Themed Receptions

More and more, couples are incorporating their own personalities, interests and character into their wedding ceremonies and receptions.

They are touching these celebrations with personal flair and creating a one-of-a-kind event that they and their guests relive in their memories throughout their lives.

A common way to leave your imprint on your special day is by incorporating cultural traditions. Ethnic cuisines flavor many of today’s wedding receptions, as foods that were once thought to be too exotic have become widely popular. Mexican fiestas, Chinese dim-sum brunches, extravagant Asian buffets, Spanish Tapas receptions or Italian banquets—known for their lavish sweet tables and coffee bars—are all popular.

When you choose a culture as the theme for your reception, the matching décor can feature creative items and flowers from that region. Music can help set the ethnic tone with Scottish bagpipers or a full-scale Mexican mariachi band.

Choose an exotic location special to you and incorporate it into your celebration. A couple who met while touring Europe after college carried a European theme through their wedding reception, beginning with choosing a rustic country inn as their reception site. They named the tables after the capital cities they visited and marked them with a scenic picture of the two of them on the table instead of a number. Their guest book was an actual photo album of their trip, with pictures pasted onto pages. Guests were invited to sign their names and write a personal message. They used Belgian flowers for the wedding party and Swiss Dots as décor on their wedding cake. They incorporated their favorite traditional European dishes into the menu and gave small boxes of French chocolates as party favors.

Another couple—both musicians by trade—incorporated their profession into their special day. Musical notes and instruments were used as décor throughout their reception site, which was a music school. They topped the cake with sugar paste musical instruments of their particular expertise, and a large swing band set the tone for the entire evening. Party favors were CDs of the symphony orchestra where they first met.