World of Wedding

Looking to save money on your wedding reception? Instead of relentlessly paring down your guest list or compromising in other areas, why not think about using a low-cost theme for your special day?

A wedding that fits into a particular theme is often more relaxed than your typical reception. And, since there’s less pressure to spend exorbitant sums on extras you simply don’t need, they can often save you a bundle.



Reception themes allow people to get creative with their celebration and express themselves. People often choose to base their themes on hobbies, personal interests, and dreams. Choosing to go with something like a beach theme, a Mexican fiesta, or a toga party (for a really wild example) is simple -- and the food is cheap and easy. Take a look at some more themes to lessen the cost of your reception.

• Roman theme: The choices with the Roman theme vary. Togas are almost always a part of the festivities. Serving fresh fruits like grapes and apples not only provides a healthy alternative to more traditional fare, it’s also in keeping with the typical Roman diet. Serving fresh rotisseries meats or cold cuts are great with this theme as well. You can generally serve beer and wine for this theme, and you can decorate with wreathes, garland, candles and anything else in the Roman fashion.

• Fairy Wonderland: To go with this theme, you could use fairies wings, have sheer fabrics draped around you, decorate with baby’s breath, moss, and serve fine breads and appetizers. This theme really lets 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, should you choose a Scottish theme, you would listen to bagpipes, 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, utilizing things like Santa Fe decorative blankets for the walls, and many other things. You can play mariachi music or Spanish guitars for this theme.

• Arabian Nights: For this theme you can fill your reception hall with beautiful linens and let your bridal party have costumes should they wish to. You can also serve Middle-Eastern foods or appetizers, pita bread, 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 Greek hero 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 – basically, wherever your mind takes you.

• Disney: There are so many popular Disney characters that we all remember from our childhood that this theme opens up a world of possibilities. You can choose to focus on a particular character, or simply take the entire world of Disney and use it as your theme.

• 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 and have dancers give a tame burlesque show. This theme also allows you to serve easy-to-create entrees like meatloaf, all the way up to more expensive fare, such as steaks. As long as you stick with your theme (i.e. leave out the shrimp cocktail) you can have a great time.

• NASCAR: This theme has a world of possibilities. You can decorate with checkered flags and checkered flag streamers, toy cars, or painted numbers of the different cars and drivers. If you would like, you can decorate with a particular driver motif. The best part about this theme is that it is very casual and you can serve regular foods like pizza, large submarine sandwiches, hamburgers and even chips and nachos; pretty much any food that you want. In general this relaxed type of theme applies to all sports-related themes. This theme is great for receptions where lots of sports fans will be attending. You can also opt to watch a race on a large TV during the party.

• Movies: Popular movie themes like the Matrix and Lord of the Rings can be a lot of fun for receptions when the bride and groom are movie buffs. Decorations will be based on what the general movie symbolizes. For example, if you chose the Matrix, you would use computer data charts and sheets, computers, dress in all black, etc. You could serve appetizers rather than entrees for this type of theme as well. Playing the movie during your reception is a cool idea for background scenery.

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

Of course we all know that a wedding is the best time in a woman’s life and there are women who look forward to their wedding for years.

Decorating for wedding receptions whether your own or as a part time job can either be very hard work or very much fun depending upon many things.

Fortunately there are many wedding reception decorating ideas online these days and one way to get more ideas for your wedding is to look at other people’s weddings. These websites have a few ideas with links to several weddings, and wedding receptions. Of course, the extent of decorating a wedding reception depends on the size of the wedding and if the wedding has a theme or not. Wedding reception decorations also must be within the couple’s budget for the wedding. There may be many different wedding reception table decorations that they want, but just are not able to afford.

Wedding reception decorating ideas
As was stated earlier, the budget, the size of the wedding and possible themes all influence wedding reception decorations. Very simple and inexpensive decorations that can be handled by the bride and groom alone as a way of cutting the cost of any wedding are very easy to make.

It can be just as simple as getting a few things from a craft store and putting them together; flowers (real or imitation) can be placed in a vase with beautiful colored stones that are preferably the colors chosen for the wedding. These can be used as centerpieces on the tables. Colored tablecloths are usually also available at either craft or department stores.

Another great idea for inexpensive weddings where there will be lots of children attending is to use white paper for tablecloths and provide guests with colored pens or pencils and crayons for any children attending and have the guest write or draw (as the case may be) notes to the bride and groom. This is not only a great decorating idea, but can be saved as a memorial of the happy day.


Even themed weddings can be very simple and inexpensive. Some ideas might be a Christmas theme that emphasizes the colors red, white and green. Red tablecloths with mini decorated Christmas trees can be used to decorate the tables. There are also appropriately colored napkins and serving sets that can be used to decorate the reception. Soft, mellow Christmas carols make for wonderful background music, with small stockings or ornaments as favors.

Candles are one decoration that can be used in almost any wedding no matter how inexpensive or elaborate the wedding. Candles are especially nice if it is an evening wedding and the reception hall is dimly lit. This can make for a very beautiful and romantic atmosphere. Add beautifully decorated satin tablecloths and some greenery and you have a very, very romantic setting. This is especially beautiful if the hall is large and there are many guests. If this is the case and if there will be dancing then setting aside the portion of the room that will be used for dancing by small poles draped either with satin ribbons or garlands of greenery makes a very beautiful scene. Add soft background music and you have a wonderful wedding reception area.

Weddings with themes are also great for getting decorating ideas as in the Christmas theme above. Fall is another nice theme that can be either informal or as formal as you would like. Color combinations such as burgundy and hunter, or wine and navy are just a couple of the many color choices for more formal fall weddings. There are also several red, orange, and yellow flowers to go with this theme such as marigolds, apricot lilies, rust and burgundy hydrangeas. Once again, candles either colored orange or hand painted are a magnificent centerpiece, arranged with a small amount of greenery.

Of course there are other themes that are great for weddings, medieval feasts, ethnic weddings, some of which are absolutely beautiful to behold such as the Japanese and S. Korean style weddings, others are Romeo and Juliet themed weddings or an amazing under the sea themed wedding.

Other decorations that can make wedding receptions beautiful are rose petals either as table decorations or floating on a pool of water.

Decorating for a wedding reception can be simple or fancy, expensive or inexpensive all according to the needs and the taste of the bride and groom. It can be quite easy and done by the couple or friends of the bride and groom or can it can be done professionally, but either way with just a few good ideas decorating can be fun and seem elegant when finished. Either way decorating for a wedding reception or other wedding related function does not need to be stressful or difficult.