Spend a bit of time thinking about how you’re going to achieve your wedding day look on the big day you’ll be free to chat and mingle with your guests, instead of stressing over whether you’ve got the table centres just right. It’s the finishing touches that will make your wedding reception truly personal to you.
Topiary trees
One way of adding a bit of drama to your wedding reception is by featuring giant topiary trees, which you can usually pick up for cheap from garden centres. Place a topiary tree on either side of the top table and create a talking point that will look really classy.
Unique features
Take a tip from television and film set designers and use a backdrop to cover bare areas in your venue. Add a curtain of white fabric or coloured LED lights to add character to what would otherwise be a boring feature.
Complement and contrast
While it’s great to decorate your venue as you want it, don’t get so carried away that you move away from your theme or mix and match so much that you end up with a ‘messy’ effect. Using one colour too much can also look a bit flat, so try and contrast with a complementary shade. Apple green and buttercup yellow are very spring like, whereas a rich orange and burnt brown would look wonderful in autumn.
Chair covers
If you’re keeping a firm eye on your budget then think about chair covers. They’re available in lots of gorgeous colours and you can add sashes in different fabrics to create different effects. Organza sashes in light pastels set the perfect tone for a summer wedding, while satin in rich colours adds warmth to a winter wedding.
Wicker hearts
Open hearts in wicker are a classic and you can pick these up in craft shops and decorate them yourself with ribbons, gingham is just perfect at a country style wedding. Let the hearts feature on the doorway to your reception or hang them as chairbacks. After your wedding day you can use them in your own home as a reminder of your big day.
Outside areas
Don’t forget to dress your venue’s garden area as well. Lanterns strung from trees or placed by the side of gravel paths are also very inviting. Don’t feel you can only use candelabra inside, these can look stunning on stone tables and by seating on a summer evening.
Paper pom poms
Another way of personalising your wedding reception is by making some giant paper pom poms. Search your local craft shop and you’ll find a real rainbow of colours that you can mix up, graduate them for an ombre effect, or have monochrome pom poms in black and white.
Remember, these personal touches and decorations will set your wedding apart and make it unlike any other. So feel free to experiment and enjoy creating a gorgeous day!
