A great way to plan your wedding is by building it around a theme. Whether it be butterflies, the beach or a winter wonderland, picking a theme to sprinkle throughout your day provides you with a focus and can help tie all of the different pieces (from dresses and flowers to ties and favors) together.
Now, a lot of times people gravitate towards a theme that’s concrete. Butterflies are a good example of that. Your invitations, table numbers, and programs might have butterflies printed on them. Your girls may wear butterfly hairpieces or you might somehow incorporate them into your flowers.
Choosing a concrete theme makes things easy for you, but it also makes it really easy to overdo it (you don’t want your guests hating butterflies for the rest of their lives, do you?). By choosing a less concrete theme, you’ll remain centered while giving yourself much more wiggle room.
So how the heck do you do it?
Pick Your Theme
Think of something that is significant to you as a couple. Is there a place that’s special to you? Maybe somewhere you met, a vacation you took, or the place you got engaged? Is there an inside joke that the two of you have that could work? A shared 
hobby? These are all good starting places.
Let’s say you choose Greece. The two of you had a romantic vacation there and you were both completely taken by the sights and the culture. It holds a special place in your hearts. OK, so now what?!
Brainstorm
An inspiration board is a great jumping off point. What does Greece automatically make you think of? For me it’s whitewashed buildings and deep blue water. It’s also mythology and laurel wreaths. There are so many other things that come to mind, but believe it or not, this is more than enough.
Collect some pictures and/or objects that are evocative of the kind of feeling you want to go for. This will really help you focus.
Make it Work!
At this point, you should have a pretty good idea of what you want—you just have to bring it all together.
The first thing that jumps out at me is a color scheme. Blue and white are the perfect color combo for a Greece-inspired wedding. From the flag to the gorgeous seaside villages, this combination of colors screams Greece! Next, you need to decide how literally you want to take that. You can do an all white wedding (think white tuxes, 
bridesmaids dresses, linens, everything!) with blue accents. Or you can mix in other colors. The guys could wear slate gray suits accented with blue ties and white boutonnieres. The girls could wear flowy blue gowns. There are so many options!
I also think it would be fun to incorporate some mythological and historical
elements. Take these Grecco-Roman Coin Cufflinks by AristoCrafty. Replicas of an old coin, they add a rich historical detail in an unexpected place.
By using gold accessories and laurel leaves, you can create a Grecian goddess vibe for yourself (and possibly your bridesmaids). This Athens necklace by JooJoo Land is a great starting point. Elegant with a real old-world feel, this piece would fit in perfectly.
And what about the gown? Think togas. Flowy, drapey, and dramatic is the best way to pull off a goddess vibe. This gorgeous Grecian wedding dress by Sash Couture is a really playful example. The shortened front and the gold flower on the shoulder are fun details that add to goddess look.
Sample Greek Wedding Fashion
If I were doing a Greece-inspired wedding, these are some of the fabulous pieces I would include! They may not be your style, but my hope is that they provide you with a great jumping off point to planning a wedding that is uniquely you.
I would start off with a gorgeous drapey dress like this stunning handmade beauty by Bridal Bliss Designs. From the cascading neckline and shoulder to the assymetrical shape and flowy back, this dress was made for a goddess. And isn't that really what every bride would like to feel like on her wedding day?
I would also have to find a killer pair of golden shoes. Nothing yells "Greek Goddess" quite like a pair of strappy sandals. I love these beauties by Chinese Laundry. I love the strap details. They're everywhere! From the layered straps around the toe to the ankle strap and the straps around the back, this is one seriously fabulous shoe.
Next, I would seek out golden accessories to play up the goddess feel. Pomp and Plumage has some awesome handmade options available. I'm partial to their Athena II Grecian headpiece, which is a gold laurel headwrap that can be made with or without a 
ribbon tie. I also love their Grecian Laurel Leaf Wrap Bracelet. Made of brass, this flexible bracelet can be be shaped to conform around your wrist and then ties with a pretty piece of ribbon in the color of your choice. Together they make a lovely little set.
I would focus on bridesmaids after I finished my own look. It's important that their dresses don't clash with yours in fabric or style. This option, made by After Six, is made of chiffon, just like the bridal gown pictured above. It also manages to be flowy while being fitted, a detail which your bridesmaids will love (often times flowy can look a little maternity). Obviously the color doesn't go with the scheme we've decided to use, but this dress is available in a gorgeous deep blue color that would be perfect.
Once these fundamental pieces of your wedding fashion are figured out, the rest should come quite easily. Choose ties that play off of the girls' dresses (in this case a blue and white stripe or pattern might be fun). Look for boutonnieres that play off your gold accessories--although white would work really well too!
Whatever you do, have fun with it! The great thing about planning your wedding is that it's yours. There are no rules; just the ones you set.
Jennifer Garry is a writer and accessories designer living in Westchester, NY with her husband and daughter. When she's not up to her ears in kiddie crafts, you can find her swimming in a pool of beads. Her obsessions include tea, chocolate, sarcasm and her daughter's giggle--any of which can be used to coax her from her little jewelry-making fantasy world.
