Nowadays, just about anything goes when it comes to decorating your wedding reception. You can go for a vintage look with ornamental birdcages, opt for an eye-catching circus theme or turn your wedding breakfast venue into a winter wonderland with decorative branches. To help you plan your own wedding theme, we’ve found some real-life styles that we know will inspire you…
Send in the clowns
If you’re planning a circus-themed wedding, the first thing you need to remember that in the UK you can only marry under a fixed structure, so you won’t be able to get married in a big top, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have you reception in one!
If you’ve got the budget, hire some jugglers and magicians and have them weaving their way through the guests as they enjoy the drinks reception, this would set the atmosphere perfectly. When you’re planning a circus themed wedding, think about how you’re going to design your stationery, brightly coloured carnival-style invitations will let your guests know that they’re really going to party on your big day!
A cosy winter wedding
If you’ve decided on a winter wedding, then you need to go all out to embrace the time of year in which you’re marrying. Plan a wedding that starts a little bit later in the afternoon and make them feel cosy and warm, with twinkling candles, a glass of mulled wine and a roaring log fire to warm their hands.
Make sure everything is lit up as your guests make their way into the reception room so they gasp with admiration. White tea lights draped around the room are an inexpensive way of creating a wonderland atmosphere and you can put them around the entrance to the venue, too.
Decorate your table centres with winter foliage and berries covering raised candlelabra and finish them off with little tea lights. For your chairbacks, instead of decorating them with ribbons, why not cover them with fur and add an extra cosy touch?
A classic white theme
If you’re decorating a simple room yourself, our advice to you would be to stick to one colour and get your look absolutely right. We love this all-white wedding reception – it’s so effective but when you look at the details everything is really very simple. Simple white wooden chairs surround the all-white tables which are dressed with basic white tablecloths and white table napkins.
Menus and name cards are also white. This couple have also chosen white flowers for their centre pieces to create even more of a impact. Using all-white details may also help to keep costs down as many items are available in white as standard.
Pops of colour
If you’re not really into the vintage look and want something a bit different, then why not have a brightly coloured wedding theme? Think pinks, purples, oranges, greens, anything that will bring a venue alive with colour.
Use coloured napkins in one of these shades and decorate a plain tablecloth lengthwise with ribbons or streamers. As for flowers, pick out vibrant hues – this theme is bright not understated, so this is your chance to show off your bright personality with colourful peonies, ranunculus or chrysanthemums.
Decorate your chairbacks with brightly coloured ribbons and finish them off with a single bright bloom. We love this idea for a summer theme – it’s bright, colourful and eye catching in all the right ways.
