Be the Belle of the Ball with a Bowling Alley Wedding

When you dream of your wedding aisle, does it have gutters? If you're not the most conventional bride, you may find that a bowling alley may be the ideal venue. Don't fall victim to nightmare visions of stinky rental shoes and greasy pizza; you can rent out the whole facility for your event and be sure the only funny guys in matching shirts will be your groomsmen.

If you're lucky enough to score a vintage bowling alley with old-fashioned wooden lanes and quaint decoration, you've got your photo-ops ready and waiting. If your town is host to a more conventional bowling alley, you're still in luck; roll with the kitsch atmosphere and your guests will embrace a night of silly fun. As an added bonus, bowling venues are usually much less expensive than conventional wedding venues. You can use the money you save to treat your entire wedding party to free bowling passes as party favors.

If you're using an offbeat venue like a bowling alley, celebrate it. Instead of trying to fit an entire classic wedding reception alongside the ball returns, use your imagination and use the bowling theme to augment your wedding rituals.

Meet with the bowling alley owners and managers to figure out exactly what you're allowed to do in their building. If you'd like to use the bowling aisle as your wedding aisle, for example, you may have to put felt tips on your high heels, but it will be worth it for the wedding album of a lifetime.

Bowling alleys are synonymous with bowling shoes. If you want fun matching footwear for your entire wedding party, talk with the bowling alley management about finding the most colorful rental footwear the alley has to offer. Not only will your bridesmaids and groomsmen be comfortable standing and walking around; you'll be certain of having every person's exact shoe size!

Look for fantastic photo-ops you won't be able to get in any other venue. Consider lining up the bride and all her bridesmaids, each in her own lane, about to send her balls down the aisle in a perfect strike. Perhaps all the men want to gather for a group photo while each shines a bowling ball with both hands gripping the polishing cloth. Think of the bride and groom leaning over the ball return as a ball with their wedding rings balanced on it "emerges." Or maybe you just want a shot of the mother of the bride beaming and holding a regional bowling trophy. Bowling alleys provide ample opportunities for photographers and couples to have fun.

Looking for fun wedding favors? If you want a special gift for family members, or members of the wedding party, consider commissioning personalized bowling shirts with the guest's name and wedding date in the same font style that would announce a bowling league.

Get the ball rolling with a bowling-themed cake. Ask your baker if you can design a long, rectangular cake with a ball at one end and sugared bowling pins at the other. Or maybe you want a round cake in the shape of a life-sized bowling ball. Cupcakes are also a fun option. By matching dark icing colors with three well-placed holes, these rounded sweets can resemble small bowling balls as guests pick up one after another. For even smaller replicas, push three small holes into chocolate bonbons, truffles, or rum balls.  

Ask the bowling alley if they have any old or damaged bowling paraphernalia you can work into your wedding decorations. You may be able to find old bowling pins in bulk at antique knickknack stores or online. By enhancing them with new coats of paint in your wedding colors, or by tying them with ribbon or twining flowers, you can turn trash into treasure. This way, your centerpieces can match your theme quite literally.

Does your bowling alley feature a "Midnight Madness" bowling theme with blacklights or other retro lighting? Take advantage of this for a sudden change in atmosphere (such as right before the best man's speech) or for a dramatically lit photo session. Bonus if the venue has glowing retro designs on the walls!

Are you a fan of The Big Lebowski? What about Kingpin? Brainstorm your favorite bowling-themed movies and songs for entertainment your guests are sure to appreciate. You can project movies on the wall during the reception, or work specific scenes into a slide show of humorous predictions and advice for the couple. Word to the wise: if your new father-in-law asks if he can come to your wedding dressed as "The Dude," just be glad he's embracing your theme so fully.

Your wedding venue will set the tone for the atmosphere of your wedding reception. Lighthearted and creative venues will foster a relaxed, fun atmosphere. If you want something that really "bowls your guests over," head to the nearest bowling alley for a night everyone's sure to remember.