Need help with my theme!

[choclover]

Hi, I'm brand new to the board and SOOOO glad I've found. I'm sure I'll be visiting a lot! My fiance are getting married in Sept. 08 so I have just been starting on a lot of the detailed planning. This is my 2nd wedding so I was hoping to do something a little different this go-round. I even suggested to my FI that we do the Vegas thing, but this is his 1st wedding (and hopefully last!) so he wants to do the full-blown bash.

So, now I've been trying to come up a theme that I think would be fun. We are getting married at an old manor house in VA, so FI and I have been trying to think of themes that would work well with the house. Originally I was thinking a Great Gatsby style wedding would be fun, as the house was built around 1910, but FI is really wanting a Civil War theme. While I agree with him that the men's civil war uniforms are cool, I can't quite get excited about the big hoop skirt dresses. Instead, I suggested we still do a vintage style wedding but stick more to a North/South theme (as he's from NY and I'm from TX). He thinks that if we don't go all out with the theme, why do it at all? I still think the vintage North/South theme would be neat, as we could incorporate a lot of fun elements. What's your opinion? How far do we have to take the theme?

Some of the ideas I had for incorporating the theme are: featuring northern and southern themed foods in the reception (maybe more casual NY apps and then more elegant style southern food in the reception (i.e. NOT bbq), NY beers and wines, southern flowers (magnolias, geraniums, ferns, etc). I was also going to have my two flower girls each throw out our state flowers (mine is bluebonnet and his is rose). I'm also thinking we could use blue and silver for our colors and play off the blue/grey civil war theme. The other thing I'm struggling with though is if we go vintage style during the ceremony, what do I do for music? And do I have to carry the vintage theme through the reception also? Boy, I thought it would be easier the second time around.

[Sharon Naylor]

What a great theme! And the north-south plan sounds wonderful with all of the ideas you have...and you DON'T have to do the hoop skirts to complete the theme. No need to sacrifice your wedding gown or bridesmaid dress wishes to do the theme 100%. A full ballgown style for you would be enough, if that works for you, and the bridesmaids can carry the vintage part with parasols and lace gloves, which are really in right now. I just saw a gorgeous gown with a lace train yesterday...so think more lace than hoop skirts. They're modern but they still call back to that era.

Check with Civil War re-enactment societies to see what kind of music they play at their festivals. You might find a great-priced fiddler through them, and they might even have professional dancers to do those great vintage 'line dances' they used to do. Contact a Civil War cultural group to go through some ideas, and maybe a southern wedding coordinator can help you with these theme plans as well, www.bridalassn.com to find one in VA -- you can hire them for any portion of your plans, as well as to work just on the day to pull everything together.

Who else has some ideas here?

[KaileK]

What about a 20's type theme? With some of the glitzy aspects of the roaring 20's?

[The future Mrs.]

wow it sounds like you have a million ideas running around in your head!!!! marthastewart.com has a whole article on Regional Favors. She suggests Texas Spice Rub as a favor for Texas and Caramel Apples for New York.
http://www.marthastewart.com/article...ntent_weddings

(i hope the webpage comes up this time)
she decorates them very nicely in the pictures too.
Gina