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In the News Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Thursday, February 26, 2004. Many modern brides coordinate weddings under a theme Choosing a theme By Melissa Link Correspondent "Mah cuhluhs are blush and rose.'' ''Your cuhluhs are pink and pink.'' Delivered in a lilting, ladylike Southern drawl, so goes the exchange between Julia Roberts and Sally Field as bride and mother in the late '80s era chick flick ''Steel Magnolias.'' Like Roberts' character in the film, many brides-to-be begin their wedding planning process by choosing a color scheme. From frocks, flowers and favors to tuxedos and table linens, a couple's special day remains unique in their guests' memories when the event is unified through design. But in recent years, many couples have taken the concept a step further by selecting a particular theme to set the tone for their nuptial celebrations. Often as basic as a simple motif such as ivy leaves, a Celtic knot, a monogram or a prevailing style - sophisticated elegance, casual country, woodland whimsy - a theme can be a guideline for selecting everything from invitations to hors d'oeuvres. Amy Bridges of Lee Epting Catering reports monograms are all the rage these days. Emblazoned onto invitations, church door wreaths, table linens, cake layers and take-home favors, a calligraphic inscription incorporating the first initials of the bride and groom with the initial of their new last name is an appropriate symbol of their union. Tyra Lewis, owner of Garden of Eden, a Watkinsville bakery specializing in customized wedding cakes, attests to the popularity of monograms. ''It has been the monogram year,'' she said. ''I'd say five out of 10 brides who come in here for a cake want a monogram.''

Lewis said she can incorporate just about any theme or motif into a cake's decor. She once decorated an entire multi-tiered cake to resemble Wedgewood china for a wedding with a blue and white color scheme. ''If you bring me a picture or a china pattern, I can look at it and pick up the details,'' she said. A former resident of Charleston, Lewis has created countless beach-themed cakes for weddings by the sea. Scattered with white chocolate seashells and sugar pearls, these cakes were born of themes inspired by the ceremony's locale. One couple requested a pair of dolphins riding atop waves of buttercream icing. Naturally, they served seafood at the reception from a buffet table dominated by a giant dolphin ice sculpture. Bridges recommends couples consider the location of their reception when selecting a theme. ''Don't forget where you are,'' she said. ''Once you decide upon the location and the season, then go with that - you don't want a contemporary look out on a farm,'' she continued, adding a Southern country theme complete with a menu of fried chicken and biscuits continues to be very popular in this region. ''Sometimes the food sets the theme, sometimes the colors,'' noted Bridges, who recalled a particularly elegant wedding focused on a purely white color scheme that carried over into a mouth-watering monochromatic buffet of white fish, seafood dip, mashed potatoes and pasta salad. Event planner Natalie Keene Bradley of Soirée by Natalie has noticed the increasing popularity of vintage themes drawing upon the decades of the early 20th century.  ''A lot of young people are very curious about the '20s and '30s,'' she said.

Keene Bradley is working on a wedding with a Great Gatsby-era theme using an Art Deco typeface for the invitations and programs, straight-silhouetted '20s-inspired gowns, tuxedos and top hats, table decor of rich satins and sterling silver and music from a jazz/swing band. ''Usually, people don't choose a theme flippantly, it has some meaning to them,'' she said, recalling a young couple she worked with who were engaged while on a visit to New York City. With a sophisticated black, white and silver color scheme, the reception venue was decorated with white twinkling lights against a backdrop of the city's skyline. Food stations represented the Big Apple's diverse neighborhoods such as Chinatown and Little Italy. When Jessica and Mark Magnarella were married in the spring of 2001, a subtle Asian theme offered a unifying element at their reception. Trays of sushi were passed around and tables were decorated with copper pagoda-style lanterns and live orchids in fluted planters. Paper lanterns hung overhead and each place was set with a single origami crane of exotic oriental paper. The motif initially was inspired by the crane, an Asian symbol of good fortune. ''Incorporating meanings from different cultures makes it a more memorable event,'' said Jessica, a graphic artist by trade, who spent every spare moment of the months leading up to her wedding folding the delicate birds. ''I really admire the Asian sensibilities,'' she said. ''I like the meaningful simplicity of it. I think that's why I keyed into it.'' Sonja and Reggie Desante also turned to an Asian theme for their 2002 wedding. But in this case, the prevailing motif was instigated by the attendants' attire. Not wanting to force her bridesmaids into expensive gowns of fleeting style, Desante went online to find versatile Chinese tops made of an exotic black, red and white floral satin brocade. ''I've always been in love with the Mandarin-style dresses and tops,'' she said. Paired with simple pajama-style pants and minimalist bouquets of chrysanthemums and greenery, the ladies' apparel provided a starting point for the style of the entire wedding. A white kimono served as a ceremony backdrop, while guests were handed bamboo fans to provide comfort in the early summer heat. Floral arrangements and decor incorporated plenty of bamboo while each table was set with a fishbowl sprouting a single red Gerber daisy and housing a colorful Japanese beta fish. Chinese lanterns were strung across the tent and guests each were given a Chinese take-out box filled with fortune cookies as favors. Whether it's a simple, subtle motif or a stage-worthy display, experts suggest a couple carry their theme throughout the entire event - introducing it in the save-the-date card or invitation, interpreting it in the many details of the ceremony and reception, and following up with thank you notes of relevant design. ''You'd be surprised how easy it is to pull off a theme,'' Bridges said. ''It makes the planning process a lot easier if you have a path.''