A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

As you scroll the images, one glorious surprise after another is placed before you. Just like a Midsummer Night’s Dream! From an incredible table setting to a gorgeous bride – and then a final image that is going to inspire many. Take a look!

Details for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Set in Athens, Greece, the Shakespearean play A Midsummer Night’s Dream revolves around a wedding, so this play makes for a perfect wedding theme! Humor and romance are chief subplots of the play, so why not make your A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding one that is full of love and fun?

A wedding based on one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays should be light-hearted, whimsical, and oh-so-feminine. Add to these ideas celestial decor, particularly those that encompass the look of the night sky. While the wedding based on this theme can take place anywhere, a garden setting is perfect for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. You can also incorporate lots of floral arrangements, paper flowers and plenty of celestial decor.

Colour Palette for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Some brides may want to utilise colours that would lend to depicting a night sky, including the darkest of blues. Navy and midnight blue are very sophisticated colours, and they mix well with other colours too.

There are other brides who might want to use spring and summer colours – lots of soft pastels such as light pink, blush pink, baby blue, and soft yellows. Some brides may pair these soft pastels with jewelled tones that are rich and vibrant, including sapphire blue and deep, rosy pink hues. Don’t forget the option of black and chocolate brown rather than navy and midnight blue.

What to Look for in Venue for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

The venue for A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding can be either indoors or outdoors; however, some brides prefer an outdoor venue with a lush garden and lots of trees.

An indoor venue for the A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding should offer tall ceilings, ornate trim and molding, and tall windows. Venues with a few chandeliers are especially perfect for this wedding theme. Brides can utilise decor to add a celestial look to the venue.

The outdoor garden, however, truly lends to the theme itself. Because most of the scenes of the play take place outdoors, the garden seems a natural choice.

Food for A Midnight Summer’s Dream Wedding

If you’re really looking to get into the theme in every way possible, then serving an elaborate sit-down meal for your wedding should be a priority. In Elizabethan England, a meal consisted of several courses, and a wedding was the perfect time to really put on a show for guests.

The first course of an Elizabethan meal involved many varieties of meat from roasted beef to chicken to meat pies. The second course also included meat, such as roasted lamb. Sweets were often served between courses. However, you’ll likely not wish to serve meat only at the reception. You can pepper in a variety of cheeses, nuts, pastries (including tarts), and breads.

Commoners in Elizabethan England often ate a lot of vegetable stews, so this could be an option for the meal.

Wedding Dresses and Accessories for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

During Shakespeare’s day, women did not wear a white dress! This custom would actually come later, around the time of Queen Victoria. Women did, however, wear their best dress and a kirtle. Brides who could afford to do so did buy a new dress, but most commoners could not afford the luxury.

One company offers a line of dresses called “Shakespeare in Love,” and these gowns all offer feminine and graceful designs – brocade, definitive necklines, and lace embellishments. Some brides look for English lace in particular. A bride may choose a traditional veil as long as it is long and flowing, but she may also opt for flowers in her hair.

Bridesmaid Dresses for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Some brides will allow their attendants to choose their dress style as long as it fits a certain colour scheme (one trend currently is multiple colours on the bridal party). However, other brides will require that all dresses must be the same colour, but can be different in design. If one’s bridal attendants live in other locations or may be traveling to be a part of the big day, this may be the best option for you.

The bridesmaid dress at A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding should have one prerequisite – it should be light and flowy, sport an exquisite neckline, and be long in length (sorry ladies, showing ankle during the Elizabethan era was considered improper).

Menswear for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Men get a bit more leeway when it comes to dressing the part of  A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding theme. If you’ll think back to high school, you may remember Romeo or Mercutio sporting tights, elaborate collars, and shoes that look like something the pilgrims might have worn on the Mayflower!

There are a few fashion trends from Elizabethan England that the groom and his attendants can emulate, however! The doublet was a double-breasted jacket worn by most men during Shakespeare’s day. Seek a double-breasted suit jacket for the big day for the guys, plus have them complete the look with wingtips rather than the buckled shoes of the Bard’s time.

Wedding Cake Ideas for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

The traditional wedding cake during the Elizabethan era would have been a fruitcake rather than the wedding cake as we think of it today. These cakes aren’t quite like Aunt Edna’s holiday fruitcake, either! These cakes would have surprises baked into them, and they contained not only a variety of fruits but also nuts. They were spiced in a certain way, and they were considered quite a delicacy. The cake would then be topped with a buttercream-type icing and decorated elaborately.

If you’re looking to have a cake inspired by English tradition, opt for a tall cake with lots of tiers and elaborate scrollwork and sugar flowers topped with sugared fruit.

Outdoor Wedding Ideas for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Because trees are nature’s cathedral, an outdoor ceremony is the perfect way to pull off your A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding! While a garden will do, look for a shady grove of tall trees where you can add a few simple pieces of decor to make the locale perfect for the wedding.

One great idea for decor in an outdoor ceremony is to create paper flowers. While making these flowers, which will be placed on a string and hung from the trees, is labour intensive, they offer the perfect backdrop for A Midsummer Night’s Dream wedding.

Reception Decor for A Midsummer Night’s Dream Wedding

Decor for the reception should also hold the ethereal and celestial theme which embodies A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A large paper moon covered in glitter mimics the moonlight of the summer night. Some brides may add clouds and stars to the paper moon decor. If so, fashion these out of metallic paper for the most pop and shine possible.

Some brides will add easels holding signage and quotes from the play in antique frames. Giant paper flowers can be added throughout the reception hall, as well as tall floral centrepieces at the tables.

Magical Midsummer Night’s Dream

The atmosphere created by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream embodies fantasy, whimsy, and imagination and that’s exactly what Christina Carroll Photography and Wedding & Event Warriors created in today’s dreamy editorial shoot.

The lighthearted tone is played up through the unexpected additions of a dragonfly cake topper and the bride and groom playing in the river. Fairy magic practically occurred as real fireflies lit the early evening, adding some sparkle to the strung bistro lights and chandelier!

Wasn’t that perfectly dreamy and surreal? This editorial couldn’t be anymore magical!

Credits: Photography: Christina Carroll Photography // Design & Styling: Wedding & Event Warriors // Floral Design: Merveille Events // Invitations: Scripted Ever After // Dress: Serendipity Bridal // Lighting: Altared Weddings & Events // Location: Blue Hole Park in Wimberley, Texas.