For some brides this can be quite a scary prospect, for others it’s a chance to get their creative juices flowing. However you feel about it, when someone asks you what your wedding theme is, don’t panic.

Let’s just ask – How do we define your style and what is your 'wedding theme'?

• The theme is simply how you imagine your wedding day to be - the images and ideas in your head.

• Your style is how you express these in your choice of invitations, dress code, decorations, music etc that reflect those ideas and images.

Many brides ask me where to start and often another question is “Is it important to have a theme?” In my opinion absolutely not as long you inject your personality into your wedding day. Your own style and theme will naturally emerge. Colours are very important I think they do tie all the details together.

Lets start at the beginning. 

Wedding Mood board 

As you flick through the millions of wedding magazines you are likely to buy when you become engaged, cut out all the pictures that appeal to you.

Pictures of dresses, flowers, types of weddings that are photographed, shoes - anything that you really like. You can also use swatches of material you see in shops and paint colour brochures to see what types of colours look good to you.

Wedding blogs can inspire you, check out www.rockmywedding.co.uk and www.english-wedding.com. Keep a notebook handy too to jot your ideas in.

Once you have collected all your images stick them randomly on to a large piece of card. You will start to see a style and colour theme emerge. You will get a feel for the look of your day. A wedding mood board is also great to show suppliers to give them an idea of what you want. Trying to explain or write something can be hard, a picture gives you an immediate vision.

Be inspired by what is typically you!

Do you love bright colours? Does a certain flower inspire you? Or do you have a hobby that you want to reflect into your special day? Weddings should be about injecting your personality into the day. Don’t get hung up about thinking you have to have the perfect style or be 'on trend' or that everything has to match, it certainly does not. Be yourself and your ideas will naturally flow into your theme.

Be inspired by your Venue and its Decor

Your wedding venue will most likely add to the decision about what style and theme you want for your wedding day. Look around the venue and see what is already there. If the decor is beautiful then you won't have to spend a fortune on lighting or buy extravagant centrepieces. Often less is more. Look what you have to work with. Hiring coloured table linen will pick up the blandest room and is a cost effective way of injecting colour and warmth into your wedding reception style. If that is too costly then why not just hire different coloured napkins that fit into your colour scheme.

Style of Wedding Dress

Your dress will also determine the style of your reception decor. If you have fallen in love with a vintage style wedding dress then you can match the reception accessories to compliment your choice. Vintage is very fashionable at the moment and brings a lovely sophisticated relaxed approach, but it’s really up to you. Your dress will generally mirror the mood in your venue and should compliment each other.

Colours and the time of year 

Colours are very emotive and make people feel differently when surrounded by them. Pick the colours you really like; the ones that make you feel happy, or calm, it really does not matter as long you choose colours that you like and compliment each other and don’t clash.

Use a single colour for the main theme and add a complimentary colour. You can of course stick to one colour but it’s always good to use varying shades to give a little depth and texture.

The time of year may dictate the colour scheme, Christmas and wintertime often calls for warm colours such as reds, greens and purples. Summer weddings look great using pastel shades or vibrant oranges or pinks.

Creams and greens are very sophisticated and always look stunning. Generally the rule is not to use more than three colours and to have one of them as your main accent. If you are really stuck you can't go wrong with traditional creams, greens and classy whites.

Accessories such as flowers, invites and stationery and cake

Your invites may very well dictate your colour and style of your wedding. I fell in love with a lovely heart themed invitation. The hearts could be dyed whatever colour I liked and hey presto hearts became my theme.

Your invites are one of the first things that your guests see and generally introduce them to the colours and style of your day.

You don’t have to go overboard to style them - a coloured ribbon or a coloured motive is maybe all that is required.  Your cake, flowers and bridesmaid's dresses can then follow a similar theme. If you want a plain white cake you can decorate it with matching ribbons or beautiful flowers.

The most important thing about styling your wedding day is that it reflects what you want and not what you think you should have or are pushed into. Go with your heart, personal taste is more important that what’s trendy. Do what you want, not what everyone wants you to do. Brides are allowed to break rules! You may want to compromise a little but primarily please yourselves.

Next week let’s talk about how to choose great suppliers. Your wedding needs a great team.

Until next time, happy planning.

Written by Julie Dawson - The Wedding Genie

Moodboard created by wwww.fiance2wife.com

The venue is Iscoyd Park photographed by Ashford Daly Photography

Dress photography by Ashford Daly Photography

Invites pictures provided by www.knotsandkisses.co.uk