The Basic Wedding Types

The type of wedding you choose determines the overall cost of your wedding. Your wedding may be a combination of any of the four types. There are basically four types or styles of weddings:

Formal Fantasy Wedding

This type of wedding is created out of the dreams a woman has for the wedding she has always wanted. It is like a fairytale and usually this type of wedding has a large budget. The wedding can be held in a place of worship or the ballroom of a luxury hotel. It can also be held in a home, such as the garden of a large estate or the ballroom of an estate.

Formal fantasy weddings are usually very large. The wedding party is made up of a maid and/or a matron of honor, the best man, one usher for every fifty guests, one or two flower girls, and a ring-bearer. The guest list may be 400 or more people.

This type of wedding usually requires a wedding planner because of its size. Invitations are custom printed and the wording is traditional. Photographs are numerous and carefully posed. The ceremony is decorated with large floral arrangements, candles, and other types of decorative elements. The reception is an elaborate sit-down dinner or luncheon or a generous buffet. The reception decorations consist of professionally-designed floral displays, chairs are usually covered in fabric such as tulle. The crystal, linen, and silverware are not the usual restaurant fare. Music is provided by a live orchestra or band. The mementos for the guests are usually expensive.

The attire for the wedding party is formal white-tie. The bride usually wears an elaborate, beaded and sequined, gown with a cathedra-length train. The dresses of the attendants may be full-length or tea-length complementing the bride's dress. The men are dressed in tails and white ties.

Formal

The traditional type of wedding is formal. The wedding party is made up of three to eight bridesmaids and there may be 150 to 350 guests.

This type of wedding is usually held in the late afternoon or early evening. There is a buffet, a sit-down dinner, or elaborate hor d'oeuvres. Music is provided by a band or DJ with dancing. The decorations for both the ceremony and the reception are extensive and may include flowers and candles. Guests receive mementos of the occasion.

The attire for the wedding party is formal. the groom, his best man and the ushers wear tuxedos. The bride's gown will have elaborate beading. Some brides choose to have a cathedral-length train with veil while others choose a chapel-length train.

Semiformal

Semiformal weddings usually have the ceremony and the reception at the same place. The wedding party includes one to four bridesmaids and the guest usually number from 100 to 150 people.

Decorations are not as elaborate as the formal wedding but do create a romantic atmosphere for the special day. This type of wedding is often held in the late morning or the early afternoon. The food for the reception is usually simple. There may be dancing with music provided by a band or DJ or there may be background music.

The bride's attire may be a full-length or tea-length gown. She may wear a veil and her attendants are dressed simply to complement her gown.

Informal

There was a time when the informal wedding was a ceremony conducted in a judge's chamber or held in a home. Today, an informal wedding can be whatever the bride and groom decide. It can be held in a hotel, on the beach, underwater, and so on.

The bride's attire is generally determined by the type of wedding chosen. Depending on the location of the wedding, the bride may wear an outfit that is knee-length or ankle-length such as a suit or some type of dressy outfit. The groom wears a suit. There may be one or two attendants. If the wedding is of a specific type such as an underwater wedding, the bride and groom will be wearing the appropriate attire.

invitations vary from hand-written notes to custom printed cards. Floral decorations are optional, depending on the location. These are usually displayed informally in baskets or vases.

Some brides and grooms opt for the informal wedding with a few friends or up to fifty guests attending. They may have a more formal reception to which other guests are invited in the evening or they may decide to host a dinner for friends and family at a later date. If the reception is held after the wedding, the meal at the reception usually consists of hor d'oeuvres, punch and champagne, and wedding cake.

Choose the type of wedding that best fits you and your groom. Set a realistic budget and you will have the wedding of your dreams.