Who chooses the wedding theme – Bride or groom?

Today, wedding colours are basically the most important part of a wedding. Whenever there’s a wedding coming up, everything about the event simply revolves around the colour of the day. From the account of wedding historian, Susan Waggoner, wedding colours were derived from personal branding. “During the feudal era, it was common for wealthy families […]

Today, wedding colours are basically the most important part of a wedding. Whenever there’s a wedding coming up, everything about the event simply revolves around the colour of the day.
From the account of wedding historian, Susan Waggoner, wedding colours were derived from personal branding. “During the feudal era, it was common for wealthy families to commemorate their children’s nuptials with a special show of largesse – gifts to the church and the poor, favours to the wedding guests, and gifts and dispensations to the peasants who toiled on their land. The favours were decorated with the colours of both families’ liveries to ensure that even the illiterate knew their source. Some favours were marked with the bride’s family colours, and an equal number were decorated with the hues of the groom’s family.”
However, when the middle class emerged, they didn’t have family colours, so they mimicked the noble families by choosing their own. When the white wedding dress became popular, colours became more for aesthetic purposes and were “used primarily to provide a pleasing counterpoint for the ethereal bride.”
Unlike in the past when the theme was chosen by the families, today, it is the responsibility of intending couples to choose their theme. It however seems as if most grooms are indifferent when it comes to that aspect of their wedding preparation. Lifextra asked a few people about it.
Ajah-mong Lilian Chinenye, who is married and works with an NGO, is of the opinion that the decision is that of the couple. “Though most men leave this to the woman, but both of them should choose the colours and then inform their relatives.”
Concurring with Ajah-mong, Soso Chinny Abel, a post graduate student, told LifeXtra that it is solely the responsibility of the bride and groom.
She added “After settling for the colours, they can then relate their choice to their respective families. It is their day; it should be about them and no one else. It’s their call so they get to make the choice considering other factors they deem necessary.”
Eric Dukun, who is single, has a different opinion. He said it is the woman. “This is because women have time for such mundane things as theme. Anything colour is their forte.”
Muhammed Bello Sada, a lecturer, sees the question as a non issue. He said selecting of colour theme is an issue that can only affect millennials.
Jubril Musa, an undergraduate, who said he had never really thought about it, added “This means that I won’t be the one to make the decision. If I must choose who I think should spend more time running around for details and logistics of the wedding, it should either be the bride, groom or their parents.”
Ikechukwu Charles, an Abuja-based hospitality consultant, thinks it’s the bride’s decision to make. Citing an example, he said “When my wife and I were preparing for our wedding, she was the one who selected the colours because when she asked me initially, I told her she should choose any, and whatever she decides would be fine by me.”
“This is because I am not good at colours so she went ahead and chose them then she told me what colours she had settled for. Besides, women are even better with colours than men,” he added.