Perfecting your Renaissance Wedding
Themed weddings are as much fun as destination weddings; but attainable at a fraction of the cost. One of the most interesting and romantic themed weddings is that of the renaissance. In order to pull this theme off, you start with wording of the invitations and carry it through in your location, dress (time to dust off that medieval breastplate) and even in the foods served at your reception. Here, we’ll walk through the steps of planning the perfect renaissance wedding.
Invitations for a renaissance wedding will look aged. Parchment paper is ideal for this invite; with burnt edges if possible. Whether edges of paper are made to look burnt or not, a border graphic is reminiscent of documents of the target era. Borders may range from scrolling vine intermingled with berries to Celtic knots. For a genuine effect, roll invitations and fasten with ribbon. The trick to this method is shipping, as rolls must then be inserted into tubes for mailing. Before deciding, check with your local post office for shipping costs. If they are within your budget, go for the roll!
In terms of wording, think William Shakespeare or perhaps Christopher Marlowe, who penned romantic quotes in their time. A quote such as Shakespeare’s “Now join your hands, and with your hands your hearts” is a great way to begin a themed invitation. The style of wording used after that is solely up to how far you intend to go with your renaissance theme. Be certain, if you require guests to don renaissance garb, this needs to be clear on the invitation.
Dressing for your renaissance wedding is quite easy. Instead of visiting every bridal store in your town, you might consider visiting a costume shop instead. This works if you are not tied to the idea of keeping and passing down your wedding apparel to future generations. If this is your ideal, you may find medieval breastplates and bejeweled dresses online or through a tailor who will work based on images you show them. Traditional clothing for a renaissance wedding includes more than the medieval breastplate for him; it includes luxurious fabrics in rich colors like gold, red and purple. Incorporating colors, jewels and authentic headpieces, you will look and feel like royalty – as you should on your special day.
For your renaissance wedding to feel authentic all the way through, avoid modern locations such as halls or modern churches. Holding your themed wedding in a natural setting – perhaps near a lake or in a wooded area – or in a richly architectural church with stone and stained glass – will set the tone you want for your day. The same holds true for your reception. For indoor receptions, is there a restaurant in your area that is set in an old church? Or at least sits within a stone building? The more Goth, the better. If weather permits, you could consider holding your reception outdoors, in a natural setting that requires very little decoration. With an outdoor reception, all you really have to do is cover tables with dark, bold tablecloths and period specific dishes and you’re good to go!