14 Creative and Modern Wedding Themes for Saying “I Do”
When it comes to wedding planning, choosing a theme is one of the most exciting parts. Your wedding theme is what pulls all your dream ideas together for a cohesive look and style. But choosing from the endless array of wedding themes can be a challenge.
To help you find the perfect theme for your “I dos,” we’ve brought together some of our favorite ideas along with matching invitations. That way, it’ll be even easier to envision your chosen wedding style.
From Classic to Unconventional: 14 Wedding Themes for Your Big Day
While there are classic wedding themes that stand the test of time — romantic, rustic, or vintage are a few favorites — there are others that might not have crossed your mind before — perhaps retro, Art Deco, or garden party.
Fortunately, we’re covering each of these and then some. Plus, you’ll find suggestions for matching wedding invitations. These digital invites can be customized with your own wording, font style, and colors, so you can create a design that feels as unique as your celebration.
1. Rustic Wedding
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Matching invitation: Rustic Lace
Rustic weddings are all about finding the beauty in raw nature. Decorative elements include wood, burlap, greenery, Mason jars, string lights, and plenty of homemade touches. The rustic wedding theme works well for fall weddings, but it’s just as beautiful all year round.
What’s wonderful about a rustic wedding is that there are so many great DIY rustic country wedding decor items you can create yourself. Not only does this save money, but it lets you explore your creativity and personal style.
2. Fairytale Wedding
Design: Robinson Creative House
Matching invitation: Romantic Wonderland
If you want to go big on a themed wedding and love all things whimsical, look no further than a fairytale theme. Focus on princesses, castles, and everlasting love, or look to classic fairytales from your childhood as your inspiration.
You can take this whimsical wedding theme in any direction. Transform your wedding venue into a scene from your favorite fairytale and encourage wedding guests to dress accordingly. For a more low-key take on the trend, use elements of your decor like place cards and table numbers to showcase your most loved fairytale characters and motifs.
3. Vintage Wedding
Design: Loree Mayer Design
Matching invitation: Vintage Garden
Celebrate all things vintage with a themed wedding that hints at your love for the past. Vintage wedding decor feels romantic with subtle shades and delicate tableware. It’s an opportunity to showcase your collection of vintage china, or to dress up in a stunning suit or dress from years gone by.
Choose a moment in history for your vintage wedding, then style the decor and activities around it. Set up a photo booth and add a vintage filter for an authentic feel. You could even play a few old-fashioned party games at the wedding reception for an unexpected yet on-trend twist.
4. Winter Wonderland Wedding
Design: Paper Raven Co.
Matching invitation: Winter Roses
A winter wonderland theme is a beautiful way to celebrate your nuptials. Picture a wedding venue transformed into a striking holiday scene, or a room filled with “snow”-covered trees and ice sculptures.
Embrace a color scheme of blues and white with metallic accents and glitzy snowflake motifs. You could also go bold with red and green for a holiday season celebration and opt for a winter wedding cake with pinecones and festive touches.
5. Art Deco Wedding
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Matching invitation: Art Deco Diamond
Much like throwing a Great Gatsby party, you can celebrate your big day with motifs from the Art Deco era of the 1920s. It’s no surprise that Art Deco is one of the most popular wedding themes today.
Embrace a fun Roaring Twenties vibe with flapper attire and a dance floor playlist of jazz and swing classics. As for your color palette, think black, gold, and plenty of glamour. Style the venue with gold chandeliers, glitzy table decor, and large floral displays to bring the theme alive.
6. Romantic Wedding
Design: WonderWed
Matching invitation: Romantic Floral Border
It wouldn’t be a list of the most popular wedding themes without “romantic” making the cut. This classic wedding theme evokes a timeless feel thanks to delicate floral arrangements, soft color palettes, and elegant wedding attire.
A romantic wedding theme is perfect for a spring wedding, but it works any time of year. Complement the theme with a matching invite, and use our romantic wedding invitation wording ideas to help you craft the perfect invites.
While pastel shades of pink, mint, and lilac are popular, you can use virtually any palette for this theme. Work with a florist to create beautiful floral displays for your wedding ceremony and reception spaces, and use soft lighting to create a cozy atmosphere.
7. Bohemian Wedding
Design: Loree Mayer Design
Matching invitation: Boho Palms
Boho weddings are similar to rustic weddings, but they focus more on handmade and creative elements. Think floral crowns and macramé hangings instead of driftwood signs and hessian table runners.
Style your boho wedding with handmade fabric banners, delicate white linens, and bright floral arrangements — with gorgeous sunflower wedding invites to match. Choose bright wedding colors for an artsy boho theme, or keep them softer for a more romantic edge.
8. Modern City Wedding
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Matching invitation: Modern Paint Splatter
Stay in your hometown or escape to your favorite city and host a wedding that’s themed around a bustling city atmosphere. This is the perfect place for a modern wedding with stunning architectural backdrops and famous city sights.
Plan your dream wedding day with city views, and use the location to your advantage. Enjoy a walk in your favorite city park after the ceremony, or ask your loved ones to join you for some fun posed photos around town.
9. Eco-Friendly Wedding
Design: Keen Peachy
Matching invitation: Bold Layers
It’s possible to honor your eco-friendly values and celebrate your big day without compromising on style. Choose a wedding venue with green credentials and look for vendors that do too — find out if they use local materials or ingredients, offer recycling bins, and promote eco-friendly swaps where possible.
For wedding favors, keep the waste to a minimum and consider long-lasting gifts like wildflower seed packets, mini potted succulents, or reusable tote bags.
Not sure how to make your wedding green? Explore our guides on how to make your wedding eco-friendly.
10. Glamorous Wedding
Design: Annie Montgomery Design
Matching invitation: Royal Scallop
Some people love a rustic wedding, but for others, the glitz and glam is hard to resist. Glamour is one of our favorite wedding themes as it can make everything feel like a sophisticated red carpet event.
Style your wedding venue with a plethora of gorgeous blooms and decadent decorations — think chandeliers, mirrors, and luxurious fabrics like silk and velvet. This is one of those wedding themes that fits perfectly with a menu of fine dining and incredible wines.
11. Minimalist Wedding
Design: Claudia Owen
Matching invitation: Minimal Diagonal
Swap the glamour for something a little more understated with a minimalist–themed wedding. This theme is the opposite of maximalist fanfare, and gives you plenty of space to enjoy the moment and focus on the details that matter most to you — including minimalist wedding invites.
Minimalism means something different to everyone. You might decide to keep your guest list small, host at home, and opt for a simple dinner together. Alternatively, you could use minimalism as your inspiration for the reception decor and stick to a subtle color palette with pops of greenery and natural touches.
12. Garden Party Wedding
Design: Plum Pretty Sugar®
Matching invitation: A Garden Affair
Embrace all the beautiful scents and scenery of a traditional country garden with a wedding ceremony or reception hosted among spectacular gardens. This outdoor wedding idea is perfect for a spring or summer wedding when the flowers are at their best.
Use some garden party planning tips to fulfill your big day dreams. A garden party theme is perfect to showcase an unusual wedding dress or suit too — a bright color inspired by your favorite flower, or a more traditional outfit with embroidered floral details is a beautiful idea.
13. Retro Wedding
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Matching invitation: Retro Union
For lovers of all things retro, this unique wedding theme is ideal. Pair your big day with your fondness for nostalgia and you have the recipe for a memorable and highly personal celebration.
Focus on your own retro favorites — whether that’s TV shows, movies, video games, music, fashion, or home decor. Take your cues from the colors, sights, and sounds of the decade you love most to style your venue and inspire your activities.
Need inspiration? Borrow ideas from 80s theme parties and 90s theme parties for your special day. When it’s time to hit the dance floor, ask the DJ to queue up some retro hits and have a blast busting a move.
14. Beach Wedding
Design: LNZart
Matching invitation: Seaside
Beach weddings remain a popular choice for couples, especially for destination weddings. Whether you head to your local beach or take a trip to a tropical white sand shore, the location can be the perfect inspiration behind your beach wedding theme.
Look to the ocean for ideas on how to decorate your reception venue. Go bold with tropical flowers and fresh native fruit or opt for a more traditional nautical theme. You could also try something whimsical with adorable ocean creatures and seashell castle centerpieces.
Celebrate Your Way with These Wedding Themes
There’s an endless list of wedding themes you could choose for your big day. Romantic, rustic, boho, beach, retro — the list goes on. Use these wedding ideas to help you narrow down your options and find the perfect wedding theme.
Once you’ve found your dream wedding theme, you’ll want invites to match. Explore our collection of stunning wedding invitations and you’re sure to find one that feels just right.
