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Photo by AGP Collective
Springtime may call to mind fresh blooms and pretty pastel hues, but those aren’t the only inspiring details you can feature as a spring wedding theme. Modern couples are bringing in stark contrasts, black accents, bold color, and unique aesthetics to their spring nuptials. Wedding themes can truly run the gamut based on a couple's personal tastes, and luckily spring provides the calm temperatures for just about any kind of celebration to take place. If you are hosting a spring wedding, you can pick whatever style that speaks to you.
To provide a bit of inspiration, we asked wedding planners and designers to share some of the best spring wedding themes to keep in mind as you craft your big day. Read ahead for 20 fresh ideas to inspire your own spring wedding theme.
Meet the Expert
- Erica Taylor Haskins is the founding partner of Tinsel Experiential Design.
- Jove Meyer is a New York-based wedding planner and event designer.
- Bryan Rafanelli is the founder of Rafanelli Events.
- Jacqueline Hill is the founder of Jacqueline Events.
Tropical Touches
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Photo by Karla Garcia Costa
What says sunny weather more than tropical wedding decor? King protea bouquets, dripping centerpieces of orchids, and boutonnieres of birds of paradise will all lend a South Pacific feel to your wedding, so it’s no wonder that a tropical theme is hot for spring nuptials. Now, that doesn’t mean you should create a full-on luau, so you can leave the faux flower leis, tiki torches, and palm trees to the pool parties.
Erica Taylor Haskins, the founding partner of Tinsel Experiential Design, recommends accenting time-honored decor with tropical touches so it doesn’t feel like a Hawaiian party pack. “Incorporate smart and sophisticated accents of palm fonds, blushing bride protea, and orchids into more traditional floral installations,” Haskins says. It allows you to balance the venue and location where you are, even if it is an island beach, along with the tropical flair.
Chic Dinner Party
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Photo by Joe + Kathrina
One popular wedding style for smaller celebrations is to make your wedding feel like an elevated dinner party. Set up long tables, prioritize the menu, and amp up the tablescape for a chic soirée to celebrate your love.
Spring Growth
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Photo by Inma Fiuza
If April showers bring May flowers, then spring is all about budding foliage. Planner and event designer Jove Meyer recommends exploring this idea of new growth as you plant the seeds for the next step in your relationship. Think seed paper for stationery, potted planters of herbs as centerpieces, and a menu full of seasonal and local produce. “Spring is when all the flowers begin coming up and to design a wedding that showed this growth would be so beautiful,” he says.
Dark Accents
Photo by Hannah Forsberg
Just because spring calls to mind pastel colors, it doesn’t mean that black is off the table. In fact, it’s very much on the table. Black hues—charcoal, onyx, obsidian, raven, and ink—add a moody vibe to a spring affair. Black taper candles, smoky black wine glasses, and matte black flatware all bring a handsome tone to a tabletop otherwise filled with more typical spring hues of ivory, blush, and pink.
Black decor works best when it’s placed alongside something more traditional, while too much can certainly venture into goth territory.
Secret Garden
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Photo by Shelly Anderson Photography
Host your wedding in a greenhouse or botanical garden for an absolutely dreamy garden wedding. Of course, be sure to include plenty of florals in your décor.
Earthy Escape
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Photo by Kaylee Chelsea Photography
Bohemian couples should consider embracing a neutral wedding full of natural materials like rattan, pampas, and ceramics for their celebration. This look has a lovely touch of modern minimalism with tons of warmth.
Bringing Back Traditions
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Photo by Rafal Ostrowski
While we’re all for breaking a rule every now and then, we do love that couples are harking back to wedding traditions for their big days. Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events explains that “everything that is old is new again,” and he is seeing more and more couples including classic elements like black-tie dress codes, engraving on wedding invitations, and formal send-offs at the end of the night. (That also means fewer after-parties.) One small time-honored detail we love? Those tiny couple figurines that top the tiered wedding cake.
Desert Fusion
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Photo by The Foxes Photography
Couples are taking a cue from desert landscapes for their spring wedding themes. Use pampas grass to frame your ceremony space or hang pampas grass chandeliers from the ceiling for an airy, natural feel. Succulents and wildflowers can top tables, while guests can sip on prickly pear cocktails.
Nautical Nuptials
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Photo by Jeremiah & Rachel Photography
Want to lend a nautical touch to your spring nuptials? Consider hosting your affair sea or lakeside. Take portraits on a boat ride, incorporate elements like rope or shell into your décor, and enjoy the calming backdrop of water behind your celebration.
Playful Party
Photo by Katelyn James
Why do weddings have to be so serious? Of course, we want to be reverent when it comes to vows, but for the post-ceremony party, it can be all fun and games. Childhood nostalgia is taking over spring weddings with playful details, such as balloon installations and wistful venues like campsites. Take this idea to the next level by serving upgraded childhood favorites like mac 'n' cheese and rice crispy treats as late-night snacks and theming your photo booth after Marvel superheroes. You can even shoot off confetti cannons. As Rafanelli says, “Everyone loves confetti!”
Futuristic Fantasy
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Photo by Ana Hinojosa
While plenty of couples look to the past for inspiration, many more are gazing toward the future and incorporating neon lights and 3D projections into their celebration. You can go all out with a neon lighting installation and pearlescent fabrics or just add touches, like a custom neon sign above your bar or iridescent glassware on the tabletops.
Indoor Garden
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Spring is full of whimsy, says planner Jacqueline Hill, which explains the enchanted garden trend dominating weddings. But, you don't need an outdoor venue to make it happen. With a ballroom full of floral chandeliers, this trend can bring the celebration into a verdant space. Overflowing greenery, romantic blooms, potted trees, flower walls, and hanging floral installations all bring this idea to fruition.
And, it doesn’t stop with the plants. You can take this idea to the tabletops, your confections, and your dress, too. “The use of patterned linens creates a beautiful base for your place setting and brings depth in design,” Hill says. Plus, 3-D appliqués on bridal gowns, floral-print tuxedo jackets, and rose-infused cakes all complete the vibe.
Look to in-season spring flowers for your floral installation, such as garden roses, lily of the valley, Pieris japonica, and sweet peas.
Purple Paradise
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Photo by Kyle John Photography
Purple in all of its glory has its moment in spring, and we’re crushing on all the shades—from lovely lavender hues to royal purple touches. Couples are dressing spring celebrations in purple-hued flowers, purple linens, and even purple-tinged outfits.
Modern Minimony
Photo by Justine Milton Photography
Forget the big fat wedding—spring couples are really trimming down the guest list, Rafanelli says. He’s seeing guest lists shrink and with good reason: To-be-weds want to spend quality time with their nearest and dearest, not party-hop among 35 tables to say hello to mom’s second-grade best friend. “Couples, in general, are really taking a deep dive and concentrating on their guest list,” he says, adding that intimate weddings often cater more to the guest experience. It makes everyone feel like they had a getaway together.
Spring Sunset
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Photo by AGP Collective
Let your wedding be inspired by the hues of the sunset. Pinks, oranges, and yellows can create a gorgeous bright palette to complement you and your new spouse entering into the next stage of your relationship.
Beach Party
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Photo by Valorie Darling
Host a celebration on the sand for a romantic beach wedding. We love the idea of a barefoot ceremony with the sound of the waves in the background. Then, string up some lights, arrange tables, and put down a dance floor for a party into the night.
Brunch Bash
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Photo by Valorie Darling
While most wedding receptions happen in the evening, consider changing things up by hosting a springtime brunch. Set up a table in the great outdoors and bring in your favorite brunch foods for a delicious daytime celebration.
Ranch Affair
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Photo by Janine Licare Photography
Host your wedding at a ranch for a soirée with a rustic flair. A barn is the perfect backdrop for dancing and easily lends a Western charm to your affair.
Elegant Ombré
Photo by KT Merry
Another fun color palette idea for a spring wedding is embracing ombré. This look can be incorporating in your florals, linens, and a variety of fun décor details. Choose a pastel palette for a particularly springtime aesthetic, like this charming wedding in France.
Dreamy Disco
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Photo by Caroline Lima Photography
The disco party has become a popular wedding theme of late, and it's a perfect one to choose for your spring soirée. Decorate your venue with disco balls, put an emphasis on the tunes, and get ready to dance in the moonlight with your new spouse.