These wise words, spoken by Rachel to Monica on a recent episode of “Friends,” reflect the current world of brides and grooms.

“The three hottest trends for the 90s were ethnic weddings and celebrations of heritage; destination weddings, where you take your family and friends to a special location; and theme weddings,” says Gerald Monaghan, Association of Bridal Consultants president. “Theme weddings are often influenced by the first two.”

Monaghan bases his observations on in-depth discussions with the 2,000 members of his association. Major players around the country also recognize theme weddings as a major growth opportunity. Disney World in Orlando launched a “fairytale wedding” business in 1991 and sales have skyrocketed.

Despite the increasing popularity of theme weddings, there have been few books on the subject. Author Robin Kring is hoping to correct that. Her book, “Storybook Weddings: A Guide to Fun and Romantic Theme Weddings” (Meadowbrook Press), offers detailed instructions for 50 different theme weddings.

Kring’s theme weddings range from a Camelot wedding, with parchment scroll invitations, 14th century wedding gown and white horses to a Roaring 20s wedding with passwords required to enter the “speakeasy” protected by “gangster” guards.

Kring sees various factors contributing to the popularity of theme weddings. “My clients got tired of going to weddings where the only thing different was the color of the bridesmaid dresses,” says Kring. “Brides wanted to personalize their weddings. They wanted a formal wedding, but with their own stamp on it.”

Kring has these words of advice for theme weddings. “It’s very important that the bride and groom be happy with the theme themselves. They must choose one that represents how they feel. They should not try to please someone else. Also, when you read my book, you must realize that you don’t need a complete theme wedding. Sometimes it’s nice to take a couple of ideas and use them to add sparkle to the traditional wedding. The theme should accent the wedding, not overpower it.”

Kring laughingly adds a final point that all brides should be aware of. Although her book is the definitive work on theme weddings, Krings notes, “A handsome prince is not included.”

Courtesy of FeatureSource