Medieval Wedding Theme

A medieval wedding themed wedding can be the epitome of eloquence or the cheesiest wedding experience you have ever experienced. If you are thinking of going this route, go all out. You don't necessarily have to have the outdoor castle location as did the couple in the  picture above, but don't skimp on the details.

Why is a medieval wedding appealing? It rings of romance and comes with the automatic "class factor".

If you are having an indoor wedding try to rent a traditional, mainline denominational church complete with stain glass, pews and stone floors.

If you are having an outdoor wedding have your ceremony at a winery or in the hills with a scenic view. If you can afford it you could also have a destination wedding in a European location with a mansion or castle as the backdrop or with the beautiful mountains of New Zealand as your surroundings. (New Zealand has medieval appeal- think Lord of the Rings)

Try to find a wedding invitation that has a castle, looks medieval or has a "royal family" feel to it. (see pictures to the right for examples).

Choose a font that epitomizes the Middle or Dark Ages. Something scripty and elegant will do the trick (see picture below for examples).

Also consider which ink colors you use. Gold and purple symbolize royalty and would be excellent ink choices. Other ink colors to consider would be black, charcoal, forest/dark green, raspberry or midnight.

When addressing your invitations, consider addressing guests as "Lord and Madam" or "Sir ______" and add announcement language such as "Hear Ye, Hear Ye". (Just make sure you stick with wedding invitation etiquette.)

For a medieval-themed wedding the ceremony should be ornate with a Middle/Dark Age feel. The bridal party outfits could really set the stage- imagine having your guests walk into a ceremony where the groom is dressed like a prince and his groomsmen in knightly outfits! Just make sure you don't go cheap on the outfits; there is a huge difference between cheesy-feeling cloth outfits made in China and genuine cotton outfits with gold lacing.

The uniforms of the staff could also fit the bill. Get creative and have your valet parking staff, ushers, musicians and officiant dress in middle aged clothing (google it for some great ideas).

The decoration of the ceremony room can also fit in with your medieval themes. Think about where you can add bricks, candles, stone structures, ivy vines, swords and armor, shields etc. Try building a small stone structure to house your communion elements and have the communion cup be a medieval goblet! Add a harp to your entrance area to serenade your guests with festive music. Ceremony props such as these will impress your wedding guests.

Now that you have the location finalized and the invitations picked out, move on to the reception. The wedding reception is probably the easiest element to add a medieval influence to. Decorate each table with ornate and decorative table cloths, centerpieces and dinnerware.

Don't forget to choose food and music styles that fit the theme too! Take a look at wikipedia's entry for medieval music for guidance.  You might also find this site useful for coming up with ideas for medieval dishes to serve to guests.

Take a look at the short video below to see an example of what one couple did for their medieval-themed reception.