Bird Themed Wedding

Kimi and James have the right idea when it comes to celebrating their wedding and the arrival of spring. Red flowers, red apples and red birds, along with neutral colors get the terrific color palette started. The rest falls into place!

What to look for in a Venue for a Bird Themed Wedding

It is best to opt for a stunning outdoor wedding venue when it comes to themed weddings with natural elements like birds, water, grass, or fire. These venues can align with the natural theme and look beautiful and serene. One popular venue inspiration for bird-themed weddings is an outdoor zen space. Zen spaces are peaceful, calm, and restful. They are intimate yet spacious and unique.

If you want a slightly more festive venue, you could consider one of the many Chinese or Japanese gardens with koi ponds, natural light, plenty of greenery, and beautiful landscapes. You can also host the wedding ceremony on one of the intricately crafted bridges or in the pagodas.

Color Palettes for a Bird Themed Wedding

Bird themed weddings should be carefully planned. The wedding color palette can get messy quickly if not thought out in advance. The primary color should be based on the brightness or vividness of the wedding. Ideally, red can be the main shade, which stands out as a ‘pop’ of color. Using red and neutrals to bring out the beauty of the red bird in the wedding will look gorgeous.

When planning the neutrals, you could consider nudes, beige, off-whites, kraft, and plenty of green from natural textures like plants, native foliage, and more. The reds can be blended with the neutrals and greens to make them stand out. However, not everything has to be a bright cherry red; you could have the entire range of reds and make it aesthetically pleasing.

Details for a Bird Themed Wedding

It is quite easy to go overboard when planning a red bird wedding. What should be done is that the birds should be discreetly included throughout the wedding decor. For example, you could have several types of different bird motifs, like light red and pink cranes, small origami birds in white or off-white wire cages, and more.

You could also include bamboo or wooden cranes as a symbolic gesture to signify a lifelong mated pair. Other things to include could be a coffee-table-style bird book that guests can read while signing in the margins. You would just have to ensure the margins are broad.

Table Setting Style for a Bird Themed Wedding

The table setting style can be highly unique yet elegant. You can break from the traditional techniques and opt for a creative red bird table theme. Instead of floral centerpieces in a profusion of pastel florals, you can select an overabundance of red roses. These are gorgeous, look velvety, and fit right with the color scheme. You could include native greens (light and dark) to increase the depth perception.

Keeping the table bare or covered with a salmon-colored tablecloth will look beautiful and provide a little relief from the red florals. You could also have trendy red-colored cocktails in white and red chevron glasses with gold stirrers. These are several fun ideas to play around with yet fit with the theme. You should incorporate gold cutlery with white bone china dishes with gold piping. If you decide to continue the celebrations in the form of an outdoor party, carry these ideas outside.

Budget for a Bird Themed Wedding

Setting a wedding budget need not be an uphill task. There are several ways to bring the overall costs down the costs, yet ensure that the wedding is exactly as per your vision. The chunk of the wedding budget will go into venue rent and rings. Once you have allotted the funds for these, you should consider the lighting, furniture rental, decor, caterer, florist, photographer, and entertainment costs.

You also have to think of the accommodation expenses, transport, and airport transfers for all wedding guests. As you finalize these rates with the vendors, you should start stockpiling the unique decor items that you will need for the wedding theme.

Wedding Dresses and Accessories for a Bird Themed Wedding

You should not fret over the wedding dress when planning bird-themed nuptials. Brides can opt for white or ivory wedding gowns in a wispy, willowy fashion. You can also choose from several collections of wedding dresses and pick a light and airy one with thin fabrics that follow gracefully to the floor yet sway in the breeze.

Since the theme is avian, keeping the dress light and airy to show flight and grace is best. Selecting fabrics like thin silk, chiffon, or tulle will help create an illusion of weightlessness. The accessories should also be lightweight, like the dress, with something in pearls, diamonds, or gold. The makeup should be minimal, with an intricate hairstyle and hairpin laden with delicate stones.

Wedding Invitations for a Bird Themed Wedding

Planning the wedding invitations should be a fun task! The invites are the first glimpses of the theme that guests see. You can add several excellent bird additions to the invitations, like a flock of flying cranes, pink flamingos, red birds, small origami abstracts of birds, or geometric bird shapes.

When planning the invitations, you should ensure the wedding colors flow seamlessly throughout the page, with the bold red color featuring prominently. You can choose a deep shade of red for the calligraphy script or as a border for the invitations while keeping the overall background neutral in off-white and beige.

Wedding Cake Ideas for a Bird Themed Wedding

Wedding cake inspiration should fit precisely with the theme. You do not need to opt for a bird-shaped cake but can use the elements to commission a bespoke confection. You could think of natural elements like earthy brown colors, with a cake that looks like an exquisitely crafted nest, perhaps in chocolate, with some leafy greens in icing, and some flowers adorning the sides.

You could also think of hand-painted cake patterns with small birds in an ombre pattern fitting the multiple tiers. Ombre birds add a sense of whimsy and playfulness while looking elegant and unique. There are several ways to add birds without making the wedding cake look garish.

Portrait Props for a Bird Themed Wedding

There are several beautiful portrait props you could consider for the wedding. Since the nuptials are bird-themed, there is a good chance that you can have an elaborate cage as a backdrop with some origami birds in it for effect. This prop will make a fabulous picture spot (selfie spot) and is unique enough to fit the wedding theme.

You could also consider small hanging lanterns in the shape of birds or strings of fairy lights in bird shapes. These can be made to order for the wedding and might not cost a bomb, yet look gorgeous. You could also have kraft neutrals for escort cards that can be set on a table for guests.

Favors and Gifts for a Bird Themed Wedding

Welcome gifts should be meaningful and fit with the theme. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, you could make a hamper with some flip flops with bird patterns (readily available online) and a small lip balm.

Wedding favors are a beautiful way to thank your guests for attending. You should try to incorporate the birds in creative ways, like a nest of cotton balls with a scented candle nestled within (like eggs), chocolate-covered nuts and almonds in a nest of chocolate noodles. You could also consider gifting guests bird-shaped hanging ornaments for mirrors, kitchen cabinets, or bird-themed wind chimes.

Bird Themed Wedding (Reader Request)

I’m so pleased to bring you another reader requested wedding inspiration board today! This red bird themed wedding comes to you from Kimi and James, who are planning an outdoor springtime wedding that incorporates elements like birds and apples and is mildly reminiscent of Snow White.

Wrote that “the palettes I have found that use red are almost always suited for fall or winter, but our wedding is going to be in the spring. I don’t want to use a palette of pastels because I want something different that has a ‘pop’ of color. I’d love to use red and neutrals in a way that is appropriate for the season.”

And James – I’ve got just the thing for you! Use an overabundance of red flowers and leafy greens in all of your centerpieces and sprinkle some red apples around them. Provide red signature cocktails in trendy chevron glasses with gold glitter drink stirs, and to bring in the springtime neutrals kraft paper details like escort cards and place mats is perfect. The white calligraphy on them will also give your wedding a fresh springtime feeling. For your guest book thinks nontraditional like a coffee table picture book of birds that guests can sign in the margins. Just be sure that the book you choose has lots of white space! For your wedding cake you could bring in some earthy brown colors (chocolate flavored, maybe?) like the one in this inspiration board.

Congratulations to Kimi and James on your engagement and I hope that this red bird themed wedding inspiration board has helped out a bit! Brides-to-be: don’t forget that you can request your own inspiration board here.

And be sure to take a peek at all of our other red inspiration boards!

Credits: photo credits: guest book via Martha Stewart Weddings, “Audubon’s Birds of America: The Audubon Society Baby Elephant Folio” photographed by Elisabeth Millay Photography // place setting via Style Me Pretty, photographed by Green Apple Photography, designed by Sarah Winward of Honey of a Thousand Flowers // cake from Maggie Austin // kraft escort cards via Style Me Pretty, photographed by The Collective Photographers // chevron cocktail via Bayside Bride // bride with Twigs and Honey feather hair adornment, photographed by Elizabeth Messina // bouquet via Grey Likes Weddings, photographed by Jen Huang, designed by Lauryl Lane.