| Every wedding is memorable in its own way, but an | | | | blended families. |
| English Tudor themed ceremony with the groom in | | | | The traditional wedding accentuates trouble areas |
| Henry VIII style leggings and greatcoat and the bride in | | | | such as who is in the wedding party, on the receiving |
| Elizabethan dress is something people aren't likely to | | | | line and at the head table. But a slightly offbeat |
| forget. It has been five years since the Scotts were | | | | wedding minimizes these problems. |
| married in Tudor-style wedding, but people still | | | | Bridal magazines are full of ideas for theme weddings. |
| introduce them by saying 'this is Howard and Margie | | | | Carrying out the theme can be just a small touch, such |
| Scott, they had a medieval wedding'. | | | | as wearing an antique or reproduction gown, or a |
| Howard and Margie wanted a themed costume | | | | full-scale production in which guests are asked to |
| wedding, partly by the wish to have a once-in-a-lifetime | | | | come in costume. |
| bash and partly by sentiment. They met at an event | | | | The best themes are those with relevance to |
| sponsored by the Society for Creative Anachronism, a | | | | something in a couple's life. At the wedding of a couple |
| group that reenacts life in the middle ages. Planning a | | | | who met while doing clowning as part of the ministry |
| costume wedding can be a lot of work, and it took a | | | | of their church, clowns were engaged to serve as |
| year and a half for this couple. The ceremony and | | | | ushers, translate the ceremony into sign language for |
| party took place in a stone church and banquet hall, | | | | the deaf and to entertain the guests. Wedding favors |
| with entertainment by madrigal singers, a lute player, a | | | | were jars of liquid bubbles, which the guests blew to |
| mime troupe and jugglers. | | | | add to the general festivities. |
| Is this couple unusual? Yes. Unique? Not really. Theme | | | | Finding appropriate clothing for even the most unusual |
| weddings are a growing phenomenon. | | | | costume wedding is not that difficult. The simplest way |
| There are Renaissance, medieval, folk weddings with | | | | is to buy modern clothes that happen to be based on |
| an ethnic theme, weddings on yachts, in mansions or | | | | the past. Suitable dresses can be found in a |
| castles, with a holiday theme such as Halloween or | | | | well-stocked bridal shop. There is a good choice of |
| Christmas or organized as a luau or a masked ball. | | | | dresses that reproduce the styles of the Elizabethan, |
| They are part of the greater personalization and | | | | Victorian and Edwardian eras and the 1920s and |
| individualization of weddings today. | | | | 1930s. |
| There are resources for planning and executing | | | | There are also networks of retailers who specialize in |
| offbeat theme weddings. These include theatrical | | | | authentic reproduction outfits and antiques dealers who |
| outfitters, widely experienced wedding consultants, and | | | | sell or rent reconditioned vintage gowns. You can even |
| books and articles to help couples plan them. | | | | buy a pattern to make your own dress, or hire a |
| Another reason for the new popularity of costume | | | | seamstress to do so. |
| weddings is that they are a graceful way to play | | | | In conclusion, the theme wedding's first message is: |
| down inevitable constraints that come with today's | | | | This is going to be different, but in a nice way. |