15 WEIRDER Wedding Themes..That You Can Use
The traditional wedding theme of white, satin, and flowers have always been a reliable option. It is regal enough to make your wedding memorable and has that prim and proper air around it to make things clean and professional.
But let’s face it: going for the traditional theme looks a bit safe. After all, everybody else is doing it. Remembering that your wedding is probably one of the few key life events where you can express yourself – where you have come from and where you are going – It is going to be both unique and memorable, you might want to go for something that is way outside of the box.
There are a lot of weird themes that you can use for a wedding. Not only are they quirky and weird enough to bring out the personality of the couple but they can also be quite easy to pull off if you know where to look. And the best part? They have been used in an actual wedding for at least once.
- Snitches, Wands, and House Points
Regardless of what you feel about the recent movies, the Harry Potter series is still pulling strong with a lot of people today. The pull is so strong, in fact, that some couples have even considered making it the entire theme of their weddings. One couple in the UK had their entire wedding themed after the magical world of Harry Potter complete with bouquets wrapped in actual pages from the book, custom-made wands as freebies for the guests, and Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls made to look like the golden Quidditch snitches from the book.
As cherry on top, the couple had their wedding rings engraved with one word: Always. Potter fans would immediately know what that word means, especially for one surly Potions master.
- Going Crypto
The cryptocurrency craze has been going on for years and has found its way out of the Internet. One man in Lebanon decided to make Bitcoin the central theme for his wedding.
Incorporating the Bitcoin theme was a bit more demanding on the technical side as guests had to download Bitcoin’s Lightning Network. However, those that do received 4,000 Satoshis (the smallest denomination of Bitcoin) which is worth $1.60 USD as of currently.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Bitcoin-themed wedding without a half-hour small seminar on the wonders of Bitcoin. It’s a nice way to introduce people to an oft-misunderstood commodity while also showcasing to them that you are venturing into potentially lucrative markets.
- Bacon. Just Bacon.
Everybody’s comfort food (excluding vegans) can even be used as the central theme for a wedding. In 2014, couple Craig Roush and April DaVila married at the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival in Iowa in a bacon-themed wedding.
And when we say that everything in the wedding was bacon-inspired, we mean everything. The bouquets have bacon flowers and wrapped in bacon, the aisles feature bacon, the cake has bacon on top, and the groom’s party wore vests with bacon. It makes for a particularly bright and unique theme that makes for an easy and memorable transition during the reception.
The only downside? You and your guests will never forget the lingering scent of bacon for the months to follow.
- Down the Rabbit Hole
Lewis Carroll’s seminal book Alice in Wonderland already has an appeal quirky and colorful enough to be memorable for a wedding. This is what couple Rafael and Natalie Kurzawa decided on for their wedding which was based on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
As you would expect, the entire wedding has an air of controlled chaos with it with vintage teapots and knick knacks all over the place, overgrown grass, garishly purple and yellow flowers, and some watches here and there. The bride even wore an outfit reminiscent of Alice while the groom donned a messy overcoat topped with an equally garish top hat.
- A Galaxy Far, Far Away
Star Wars-themed Weddings are not an entirely new trend. Some couples even got married while waiting in line for the premieres of the older movies 20 to 30 years ago. However, they are still unique enough to be memorable especially for sci-fi loving couples.
The trick here is to commit to the theme as fully as possible. For the date, it should be exactly or near the 4th of May as that is the franchise’s anniversary. As for the getup, there are various options here including the smooth flowing robes of the Jedi or Sith or the clean and professional looking Imperial officers. If you want, you can have the entire entourage dress up in clonetrooper or stormtrooper armor.
The bride itself can choose from any of Padme or Leia’s costumes while the groom can opt for Han Solo’s attire or Luke’s Jedi robes. And as for the minister, they can always show up as either Darth Vader or the Emperor.
Of course, no Star Wars themed wedding would be complete without the customary waving of plastic glowing light sabers.
- Lord of the (Wedding) Rings
Lord of the Rings has been around far longer than any of the popular fantasy series and has been a go-to theme for weddings for several decades now. Some of the more popular people that had a LOTR-inspired wedding would be Napster founder Sean Parker who had his wedding in the middle of California’s red woods and hired the costume designer of the film trilogy for the getup of the entire entourage.
And if you do not have the budget to hire the people that did the film for the wedding, there is still a lot of cheaper alternatives to get that quintessential fantasy look. Long, flowing silver dresses for the brides and her maids would give off an elven appeal while colors of black, brown, maroon, and capes of forest green for the men to look like the Fellowship. Of course, the minister should wear a robe of white or grey as well as a flowing beard to look like Gandalf. As for the setting, it should be somewhere rustic with decorations of petals, fairy lights, and glowing orbs.
Of course, the main event here would be the wedding rings themselves. One can opt for simple golden bands with elven inscribing to mimic the One Ring or silver rings with gems of red, blue, and yellow to mimic the rings of the elves.
And if the weather and the location allows for it, everyone can go barefoot just like the Hobbits of The Shire.
- A Red or Purple Wedding
Game of Thrones has also been a hit and many couples have themed their weddings around the show. What makes GOT quite popular as a theme is that it’s not that hard to replicate the feel if you know where to look.
Most of the couples settle with a medieval getup with low-flowing dresses of magenta and violet for the women and ornate suits and boots for the men. The music should be played by strictly acoustic instruments like guitars and flutes while the menu should feature medieval dishes like pies and roast beef.
As for the music selection, any medieval cover or rendition of the intro would work. Just remember to not let “Rains of Castamere” be played as that song tends to precede disaster as far as the show is concerned.
- The Roaring 20s
The Great Gatsby exudes elegance and confidence which makes it perfect for couples who don’t want anything out of the ordinary but also a bit extra. What also makes Great Gatsby wedding themes great is that they are easy to replicate.
Since the story is set in the 1920s, some art deco additions should be considered like gold, metallic, and black colors as well as white feathers and elaborate flower deco. Finding a wedding venue that was built or looks like it was built in the 1920s would also be ideal.
For the reception, additions like silver or ivory cutlery and champagne would be ideal. A jazz band would also work here while vintage cars as a getaway for the couple would also be recommended. And just like the Great Gatsby, expect that a wedding of this theme will be rather expensive. But so as long as you pull the 1920s look, it should work.
- One in a Minion
A couple in 2015 decided to have their wedding themed after Despicable Me’s Minions. This means that every fixture of the wedding would feature the banana-yellow characters in one form or another.
The cake, for example, features minion versions of the couple while every table has a minion stuffed toy in them. As for the groom and minister, they dressed up as minions while the bride to be opted for a simple bright yellow dress.
- A Zombie Wedding
NFL Star DeAngelo Williams married his wife Risalyn in 2016 at a wedding themed after The Walking Dead. The concept is quite straightforward as it is just the typical ceremony followed by a reception.
What made it different is that each member of the audience and the wedding party are made to look like shambling, rotting zombies. This means tattered and bloodied dresses, makeup that makes each person look like they were horribly gored and mangled, and the occasional zombie moan from the congregation.
Capping the entire event is a video shoot where all attendants where walking through the entire event as if they were zombies looking for people to eat. There was no coverage as to what the menu at the reception was, for some reason.
- All Disney
What Disney movie makes for an ideal wedding theme? If you can’t pick any, your best answer should be “All of them!” This is what a couple did for their wedding as each table of their reception featured a theme after some of Disney’s popular movies.
The Tangled table, for example, featured lanterns while the Snow White table featured a basket of certainly-not-poisonous apples. The Cinderella table featured an elegant Pumpkin carriage while the Little Married featured all sorts of crockery that Ariel herself would have collected in her underground gallery.
In another wedding, the couple dressed up as Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story as they marched to the tune of “You Got a Friend in Me”. And as for their friends and families, they all dressed up as Disney characters like King Triton, Ursula, a pirate, and Tinkerbell.
- Taco Bell
In 2017, couple Bianca and Dan Ryckert became the winners of Taco Bell’s Love and Tacos contest. Their grand prize would be the chance to hold their wedding at Taco Bell’s flagship restaurant at Las Vegas.
As this wedding was sponsored by Taco Bell, you could imagine what was being featured in all aspects of the event. This included bouquets and boutonniere’s made from sauce packets and a wedding cake made from Taco Bell’s cinnabon delights. And as for the menu, one could easily expect what dish was heavily featured in every meal.
- Step Right Up!
The Greatest Showman is also one of the recently popular IPs to base an entire wedding theme at. As the show focuses on the rise of P.T. Barnes and his travelling circus, a wedding based on the show could feature colors of bright red and yellow along with white.
The getup of the wedding party could be based on circus performers with the couple being the circus ringmasters. Typical county fair food like popcorn and hotdogs could be served and some mini-games can be presented at the reception. All in all, the circus theme makes for a familiar yet undoubtedly strange theme for a wedding.
- I Yabba Dabba Do
The Flintstones’ spoofing of 20th century American family life has made it a go-to wedding theme for some couples. In 2010, a couple had a Flintstones-inspired wedding where everyone was wearing animal print onesies with the women wearing bone headdresses and the men wielding paper-mache caveman clubs.
To cap things off, the couple signed their marriage certificate on a fake stone slab and rolled off the venue in the iconic foot-powered stone-roller cars from the show. For Flintstones wedding, the wearing of footwear is also on a purely optional basis.
- A Robot Wedding
In some parts of the world, you can have your vows recited in front of a robot. In Japan, some couples had their weddings officiated by a robot minister. What makes it even more surprising was that the wedding is completely legal as their vows are considered binding in Japan.
If a fully mechanical, AI-guided priest or judge is not available, there is the also the option to show up in your wedding as fake robots too. Some couples have based their entire weddings on robots complete with robotic get-ups, LED lighting on the fixtures, and all sorts of futuristic elements.
How to Make a Wedding Theme Unique
Choosing a wedding theme can be quite a hassle if you have no experience with weddings beforehand. The unique themes above are great, mind you, but what really makes a wedding unique and memorable is if everything else around the wedding can work seamlessly with the overall theme.
So, choosing the right theme for the wedding is crucial. But how do you do that? There is no standard to follow as to what may or may not work for certain weddings. But to pick the best one, it would be a good idea to consider a few things first.
- Mind the Novelty
Before anything else, you should ask the question “what hasn’t been done here yet?” when looking for a wedding theme. This will tell you what opportunities couples are missing out on if they choose the typical church/rustic/beach wedding theme. If the local area has only been doing the typical wedding themes, then you have an opportunity to introduce something new there.
And even if the local wedding scene is known to cater to some far-out themes, don’t worry. This will help you identify what weird themes have been done there and whether or not they worked. This will tell you what to do or what to avoid when choosing similar themes for the upcoming wedding.
- Requirements
What would a theme like that require for everyone involved? Some themes can be done on a relatively small budget like fantasy and circus themes. However, for some themes like the Great Gatsby and Star Wars themes, they might require a bigger budget.
Also, some themes require a very specific venue in order to work. For instance, Star Wars and beach weddings never mix because all of that sand and wind will just ruin the costumes of everyone involved. Of course, some ministers and churches are somewhat strict as to what kind of themes will be allowed for weddings that they officiate. So, your best option here is to ask around as to what can work given the budget, venue profile, and the preferences of all involved parties. And speaking of preferences……..
- Ask the Couple
A wedding might be a public event but it is also a purely personal one. As such, the theme should pay respect as to what the bride and groom want for their big day. For example, a couple chose their wedding venue to be at a specific aisle at the local Costco as that was where they first met.
In another instance, a couple showed up at their wedding looking like Shrek and Fiona from the Shrek franchise because they loved the movies. In other words, your choice of a theme should reflect on what the couple think would make their wedding memorable to them regardless of public opinion.
- Mind the Guests, Too
There is no doubt that the couple have the final say for their wedding theme. However, a good wedding theme should also consider the rest of the people attending it. There are two reasons for this. First is the matter of convenience. For example, would the wedding party as a whole look good if they are wearing wizard robes, sci-fi armor, or Victorian dresses? Because nothing ruins the entire aesthetic if one party has to stand out because they are not comfortable with what they are wearing.
The second matter is logistics. Themed costumes take a lot of time to prepare. Even more so than the usual bridal gowns and tuxedos. This is quite true for fantasy and sci-fi themes as you would have to look for a shop that has a sizeable supply of whatever costumes that you are looking for and in the right sizes. If the costumes are too elaborate and you only have a few weeks to prepare, then the entire theme might look impractical.
All in all, everyone involved in your party should look good with whatever costume they are wearing to maximize the visual impact.
- Consider the Matter of Good Taste
In as much as a wedding to be unique and memorable, you should also be mindful as to whether it is tasteful or not. This is because some couples choose truly weird themes that can be shocking and offensive from appearing completely naked or in Nazi uniforms. The wedding might have been memorable but not exactly for the reasons that the couple envisioned.
So what is the difference between a weird but good wedding theme from a bad one? The answer lies in its ability to respect the sanctity of the event. A good wedding theme should recognize that the couple are binding themselves to a contract that lasts a lifetime and creates a new family unit. At the same time, it should respect the solemnity of the affair as the bond is not only being witnessed by other people but by the State and whatever deity the couple believes in.
Thus, a good wedding theme is something that makes the entire event wholesome at least or funny but respectful at most. After all, those two people are going to spend the rest of their lives together, regardless if they say their vows dressed up as fairies and robots or smelling like bacon.
