If there's a permanent stack of paperbacks on your bedside table and your smartphone background is a portrait of Emily Brontë, not only do we relate (I've got the bookshelf to prove it!), but we totally understand your compulsion to incorporate your love of books into your wedding day. It may not be practical to get married in a library (although it's been done before!), but there are lots of other, thankfully less complicated ways to flaunt your bookworm status on your big day. So we've rounded up the prettiest and most meaningful book-themed wedding ideas, most of which are super easy to put together!
1. Book Centrepieces
We're guessing that your dream wedding space is littered with stacks of books, but you might want to keep them to a minimum for health and safety reasons! A pile of beloved, second-hand or antique books on each dining table is a much more achievable way to acknowledge your love of literature. Your favourite paperbacks and compact hardbacks will look fantastic styled with traditional reception space décor, such as floral centrepieces and candles.
2. Vintage Typewriters
Fans of retro style will love this one! If you have a working vintage typewriter, can borrow one, or have the budget to purchase one (try second-hand shops or sites like adverts.ie!), you can create an adorable alternative to a guest book by asking your guests to type a message for you and your other half on the day. You could also use a typewriter to display the table plan for an intimate wedding, or a cute note thanking your guests for attending. You could even ask your florist to fill it with fresh blooms for an extra dose of wow!
3. A Wedding Venue with a Library
If you're an avid reader, we're guessing that you feel at home in a room full of dusty old books. If so, you're in luck, because lots of Irish country house venues have library rooms where you can enjoy drinks with your nearest and dearest, take gorgeous wedding portraits, or maybe even hold your ceremony (it varies from venue to venue, of course). Some of our favourites include Roundwood House, Bellinter House, Haddington House, Lisnavagh House, Luttrellstown Castle and Marlfield House, which boasts a bar made of books - this literally combines our two favourite things in life!
4. Library-Themed Wedding Décor
If it's not possible to have your wedding in a library, why not bring a little bit of the library into your wedding!? Ask your stationer to create library card-inspired invitations or table plans, or use index card and vintage cabinets to make an interactive, library-style catalogue for organising your table plan!
5. Book-Themed Installations
Want to create a ceremony or reception space that your guests will never forget? One somewhat ambitious way to do it is with an epic book installation. Be warned though, that this is not a DIY job! You'll need the help of a professional, and one of our recommended stylists should be your first port of call!
6. Books As Wedding Favours
We've written recently about how you shouldn't feel under any pressure to give your guests wedding favours, but if you're excited about the idea, and you have the budget for it, we think a second-hand book for each guest would be such a thoughtful touch! On the flip side, you could ask for a book instead of a wedding gift like our real weddings couple Aisling and Jackie did!
7. Vintage Book-Themed Wedding Stationery
There are lots of ways to channel the romance of vintage books in your wedding invitations, ceremony booklets, menus and place cards, but here are just two sweet examples - an invitation that looks like a page torn from an old storybook, and a bookmark-style Save The Date that your guests will be able to use long after your wedding day!
8. Wedding Signage with Literary Quotes
If you're a lover of literature, you may already be using an extract from your favourite novel as a ceremony reading, but we're also big fans of displaying some of your favourite lines of prose on signs around your venue!
9. Literary Table Names
Table names are a super easy way to add personality to your wedding reception space, and for book lovers, the possibilities are endless! You could use names of beloved authors, titles of your favourite books or book series, or even genres or publishers (stick me on the Mills & Boon table!)
10. Book Planters
If you're in the market for a DIY project, these gorgeous book planters are perfect, and you can keep them after the wedding (or give them to some of your guests, if they ask nicely!). Green Wedding Shoes show you how it's done here.
11. Book-Themed Accessories
We're sure that some enterprising bride out there is currently on the hunt for a book-print wedding gown, but for a subtler look, try these lovely and oh-so-nostalgic book-shaped clutch bags or cufflinks!
Still not sure how you want your wedding venue to look? We have a whole category of articles on wedding décor right here!
