With the 4th of July right around the corner, we’re all thinking: red, white and blue! If the big day of your dreams showcases American pride, here are our top tips for how to incorporate the best patriotic wedding ideas.
There are likely three reasons that you would plan to have a patriotic wedding. Perhaps you’re hosting a July wedding which falls somewhere close to 4th of July. Many couples like to have their weddings on holiday weekends and July brings all of the things that one might love about summer. While air travel can be more expensive for guests, this weekend often comes with a built-in vacation day from work which can come in handy.
Another reason you might want to showcase American pride is that one or both of you have a connection to the armed forces. From Marines to the Navy or the Army, whether you’ve served in the past or are currently serving, it’s a great way to show honor for your country (and career/life’s calling) by incorporating it into the big day.
Or perhaps, you’re just big fans of the U-S-A! A patriotic wedding, or a few patriotic wedding details, could be leveraged at any time of the year.
How to Use Patriotic Colors in a Tasteful Way at Your Wedding
Let's start with the foundation of a wedding theme and the starting point for the best patriotic wedding ideas: the color palette.
If you don’t want to be too on-the-nose, we suggest selecting two of the three colors as your primary color palette. One of the potential risks of a patriotic wedding (no matter the time of year) is that it could feel like just another summertime party versus a once-in-a-lifetime event.
By choosing two colors, like red and white, or blue and white, you’ll help to elevate the experience. You could also tie in cream, silver, gold, or rose gold to help balance it out. And if you’d prefer it to be a little more unique, try maroon instead of red, or cobalt blue instead of navy.
Once you have the primary colors selected, you can begin to integrate them into the details of your big day. For example, if you want to incorporate patriotic colors into your attire, there are plenty of ways to do this. This could range from the bride's garter, to her sash, shoes, or the brooch in her hair. Or maybe it's the bridesmaid's dresses, shoes, or accessories. And on the guys side—this could be the groom or groomsman’s socks, ties, or bow ties. You could even ask your guests to wear all white (in advance) if you want for them to get involved!
How to Incorporate Patriotic Wedding Details
After the Engagement What most people don’t realize is that the wedding experience begins with the save-the-dates, wedding invitations, and wedding website. This is the best place to start to introduce your patriotic theme. Showcase your all-American wedding colors, or American symbols like stars or stripes. You could also feature things like fireworks with cute statements like “Let Sparks Fly” or “Baby, You’re a Firework.”
Before the Big Day Leverage the theme for your pre-wedding activities, too. Have a bridal shower featuring your patriotic wedding colors. Wear your military attire for one of the outfits at your engagement session. Or host an “I Do BBQ” rehearsal dinner.
On the Wedding Day Once at the wedding, showcase your American pride throughout the wedding festivities. Start off with the drinks for some of the easiest and best patriotic wedding ideas: offer a custom cocktail at your Cocktail Hour or reception. They could be customized to be more patriotic in one of two ways: their coloring or their names.
This is a great way to incorporate the colors red or blue—try drinks with a blue curacao or sangria base. For custom cocktail names, introduce patriotic terminology or a fun play on words such as “The Firecracker” “His Star Spangled Banner” or “The American Spirit.”
For dinner, serve American classics like sliders, mac and cheese bites, or BBQ chicken flavored-anything.
Then top it off with something sweet for dessert: like a naked wedding cake with blueberries and strawberries or a patriotic wedding design that features the armed forces (like this sweet Marine wedding cake.) Or opt for a dessert table featuring spreads of Apple Pie, Peach Cobbler, and miniature cupcakes.
Throughout the reception, have your DJ or band play music that will put your guests in a patriotic mood. This could include American oldies like The Beach Boys, or songs like “American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz and “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.
And lastly, end the night with a grand exit: sparklers or fireworks!
We hope that some of the best patriotic wedding ideas helped to inspire you. Get more inspiration for your American, patriotic, or 4th of July wedding here.
Partner with a Photographer for Your Patriotic Wedding
If you’re still looking for the right fit for your wedding day, we offer wedding photography and videography services across the great state of Texas! Take a look at digital albums from other weddings and engagement sessions in Texas and then review our extensive list of creative services here.
We would love to see how we can partner with you to help showcase your love for your country and for each other.
[Photoshoot in the spotlight: Keresa + Eduardo in Houston, Texas.]
Choose Joy,
The Joy Team