Decide upon your wedding theme as early as possible

Deciding on a theme for your wedding early on makes the rest of the wedding planning easier as it will influence lots of the little decisions as well as the big ones.

The wedding theme can be subtle, such as a colour or motif featured in the invitations and repeated through details in the dresses, flowers, place cards, décor etc. Or it can be dramatic, such as a historical theme and encouraging the guests to arrive in period costume.

Either way, if the wedding theme is taken from something you love, it makes the planning more fun.

What makes an alternative wedding an Elvish wedding?

An elvish wedding has a few hallmarks. First is the obligatory beautiful long flowing elvish wedding gown, akin to the wonderful draping gowns of the pre-Raphaelite artists. They are similar to medieval style wedding gowns but with more delicate detailing. Next is the amazing wedding tiara, usually made of silver or platinum. They can be incredibly ornate with flowing lines and often a motif with a nature theme, such as butterflies or flowers. If possible, the elvish wedding bride should have her hair long and flowing, perhaps with some braiding. The colours used for any of the wedding accessories or decorations are soft, muted shades.

The most dedicated elvish wedding couples have been known to say their wedding vows, or at least part of the ceremony in Tolkien's elvish language. The recent Lord of the Rings films are a useful resource on this front, and one can find several websites that offer translations and even pronunciation guides.

Thinking of having an Elvish wedding? Don't forget the legal bits!

If you are considering holding an elvish wedding, take care to read about the legal requirements first in Emma's Wedding Diary. If you want to really go to town with the theme it may be easier to have the legal bits taken care of at the register office first or the day before, then you have much more freedom to conduct your own ceremony.

If you have already had an elvish wedding, please write and tell us all about it! We would love to interview you for the blog!