The words “wedding style” and “wedding theme” are often used interchangeably but to a wedding professional they mean different things.
Style describes the overall look and feel of the wedding; it's directly connected to your aesthetic. It’s what you and your partner want your wedding to look and feel like. It’s not only everything visual, but style also relates to the ambiance of the event, such as the setting, the flowers, the lighting, the perfume, and the textures of your dress and so on.
The style sets the tone for the type of experience your guests will have. It basically ensures a cohesive design for your whole wedding day.
On the other hand, a theme is related to a specific subject that contributes to the details of the wedding design. A wedding built around a "theme" gets much more specific.
Think of it this way – there are many movie genres (styles). There are also many different ways you can make a certain movie genre depending on the setting within the actual movie.
For example a movie with a “childhood fantasy” genre could be anything from Harry Potter, to ET, to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!
An example of a “Vintage” wedding style would include antique vibes like lace, candles and antique plates or vintage cars.
But a theme within this wedding could be based on the Netflix series of “Bridgerton” or a theme from the “Great Gatsby” era – both are “Vintage” but create uniquely different vibes for your wedding guests!
Or, another example might be a vineyard wedding which often has styling elements that will reflect and celebrate the natural surroundings. This wedding style could also have a rustic theme attached to it – which would bring the outdoors inside.
You might want a “glam wedding” - a style that is lavish, chic and luxurious.
The theme of this style may be narrowed down by using the colour silver or having a focus on mirrors and all things shiny - both would evoke a rich setting with sparkling details, but would give your guest a very different, yet still lavish, experience.
Having an overarching style for your wedding day can help with decisions on the details and it can inform your budget.
You can always ask yourself “does this fit my vibe/style/theme?” and quickly make a call on whether the flowers are a good fit, or the bridesmaids dresses fit the right colour scheme and so on.
If we have learnt anything in this industry – it is that there are thousands of way to interpret a wedding style.
The wedding style or theme is entirely up to you!
But once you can describe what you want your day to feel and look like, then following your set style/theme will help you with decision-making and keep your vision and expectations on track.
We have a list of wedding descriptors that may help you find your wedding theme and style.