There are many ideas when it comes to decorations for a wedding. You’ll be bombarded by images in magazines on the web and TV, so at times it can be quite hard to know where to start or in some cases how to rein things in.
A Good Starting Point
Start with your budget, you might not have a definite price in mind but I would advise on having a rough idea, then your ideas won’t run away with you.
When I have consultations with brides to discuss their decorations for a wedding, we look at all the options including a the extras so that they have everything detailed and priced. Then in the comfort of their own home sat down with their partner and or parents they can look at everything. Then if their budget doesn’t match they can eliminate what I call the extras (will come to those in a moment).
Key Areas That Will Definitely Need Decorations
Your ceremony room or church:
If your budget is limited, look at decorating the main area around the registrar’s table or the altar of the church. If you have a larger budget you could decorate areas like the pew ends or chair backs, windowsill, archways, entrances etc.
It all comes down to your look and how you have imagined your wedding ceremony venue will look. Find more information on church wedding decorations.
The reception room:
This will also be a key element in planning the decorations for your wedding. You’ll need to think about the table centerpieces, favors, table linen and cake as these are really your key areas to focus on. This is where you can coordinate your wedding theme.
The type of room and building that you have chosen will affect your ideas. I would advise that you visit your venue several times if possible and take photo’s of it for your own record. Then you can refer back to it as you start to make decisions on your wedding decorations.
The Extras
When planning decorations for a wedding I always advise brides to concentrate on their key areas first, then think about the extras if their budget and overall look warrants it.
The extra places that you might want to think about decorating are places like the entrance to your ceremony. Archways made out of flowers or balloons can look stunning, flower trees or bay trees sit well outside an entrance door, as do wedding rings and wreaths on the actual door.
The car is another fun place to put extra decorations, whether it’s a simple classic bow on the front or an exotic floral display on the fender/bumper, door, bonnet or back window. You can also purchase magnet initials and messages that can be placed onto the car.
If you have several rooms at your venue you may want to think about placing small flower vases on occasional tables. You could place exotic bowls of fruit in stunning glass vases on your bar. You might want a stunning flower display in the entrance or lobby of your venue.
One very popular trend is for a candy bar. You could decoratively arrange glass bowls of colored sweets and candy for guests to help themselves to during the day.
The ladies and gents washroom is also a place you might want to think about decorating. Ornate soaps and hand lotions are always well received. I’m often asked to supply a simple but elegant flower display for these areas to give a real personal touch.
It is possible to make a dramatic change to the ambiance of your wedding by using subtle venue lighting effects. This can include candles, votives, spotlights and mood lighting.
There are plenty of ways to think about decorating your cake table. These range from fun or decorative toppers, cake knives and fresh flowers. A really simple idea that many of our brides use is asking all the bridesmaids to place their bouquets next to the cake. We often also scatter color coordinated rose petals on the cake table.
So although there are lots of things to think about when it comes to planning decorations for a wedding it helps to break it down. Start with your key areas and then plan the extras if you need to or want to.
Here are some more wedding decor ideas to help you and your planning.