You may not like to admit it out loud but, deep down, you know you are a hopeless romantic. Oh come on, the signs are there. You love those soppy Hollywood movies where love blossoms from the most courageous of places, you love couples holding hands as they disappear into the sunset and you love reading books where love triumph above life’s adversities because, well, it’s almost impossible not to love love, which is exactly why you should stop fighting it and start embracing all things romance when it comes to your big day.
You’ve found your soulmate - you’ve enjoyed the ups and downs of falling in love - and so what better way is there to celebrate your love story than with a fairytale wedding and, with that in mind, we’ve pulled together a list of impossibly romantic wedding ideas for you to snuggle up with (oh and, don’t worry; they’re less cliched and more take your breath away):
1. Table Numbers With A Meaning
The most romantic weddings are the ones that know how to make the little details count, such as the table numbers. Instead of just placing numbers in the centre of each table so that your guests can find their seats, try using the numbers to tell your guests a little more about your love story. Try things like, “2: the number of drinks I had to buy before she agreed to a second date”, “3: the number of dates we had before we shared our first kiss”, “12: The number of times we got lost on our first holiday together”. You’ll be amazed at how something so teeny-tiny can generate so many awwwwws (and you’ll be amazed at how many people swap seats just to see what the other numbers say).
2. Have A Date Night Jar
Having a guest book is one of the most amazing mementos you can ever hope to keep. But it isn’t foolproof. A lot of the time, you’ll find some guests didn’t write anything because a) they had three too many cocktails and forgot to, b) they simply didn’t know what to say or c) they didn’t want to write something so generic it would actually reflect badly on them. That’s what makes the date night jar incredible. All you need to do is pop a jar full of popsicle sticks on a table somewhere, and then add a blackboard asking your amazing guests for first date ideas. You’ll be amazed at how much you cherish these little bits of wood, and how much they make you laugh years down the line, and that’s what romance is all about.
3. Heart Shaped Sparklers
Of all the modern trends to wash up on the wedding shores, the sparkler exit is our absolute favourite. There’s just something so magical about seeing two drunk-in-love-faces leaving the best party ever, as a panorama of cheering faces and fizzing sparklers dance about in front of a starry night sky. It is amazing, amazing, amazing. To make it that little bit more romantic, though, try handing out heart-shaped sparklers instead. Like we keep saying, it’s the little things that make a wedding super-special.
4. The Circle Of Love
Instead of having your wedding guests sat in rows and looking on, try arranging your seats into a circle so that you are literally surrounded by the people who love you. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve decided to have your wedding on Holkham beach, an enchanted garden, our magical museum or an old farm barn; having a circle will make it feel as though everyone there is involved in your big moment, and nothing is more romantic than that.
5. Chapters Of Your Story
It doesn’t matter how well people know you, there are always little chapters in a love story that people have no idea about. But, instead of keeping them all a secret forever, try making them part of your decorations by framing the little parts that make your story unique and then hanging them around your venue. Having the big and little parts of your story beautiful presented on little chalkboards and dotted around a space is so enchanting. You don’t have to go into too much detail, just something like this will be perfect:
3/2/2016: He saw her in a smoky room. It was love at first sight.
10/2/2016: We went ice-skating. He was rubbish. It was cute.
15/2/2016: The second date was better.
22/2/2016: The third ended with a kiss.
1/6/2016: He said three little words, “I’m lactose intolerant”. She didn’t care.
2/6/2016: He said I love you. She said it back.
2/6/2017: She got on one knee. He said “Yes!”.
2/6/2018: They tied the knot and embraced eternity (although they both knew this wasn’t long enough).
6. A Note To Your Guests
There’s a reason you’ve invited all these people to your wedding: they’ve all played a role in your love story. Some may have had bigger parts than others, but they’ve all been there at some point along the way, and now is your chance to say thanks in a totally cute and romantic way. It may seem like nothing to you, but writing personalised notes on each place setting will mean the world to each and every recipient. It will be that one keepsake they’ll cherish forever. Something as simple as, “Amy, I finally found happiness, but I couldn’t have done it without you being you and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for that.” (Just remember to add a pack of tissues too; it will be a nice precautionary gesture.)
7. Hang A Kissing Bell
Not that you are going to need an excuse to keep your lips of your newly beloved, but one of the most romantic - and fun - ways to embrace your newlywed status is to hang a kissing bell somewhere at your reception venue. Anytime someone rings it, you - the couple - has to kiss. It doesn’t matter where you are or how far you have to skip to reach other, you have to kiss. Trust us, you won’t be able to stop smiling, and neither will your guests.
8. Light Up Your Romance
Nothing is more romantic than candlelight. Even something as simple as a bath after a hard day at work becomes more magical when you add a few candles to the equation, so just imagine how romantic your ceremony will look if you add candlelit lanterns to the end of each row of seats. It will be like the flickering flames are dancing to the song of love. Awwww, just thinking about it is getting us all teary-eyed and happy.
9. Sew-In Hidden Surprises
Weddings aren’t usually the time for surprises, but little romantic gestures are amazing, especially something like sewing a hidden message into a garment your soulmate’s going to wear on your big day. You could sew a felt heart onto the back of his tie with the words “I love you” stitched into it, or you could have “To the moon and back” sewn into her wedding dress, both of which are heart-melting (not to mention nerve-curing too). The challenge is going to be getting it done without them knowing, so speak to the maid of honour / best man (delete accordingly) and ask them for their help on this one. It’s the little things remember.
10. The Venue Is Everything
Of all the things that go into planning the most romantic wedding day imaginable, picking a fairytale venue is going to have the biggest wow-factor and that’s because everything is done for you. It could be a medieval castle set against an enchanted lake, a museum full of lovingly restored fairground rides, a pretty garden lost amongst tall trees; so long as the venue is stunning, all you need to do is add some candles and, voila, you have the romantic wedding you always wished for.
Thanks for reading!