulle details on the wedding dress, bouquets tied with tulle ribbon, candy favors tied up in tulle.
• Victoriana: Posy bridal bouquet, sugared violets, flower arrangements filled to overflowing.
• Sweet Romance: Shoulder length veil, petite bridal bouquet, stolen kisses.
• Tulips: Tulip bridal bouquet, tulip centerpieces, tulip-skirted flower girl dresses.
• Lag B’Omer (A Jewish holiday between Passover and Shavuot): Flowering branches, laughter, young love.
• Lilacs: Purples, lilac table bouquets, the sweet heady lilac scent.
• Daisies: Yellow and white, daisy bouquets, “…she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me, she loves me not, she loves me!“

SUMMER WEDDING THEMES

• Carnival: Pennant banners, caramel popcorn, ring toss.
• Garden Party: Layers of stripes and chintz, small full flower arrangements, ladies in hats.
• Barbecue: Sweet-smelling smoke, micro-brewed beer, wet naps.
• Picnic: Gingham tablecloths, fried chicken, potato salad.
• Tropical: Citrus colors, cool drinks, mango ice cream.
• Southern Charm: Mint juleps, magnolias, photos on the veranda.
• Cottage garden: Garden tours, a leisurely meal, herb garden menu.
• Stripes: Striped ties, widely striped tablecloths, huppah poles wrapped in ribbon.
• Hydrangeas: Blues, greens, and purples; linen table cloths; silver flower bowls.
• Americana: Family photos on the porch, touch football on the lawn, spaice a bonfire.
• Fourth of July: Stars and stripes, bunting, sparklers.
• Fairy Garden: Fairy lights reflected in the birdbath, pinks and blues, butterfly wings in the flower arrangements.
• Lavender: Lavender bouquets, lavender ice cream, lavender sachet favors.
• Chintz: Rose-themed invitations, chintz overlays on striped tablecloths, overflowing rose bouquets.
• Lawn Games: Croquet, horse shoes, lemonade.
• Evening Romance: Raising the huppah at twilight, a cello, dinner and dancing under the stars.
• Calla Lilies: Dramatic large calla lilies, elegant small calla lilies, echoes of Katherine Hepburn’s “The calla lilies ahre in bloohm…”