Guest blog by Sara Gorry
You’ve always marched to the beat of your own drum. Never afraid to do your own thing or follow your own path. Growing up, most girls your age joined cross country while you spent all your time in the band room. Literally marching to the beat of your own drum. You were a part of every creative elective available. Marching band, concert band, and show choir. A bit of a theatre geek, if you will. A theatre geek and proud. To this day, you and your best friend still belt out “Hopelessly Devoted” from Grease. And shout “key-change!” every time you hear one in a song. Hey, you can take the girl out of the theatre, but you can’t take the theatre out of the girl.
Here you are, 15 years later, engaged to the musical partner of your dreams. As your big day approaches, not much has changed. You’ve never had the same ideas for your wedding day as the other women in your life. While beach weddings are undoubtedly gorgeous, they just never felt much like “you”. You want your wedding to reflect both of your personalities and love for the arts. But nothing seems to fit the bill. I’m here to ask you: Have you ever considered a theatre for your wedding?
Theater wedding venues are super unique for saying your “I do’s”! Making the perfect place for couples who love music and the performing arts. But the real icing on the cake? Theatre wedding venues are made for hosting events! The acoustics are a-maz-ing. And you’ll have the perfect setting for capturing beautiful wedding photos. Plus, local theatres come with so much history. Being home to many live performances. Think of the icons who stood there before you. You might find yourself getting married on the same stage Elvis once stood.
If you’re a musical-theatre loving couple, a theatre wedding might be the thing for you.
"All The World’s A Stage” - William Shakespeare
Whether you’re going for a full-blown theatre wedding with all the bells and whistles. Or want to keep things simple with just a hint of theatre elements to show your love for the arts. Here are 12 tips for planning a theatre wedding guaranteed to knock your socks off.
1. Theatre ticket wedding invites - A cute and simple way to incorporate your love for the theater can start with your invites. Theatre ticket wedding invites will let your guests know the theme right off the bat! If you're taking on the theatre theme in all it's glory and have an elegant or vintage dress code - Remember to include this on your ticket! Where can you find these? Check out Etsy and Pinterest! They have all sorts of options for every style and every budget.
Bonus tip! Sending out “rip-off ticket stubs” can double as an RSVP.
2. Theatre wedding venue - What better place is there to have a theatre themed wedding than at a theatre itself! Using a theatre for your wedding venue is an opportunity to do something different. Plus, there’s the added benefit of holding your ceremony and reception at the same place. Check out One World Theatre, for example, located in Austin, TX. The performance theatre is an extraordinary place for theatre weddings. Founded in 1993 with a mission to “promote peace and unity through sharing art and music”. The performance hall holds up to 300 and offers full use of the theatre, suit balcony, and dressing rooms. With stunning views, One World Theatre makes a beautiful location for your theatre wedding! 3. Theatre engagement photoshoot - Even if you don’t book a theatre as your wedding venue, you can still incorporate the theatre into your special day. Put the ‘aw’ in awesome by having your engagement photoshoot outside of your favorite theatre. There’s no denying that theatres are special places full of history. Using a theatre as your backdrop will have that WOW factor.
4. Playbill style programs - Another simple, yet effective idea for your theatre themed wedding is creating a Broadway-esque program. Entertain guests with head-shots & bios from your wedding party. Much like a theatre program, give your guest the ultimate rundown of the evening. These can include the story of how you two met. Written out lyrics or readings so guests can follow along. Even give a shoutout by listing your wedding vendors! Another great idea is to get your wedding parties involved. Add short bios and thank-yous! Instead of finding programs strewn about at the end of the night, these will be great incentives to keep.
5. Tables named after your favorite play or musical - An easy way to include your love for the theatre in your décor? Name your tables after your favorite theatre shows! If you have all the dialogue, lyrics, and choreography to “Grease” memorized, name Table 1 “Grease”. Or if “Mamma Mia!” is up there on your list of favorites, name your family’s table “Mamma Mia!” You might want to be wary of naming the table your new in-laws are sitting at after “Wicked”.
Creating centerpieces displaying the playbills on the table is a fun and elegant way to incorporate your favorite theatre shows without being overly extravagant.
6. Admission ticket place cards - Instead of using plain white cardstock to list Mr. & Mrs. Moffat having a seat at the “Cats” table. Use admission tickets to help your guests find their tables! It’s a cute way to find your theatre themed table.
After a night of going to the theatre, you might save your ticket stubs and programs to remember your wonderful night. Your guests will be able to do the same with their memorable keepsakes from the evening.
7. Musical themed cocktail hour - Cocktails are known for their quirky names - like a Bahama Mama or Sex on the Beach. Here’s your chance to come up with a Broadway-themed “signature cocktail”! Broadway even gives you a list of ideas and recipes. Some on the list include:
Wouldn't It Be Loverly (My Fair Lady)
The Sex is in the Heel (Kinky Boots)
Force of Nature (Frozen)
As Long as You're Mint (Wicked)
You might even consider using themed food! ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Roses or a Broadway-themed wedding cake.
8. Musical theatre songs - Choose musical theatre wedding songs for your wedding music! From entrance music to exit music. During dinner or first dances. There are plenty of opportunities to feature your favorite musical numbers into your special day. Looking for something a bit romantic for your first dance songs?
“Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King
“All I Ask of You” from The Phantom of the Opera
“Some Kind of Wonderful” from Beautiful
“Embraceable You” from Crazy for You
“One Hand, One Heart” from West Side Story
Take it one step further (no pun intended) and hire a professional dance instructor to choreograph your first dance.
9. Karaoke hour - To sing, or not to sing… That is the question! Is your guest list full of showtune-lovers like yourself? If so, consider including some musical theatre karaoke! Now, this idea either has you excited, jumping out of your chair. Or your eyebrows crinkled almost instantaneously. If you’re the former, there are a few things to consider:
How you feel about wedding karaoke (excited, obviously!)
How your guests feel about wedding karaoke (are they on the same page as you? Or did their eyes triple in size when you mentioned wedding karaoke)
Where you should host it. On center stage or in a separate room (this might depend on the prior points and the singing abilities of your guests - here’s looking at you, tone-deaf Jeff.)
If you do decide to go ahead with wedding theatre karaoke, think about using a short list of songs to choose from. And remember to consider your guests who aren’t so keen on the idea. Making sure there’s an “escape” for them to go for some drinks and conversation.
10. Sheet music bouquet - If you’re looking for an alternative to wedding florals. And love DIY (do it yourself). A non-floral bouquet is a clever way to showcase your creative spirit. Non-floral bouquets are great because they’re
Unique
Practical
Economical
They won’t wilt and can be kept for years to come. How does this fit in with your theatre theme? You can make paper flowers out of sheet music! You can find sheet music for crafts online. And plenty of instructional videos on YouTube or patterns on Pinterest.
Love the idea, but don’t have the time to make them yourself? Again, it’s Etsy to the rescue! With tons of beautiful pre-made sheet music bouquet options.
11. Theatre themed favors - Though programs and place cards make for great momentos, you might still want to give your guests wedding favors. As you might have guessed from their name, Cool Party Favors has some pretty cool theatre themed wedding favors. From coasters to wine glasses. There’s something there for everyone.
12. Photobooths and props - By now, you’ve probably seen the photobooth trend circulating the wedding circuit. And with good reason - they’re fun! If you or someone you know is a part of the community theatre, you may be able to borrow props. Or at the very least, find a company where you can hire for theatre props.
Unfortunately, the wedding industry has taken a hard hit due to COVID-19. Excited brides are now forced to postpone or cancel their 2020 wedding dates. Possibly having to start planning from scratch. The truth is, no one knows. The coronavirus has disrupted the wedding and entertainment industries. And everyone is facing a multitude of uncertainties.
But it’s important to remember: you have options. This will happen. Even if you have to make the decision to postpone, it’s still okay to keep planning for the wedding of your dreams.
So - will you be taking center stage for your wedding?
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