A French theme is one of the most popular wedding themes of today so what kind of wedding decorations should you pick for a French themed wedding? How do you include French inspiration in your overall scheme? Check out these three popular French wedding themes and ideas for decorations that go well with them.
Montmartre in Paris
This is a classic and colourful French themed wedding that works for a less formal event. Hire a caricaturist to create images of you and your guests, and organise small cafe style tables lit with candles in French wine bottles. Ensure you include baskets of French bread on the tables and a live accordion player playing music as you eat. You want to conjure the feel of Montmartre, the last village of Paris, together with its bright coloured flowers and potted plants, red striped canopies, wrought iron furniture, and vintage posters.
A rustic French theme
If you are hoping for a cosy, inviting feel for your special day, rustic France might be the theme you want to pick. The main two colours to highlight if you want a rustic French theme are red and yellow. Reds can be anything from tomato to burgundy and yellows could range from butter to golden mustard. Try to find heavy gold or cream materials with a rich floral pattern in yellow, red, and green.
Include plenty of ceramics; large pots of flowers are great decorations but it’s not advised to use them as table centres as your guests won’t be able to see around the pots. Red and gold goblets are a fantastic alternative to champagne flutes.
Ideally your venue will have plain neutral coloured decor. If your venue is minimalist, try adding some dark wood shelved cabinets and upholstered chairs. Keep your eyes open for heavy ornamental ironwork, basketwork, and ceramic jugs full of lavender to finish the look. The basics behind rustic French decor are focused on creating a relaxing comfortable place for friends to gather together, and to pick classic dark furniture and fittings that are of a good quality but have aged gradually over the years.
Let them eat cake
A Marie Antoinette themed wedding is all about romantic surroundings, sumptuous materials, and decadent cuisine. The colours to highlight with a Marie Antoinette theme are pastel pinks, peaches and blues, together with darker shades like dusky rose. Vintage gold should be included strongly in your wedding palette.
For this theme to look good you should try to find a light, bright, traditional venue with neutral or pale coloured decor; the theme won’t be easy to pull off in a dark or overly contemporary venue. Additions to look out for are luxurious chandeliers, satin drapes, and extravagant top mouldings. Utilise a variety of textures including silk, lace, and damask, and add layered table lined, satin ruffles, and large feathers for a dramatic effect.
Make use of food to create a decorative display. The wedding cake could be a towering pastel creation together with huge piles of macaroons and other sweet treats organised on vintage cake stands of different heights. Include a bit of decadence with a chocolate or champagne fountain.
