The ultra-romantic Midsummer Night’s Dream theme can be gently whimsical or way-out-there, depending on the bridal couple’s appetite for drama. Favor ideas for a Midsummer or Fairy wedding include:
Fairy Dust. Soft, subtle body glitter in a cornstarch base. Attractively packaged and wrapped in tulle, this is a lovely favor.
Love Potion Bottles. Buy small, corked vials, print “love potion” on rounded stickers using a fairy font and attach to bottles. Fill with an ancient Druidic recipe for Love Potion Tea using dry ingredients only. Tie a white or silver bow around the cork, and attach a tag with the recipe, plus the couple’s name and wedding date
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Homemade Meade. Meade (regular honey meade, or even Vanilla Ginger meade) makes an authentic, aromatic favor. Be sure to start in advance; meade requires patient aging.
Small Metal Globlets. Fill small pewter goblets with flower petals. Or the herbal candies, such as mints, ginger, horehound or anise.
Single Pink or Ivory Rose. Wrap it in a matching satin ribbon.
Twig Pens. You have to see them to believe them. Combine with a small, green pad of paper printed with a romantic saying.
What Else You Can Do
Fairy Fashion. Your fashion choices depend on how far you’re willing to take it. Some prefer a soft hint of woodsiness in an otherwise formal affair. Others are happy to pass out fairy wings and realistic elf ears to the entire bridal party.
The Bride. Choose a long, satin gown (not necessarily white) with a lace-up back and bell sleeves. Consider wearing “barefoot sandals” (foot jewelry) instead of shoes, funky laced-up leather fairy boots, or ballet slippers tied with pink or ivory ribbons. The V-band style of headpiece makes the perfect accessory for a fairy wedding. If wearing a classic tiara instead, consider outfitting your bridesmaids in smaller ones.
The Bridesmaids. Give your bridesmaids magic wands instead of bouquets (try pewter & crystal, or glass & fairy dust). Think empire-waist gowns in celadon, with silk posies attached at the waist. Not wild about on wings? Soften the fairy effect with chiffon wraps, or ephemeral hooded cloaks.
The Flower Girl(s). Go crazy with your flower girls! If nowhere else, use the fairy wings here. Sprinkle glitter makeup over their faces or hair, or tie small bells to their wings. Place flower wreaths on their heads, and give them ‘fairy dust’ (glitter) or rose petals to scatter.
The Groom. A ruffled poet’s blouse and black pants might suit your fiancé. Or perhaps he’d wear a white tuxedo shirt with a black vest. An active SCA-er? He’ll tell you what he’s wearing.
The Guests. Inform your guests that theme apparel is “admired, not required.” Consider hiring ‘body artists’ to adorn willing parties with celestial or Celtic temporary tattoos and glitter
Going for the Big Entrance
Arrive in a horse-and-carriage, or even more romantically, on a pair of white horses. Or consider a dove or white pigeon release, followed by your departure in a hot air balloon!
A Reception That Takes Flight
A Midsummer wedding makes for a magical reception. If outdoors, try to find a venue with large, stately trees on the grounds, into which you’ll wind plenty of wind chimes. Wrap key trees with white wedding lights from root to branch. For the tables, group white pillar candles and place on a bed of moss, tie pillars together with raffia and wrap it all with ivy. Or gather tall glass cylinders. Fill the bottom with sand (for weight) and moss (for appearnce), fill with bare branches, and decorate with twinkle lights or hang votives from the branches.
Another option: use handsome wrought-iron candelabras. Wind strings of large crystal beads around the base for lots of sparkle.
Create a fog effect with dry ice, or by wrapping branches, tables, corners and ceilings in gauze. Hang romantic Moroccan lanterns from the ceiling if indoors, or from trees or posts if outdoors.
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For low centerpieces, start with potted moss and mushrooms. Scatter large bird nests and grapevine wreaths. Paint pinecones a subtle color and mix up with stones. Pile up fresh woody fruit like apples or pears, either plain or gold-leafed. Go overboard with candles. Sprinkle the area around your centerpieces with an
abundance of rose petals, delicate wood chips and fake gold nuggets (be patient and wait for these to show up in Bulk Lots on Ebay of about 30 nuggets each.) Be sure to mark the King & Queen’s place with large pewter-wrapped goblets.
“Serious” fairy cakes are easier to find in the U.K., but perhaps you can find a local baker to take on this project for you. Use a pewter fairy heart cake topper to set off that perfect cake. Serve other sweet delights on beautiful homemade cake stands made from the trunk of a small tree. Make them at varying heights for greatest effect. You don’t have to use the plastic cake plate shown; try pewter ones from the thrift store instead.
Getting married at home? Plant your own faerie ring of mushrooms or flowers! Exchange vows within the ring. For informal and in-the-mood seating at your ceremony, provide hay bales covered with cloth for your guests. Place a large, Gothic candle screen filled with lit votives behind (well behind!) the head table.
Name your reception tables after the Bard’s great play:
Oberon’s Table (groom’s family),
Titiana’s Table (bride’s family),
Puck’s Table,
Hermia & Lysander,
Helena & Demetrius,
Pyramus & Thisbe,
Cowslip,
Love-in-Idleness,
Acorn ,
Love Potion,
Changeling,
Peaseblossom,
Cobweb,
Mote,
Mustardseed.
A Mysterious, Magical Banquet
Ever seen a fairy use a salad fork? Of course not! The key to fairy ambiance is finger food. This may not be feasible for an entire wedding, but avoid heavy and formal foods as much as possible. Fairies drink nectar, so pour a sweet golden wine (Riesling or Gewurztraminer). Serve fresh mint tea for the young ones. Go heavy on the cream (raspberry mousse, rose petal ice cream), berries, and fruit.
Pass out trays of cream puffs, stuffed mushrooms and other delectable, fork-free foods. Serve dandelion salad, candied rose petals and rosemary focaccia. Consult the Sugar Plum Fairy Cookbook for more ideas.
Music From Middle Earth
You have so many choices for fairyland music, you can’t go wrong. If budget permits, hire flautists, harpists or a string quartet.
Otherwise, dole out generous helpings of Enya, Enigma, Howard Shore and Lorenna McKinnet. Anything Celtic, New Age or a combination thereof will be glorious. Elizabethan strains (try the Elizabeth soundtrack) will transport your guests to another place and time.