Film, literature and television are brilliant wedding inspiration – not only as a way of expressing the personalities of the happy couple, but also acting as an overarching theme to tie the day together. Celebrity wedding planner Liz Taylor of the Taylor Lynn Corporation shares her tips on how to plan a wedding based on a much-loved film or book with real life inspiration from the many events she has planned throughout her career.
“When a couple wants a wedding based on a film, TV series or book they love, I’m always excited – it’s going to be an event where we can go wild with imagination. A bride might have had a fairy-tale wedding in her mind since childhood, and it’s my job to deliver that dream. We all want to be that beautiful Disney inspired princess!
Some couples feel nervous though about working within a themed wedding day. They fear it might come across as a bit over-the-top – but there’s an art to keeping things tasteful. My golden rules? Spend money in the right places and make sure drama is infused into every detail.”
Back to the Future
The eighties left their mark on music and film. Star Wars. Indiana Jones. Top Gun. But the most popular of them all, and a recent request, is a wedding around the movie franchise of Back to the Future. On arrival, guests can be greeted by the original iconic DeLorean driven by Michael J Fox – which provides a real talking point and sets the scene perfectly. An Enchantment Under the Sea party, with a set that whisks you back to the 1960s, and a live band performing. Dinner should be an American diner with malts, sundaes, cones and floats all on the menu.
Sweet Treats
Children’s literature can be the basis for a magical event – I’ve organised parties themed around Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, Alice in Wonderland, even Lewis Carroll’s classic Narnia – all of which could easily translate into a fabulous themed wedding day. Why not make an entrance into your reception via the gates of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, complete with oversized sweets and giant candy canes? Decorate tables with ‘sweet trees’; decorated with tasty treats that can be picked and eaten. A river of chocolate lining tables in Perspex troughs. Table places marked with chocolate bars – bespoke design allows names to be printed on golden wrappers.
A Fairy Tale Day
Replace the aisle with a yellow brick road. Welcoming the couple are Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Lion. Giant ruby slippers hold up Perspex reception tables. Or throw your own Mad Hatters Tea Party. Fanciful characters, acrobats and performers. Bright and bold colours and eclectic table dressing straight from the pages of the book. Some prefer the slightly darker version from Tim Burton’s movie interpretation with Jonny Depp in the lead role. Classics such as Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel are eternally popular and could make for a truly romantic day with a fairy-tale ending of course. And one request we loved. A Goldilocks inspired day. Three bears in attendance to meet guests. The room dressed as the inside of the bear’s home. Porridge ….. well, we didn’t add it to the menu, but did create three giant bowls as centrepieces to the room’s design. Table markers were wooden spoons with names added. A fun and gorgeous day.
Spooky Moments
I love it when seasonal themes collide within a wedding, and with Halloween around the corner a big day inspired by a horror series or gothic literature could create something truly unique. We organised this Penny Dreadful party for a client who was obsessed with the show. Table décor was rich and plentiful with skulls, gravestones and other macabre details nestled among huge floral arrangements. We dressed the waiting on staff as characters from the show serving theatrical cocktails that smoked and smouldered for added theatre. Great inspiration for a very memorable wedding day!
