Book Themed Wedding

The first image shown here of the stunningly colourful bouquet will draw you in, just like the first pages of a can’t-put-down book.  Red dahlias, black scabiosa, black baccara roses, and chocolate cosmos are scattered throughout the wedding photo shoot.

We love the wedding cake too, stacked on a pile of colourful books, of course! Jane Austen and Alice in Wonderland are the inspiration here, and if you count them among your treasured reads, consider this theme.

Details for a Book Themed Wedding

Brides, would you consider yourself a bibliophile? Do you love reading and writing? Are you most comfortable with a good book in hand? Do you prefer a hard copy of a book over a tablet or Kindle for reading? A book themed wedding is the perfect way to show off just how much you love relaxing with a good book.

You may want to choose a particular book to set off the theme. For instance, a book such as Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice invokes ideas of a romantic wedding gown with a long train, lace, and a high neckline. Wedding favours and the table setting of the reception hall can also denote these popular romantic novels. At the same time, you may be inspired by other favourite books, such as Alice in Wonderland. Or, you might simply want to choose décor that is reminiscent of a local library.

What to Look for in a Venue for a Book Themed Wedding

Any type of venue will work for the book themed wedding. If indoors, use décor to denote the theme. Of course, a great locale would be a library with loads of vintage books on the shelves. Perhaps a historic home with a personal library would be the perfect setting. Museums would also be a fitting place to get married.

Those who choose an outdoor setting for the book themed wedding will also find a plethora of fun ideas that highlight the theme. Signage with literary quotes may be set up leading to the entrance of your outdoor wedding venue, and setting up tables with vintage typewriters as guests enter the ceremonial area will also be a unique touch.

Favours and Gifts for a Book Themed Wedding

What better way to utilise a book themed wedding than to offer books as wedding favours or gifts to guests! A second-hand book, especially those with a vintage look, makes awesome wedding favours or gifts, and they can be found easily and (typically) cheaply, too!

First, head over to the local library. Many libraries will give away older books that are no longer in circulation; if they don’t sell them, it’s possible you could procure them for a very low price.

Another place to look for vintage books is at a flea market or an antique store. Many second-hand stores get vintage books from estate sales, and you may find some really neat books through these methods.

Other party favours might include a Fischer Space Pen (this pen went to the moon, and it’s been mentioned on television series such as The Big Bang Theory), or you could offer eclectic bookmarks with quotes from a favourite book.

Food for a Book Themed Wedding

When choosing food, think about food mentioned in a favourite book. Should you choose to go with a book from the Bronte Sisters, you would want to order food that is symbolic of the Victorian era.

For an afternoon wedding, items such as tea sandwiches – tuna, watercress, and cucumbers – are appropriate, but you may also want to add tea cakes and other pastries such as scones to the menu. For an evening wedding, offer lamb, roasted turkey or roast beef as the main course. Apple tarts and mince pies are also tasty items to offer the guests.

Budget for a Book Themed Wedding

While some of these ideas may seem to call for a large budget for the book themed wedding, the actual budget for this type of wedding need not be extravagant at all! Many of the items you’ll definitely want for your wedding can be found in vintage, second-hand stores near home.

There are multiple small items that can be had for very little monetary investment when planning a book themed wedding, including library card place cards, which can be custom ordered online for a nominal price. You can hang garlands made from recycled books, which doesn’t need to be costly either. Custom bookmark favours can now be made online for much less than visiting a printing business.

Decide on the things you must have for the big day, and plan your budget around those items. Don’t be afraid to visit a few garage sales to find older books, and have family and friends assist in looking for vintage items at a bargain price.

Wedding Dresses for a Book Themed Wedding

Your wedding gown can be reminiscent of a Victorian wedding, or something Juliet might wear in her secret wedding to Romeo. Those who aim for a literal storybook wedding may want to adopt a dress fitting for Little Red Riding Hood, complete with a long, red veil. Brides inspired by Edgar Allen Poe might choose a more gothic gown with lace and ruffles.

There is a paper skirt wedding gown that is unique and highly book themed wedding inspired! The bodice will be fitted, while the dramatic skirt literally appears to be fashioned from the pages of a book.

Groom Style for a Book Themed Wedding

The groom should match his attire to that of the bride. If the bride chooses a romantic, Victorian-type gown, the groom may want to choose a suit with a long tail. The colour for this type of suit is optional; some grooms will go with a traditional black suit or perhaps navy. Of course, this era would be perfect for a velvet tuxedo with a vest underneath.

Some grooms will also choose an all-black suit with a black button-down shirt and a black tie. A nice touch, however, would be cufflinks that mimic vintage typewriter keys.

Bouquets and Boutonnieres for a Book Themed Wedding

While it’s perfectly fine to go with a more traditional bouquet for a book themed wedding, one very neat idea to set your nuptials apart from other brides is a paper flower bouquet. These flowers can be made from the pages of a favourite book, and this type of bouquet is easily a do-it-yourself task. Weave ribbon within the bouquet for a touch of elegance.

Not only can the bride’s bouquet be made from paper flowers, but the boutonnieres too.

Bridesmaids could also carry a paper flower bouquet, but it might be even more unique if they carried vintage books with one or two paper flowers that match the bride’s bouquet. Ribbon could hang from the books to tie into the colour scheme of the wedding.

Ceremony Décor for a Book Themed Wedding

Most weddings boast a ceremonial arch of some kind, but very few will exhibit a faux bookshelf as décor for the bride and groom. Borrow a shelf or two – or build them for the special day – then fill them with vintage books. A table with a vintage typewriter alongside the shelf would also be appropriate for a bookish theme.

Set up an easel at the entrance sporting a love quote from one of your favourite books, written in calligraphy. The flower girl can enter with paper confetti in hand rather than flower petals. This confetti should also be fashioned out of the pages of a book. The ring bearer can carry the rings on the open pages of a vintage book as well.

Reception Décor for a Book Themed Wedding

The reception is a place where brides can really let their hair down and invoke the book themed wedding reception decor. Set the tables with place cards that are inspired by library book cards, and place bowls of the paper confetti throughout the long, rectangular tables.

Try paper flowers as centrepieces for the tables at the reception. Recycled pages can be utilised by wrapping them around vases and candle holders. You might want to set up photo booth props using books and shelving. Tables can also be numbered with bookmarks, and guests can take them home as favours.

Literary Wedding With a Book Page Wedding Dress

For every girl whose earliest definition of romance came from the pages of a book, this editorial from Bellamint Photography is for you! From the flowers to the place setting, everything was designed with this concept in mind.

And for the woman who truly loves books, of course it stood to reason that the dress should be made of them. Torn, folded, crumpled and flat, Cheryl of Sunflower Creative crafted the entire, exquisite gown from book pages using them for all the shaping and detailing!

From Cheryl of Sunflower Creative – “The inspiration for this shoot was a combination of Alice in Wonderland and Jane Austen; a combination that lent equal measures of whimsy, elegance and drama. From the inkwell set in rich floral tones atop the bride’s head of gorgeous red tresses, of the haphazard stacks of books, the details conveyed the sometimes eccentric and always an imaginative style of a true book lover.”

From Cheryl of Sunflower Creative – “Deep red dahlias, black Baccara roses, chocolate cosmos and black Scabiosa lent depth to the floral palette, while white majolica spray roses and pale pink garden roses gave a soft, romantic appeal. Elements such as fruit, hanging Pepperberry and Scabiosa pods gave a hint of earthiness. The bride’s bouquet was designed to cascade from the open pages of a book, as if it was emerging from her favourite fairy tale into real life.”

Credits: Photography & Concept: Bellamint Photography* // Floral Design, DIY Wedding Dress & Concept: Sunflower Creative* // Makeup: Magnifica Bella // Hair: Love Your Hair by Brandi Trapp // Bunny: Marshmallow // Location: Denver, Colorado.