With any wedding it is often the reception which will require the most planning and attention to detail. Your wedding reception will be the biggest party you will ever organize and as such it is important your wedding reception decoration is perfect.
When thinking about your decoration you need to take into account several factors including:
* The style of your wedding
* Your wedding colors
* Your wedding theme
* Your budget
* Your venue
The style of your wedding will determine whether you have a formal reception, such as a sit down meal with several courses or a more casual reception perhaps with a buffet. Your wedding colors will provide the backdrop to your reception decoration and will determine things like table cloths, chair covers, flowers, balloons etc. Usually brides will choose a combination of two or three colors, with one of those forming the main color used throughout (often white or ivory), the remaining colors then become accent colors in the smaller details such as flowers, table centers, napkins and decorations.
If you have chosen a wedding theme then this will be the main focus of your decoration. With a wedding theme it is important to research all the small details and elements that you want to include, otherwise your theme could fall flat and be lost on your guests. Try to be true to your theme in terms of colors and design, for instance, an art deco themed wedding is usually associated with a scheme of black and white, therefore using hot pink and aqua blue would not work Likewise a medieval wedding theme with table centers of tall martini glasses filled with crystals and feathers would look totally out of place.
Your budget will dictate everything, from the scale of your decoration to your choice of wedding favors. Make sure you set a realistic sum for your reception decorations, especially if you are having a grand wedding theme. That, said, much can be achieved by making your own decorations, including table centers, favors and hanging decorations. So if your budget is tight make sure you explore your DIY options.
Venue’s can often be the deciding factor when it comes to how your reception will look. Whilst many venues can offer a blank canvas, allowing you to decorate them however you wish, others can be rather more grandiose, meaning you will need to work your decorations around existing colors, fixtures and fittings.
The best around this it to pick your venue with your wedding style or theme in mind. A beach wedding would obviously be at the beach, whilst a 1930’s themed wedding could take place in a ballroom or theatre. If no suitable venue can be found then your best option would be to hire a marquee and pitch it in a garden or hotel grounds. Marquee’s offer the ultimate blank canvas and many companies can offer decoration and furniture packages to suit.
Once you have picked your style, theme, colors and venue and set your budget you then need to set about the mammoth task of coordinating all the various decorative elements of your wedding reception. Here are the things you will need to consider:
* Table linens – table cloths, napkins
* Chair covers
* Table centers
* Place settings – crockery, charger plates, cutlery, glassware
* Wall decorations – bunting, banners, balloons, drapes etc
* Ceiling decorations – chandeliers, paper lanterns, hanging paper decorations etc
* Lighting
* Wedding favors
* Candles
* Place card holders
* Finishing touches such as flower petals scattered on the tables
Work out your decoration scheme very carefully. Build a scrap book of ideas and make a collage of all the details you want to use. Make sure you incorporate your wedding colors in suitable proportions. Interior designers use the 60-30-10 rule, with the main color (usually a neutral tone) in 60% of the scheme, the next color (usually a coordinating shade of the first color) in 30% of the scheme and an accent color (usually a brighter shade from the opposite side of the color wheel) in 10% of the scheme.
Finally, make sure your find out from your venue what you can and can’t do with your reception room – can you change the light fittings Can you change the window dressings Can you attach things to the walls and ceiling Can you have lit candles on your tables
