Are you looking for that special something that will make your wedding memorable? Consider a theme wedding. Your ceremony or reception can follow virtually any theme, from movies to holidays to your favorite destination spot. Here are a few of the most popular wedding themes to get you started.

Beach Wedding

By far the most utilized theme in current weddings, the beach or tropical wedding is scenic and highly festive. If you can't arrange to hold your ceremony on an actual beach, bring elements of this exotic theme to your ceremony. Hire a Caribbean-style band to play a funky rendition of "Here Comes the Bride". Set up an arbor and decorate it with brightly colored tropical flowers. Look for a breezy, island-style wedding dress (either white or in island batik-style print). And don't forget the exotic flowers for your hair and bouquet (and the groom's boutonniere!).

Garden Wedding

Another outdoor theme, the garden wedding can be either casual or upscale. Have your reception at midday in a rose garden for an afternoon-tea effect. Arbors and trellises can be decorated with any flower or vine you wish. Serve the wedding cake and coffee in flower-painted dishware. If your ceremony will take place in an area that may experience rain, have a tent ready just in case, or hold the ceremony itself beneath a filmy white tent.

Cultural Wedding

Get closer to your roots, or experience someone else's, with a cultural wedding. Some beautiful choices include Indian, Middle Eastern, European, Mediterranean or Asian weddings. Get as much of a feel as possible for the culture in designing your decorations and wedding wear (talk to a friend, get a book out of the library, or ask Grandma). Find specialists who can help you; for example, locate a henna expert for your Indian wedding, and have your hands and feet decorated in beautiful Indian style. Hang symbols of the culture from the roof or tent, such as Asian paper lanterns or Mediterranean grape vines.

Retro Wedding

Here's a theme that really rocks! Some popular retro wedding choices include the bubblegum 1950s, roaring 20s or eclectic 80s. Copy the hairstyle, makeup and dress of your time period. Be sure to choose music that typifies your theme. A life do-wop band is perfect for a 1950s wedding, while a grand piano-player who can tickle the ivories will bring the 1920s to life. Colors can exemplify a time period, too: bright "psychedelic" colors are (and were) a 1960s staple, hot pink and black fit the 1950s to a "T" and the 1980s were all about neon.

Holiday Wedding

Ring in the holidays with a holiday theme wedding. December brides are beautiful in faux fur-trimmed gowns with tiny red ribbons. Grooms will want to wear red or green boutonnieres. Get married in front of a Christmas tree or in a festively decorated synagogue. Valentine's Day is another obvious choice; dress your bridesmaids in pink, black and white and have heart-shaped confetti tossed onto the reception tables, along with yards of pink ribbon. Some adventurous couples will have a blast with a Halloween theme wedding, complete with black-and-orange wedding party wear and a candy "spider web"-decorated cake.

Disney or Movie Wedding

Everyone loves Disney! Create centerpieces of miniature stuffed characters, such as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eyore and Piglet; Mickey, Minnie and Donald; or your own favorite Disney character set. Dance your first dance to "When You Wish Upon a Star". You can also arrange your theme around your favorite Disney movie, such Snow White, Shrek, Pocahontas or Aladdin. Lucky couples will have the ceremony in one of the actual parks, Disneyland in California or Disney World in Florida. Drive up to your ceremony in a rented Cinderella carriage and be sure to wear a Cinderella gown, complete with gloves.

Tied in with this idea is a movie wedding. Dress as your favorite movie character and decorate the area with elements of your movie choice. Pirates are highly sought after right now for theme weddings and receptions, as are the films Ella Enchanted, Shakespeare in Love of course the perennial classic, Gone with the Wind. But don't think that your movie wedding theme automatically has to be romantic. The Star Trek and James Bond film series are highly popular for weddings, as are action films such as the Indiana Jones series.

Medieval/Fantasy Wedding

Highly romantic couples will gravitate toward a medieval or fantasy style wedding. Go all out for this one; it's a Renaissance Faire come to life and a day to remember! Dress in a close fitting drop-waist shoulderless gown or an amazing Elizabethan creation. Your groom will look dashing in his decorated tunic, trewes (pants) and cape; he can even wear a scabbard if it strikes his fancy. Serve your reception drinks in goblets, with soft lutes and harps playing in the background.

It's your special day. Make sure it fits the theme, and your personality, in a way that both you and your guests will always remember.