Hello and happy Tuesday to our beloved SA blog readers! Today, our team of planners is going to share exclusive tips and insights on the different decor options for your big day. Decor is an important facet to every wedding because it’s your opportunity to uniquely brand your wedding and to make it unlike anyone else’s.

Once you have the burdened budget established and you’ve chosen your {and your fiance’s} overall vision for the big day, it’s time for the fun part! There are a variety of elements that go into transforming your venue from a blank slate to a magical wedding space you’ve dreamt about for years.

Room configuration: First and foremost, getting an idea for the room configuration is a must. Think about guest count, type of dinner service, and venue shape. Is your head table the main focal point of the room? Where do you want the dance floor? {We always suggest in the center of the room!} Also, think about whether you want squares, rounds, farm tables or a mix of shapes! This will help with the positioning of the specialty tables, such as the bars, the cake, and escort card tables.

Florals: Once you have a particular floor plan in mind, it’s time to talk florals. However, with florals, there is much more than simply selecting the color palette. For example, you can’t get beautiful peonies all year, so keeping your wedding date in mind before marrying {pun intended} yourself to a certain type of flower is a must. Also consider the types of containers you imagine for your tablescapes. Are you a gold, silver, mercury glass, crystal, or clear glass type of bride? Establishing your overall style will help with the initial floral consult.

Lastly, we encourage you to play with looks and height when it comes to florals. We recommend mixing tall and low arrangements and dispersing them throughout the room to help create depth and interest. We generally avoid medium-height since nobody wants to play peek-a-boo at the table.

Lighting: Lighting is our most encouraged decor must-have. It sets the mood and illuminates all of your beautiful decor. Let’s face it, flowers are expensive, and it’s a shame to lose these beauties once the natural light dims and the dancing begins. Whether through additional lighting fixtures, pin spots, uplighting, gobos, or moving lights, investing in a lighting expert {or wedding planner} is the perfect way to transform your wedding reception or event space from standard to simply stunning.

Rentals: Don’t forget the other items that complete your overall look. For instance, chairs and other furniture rentals are definitely items worth splurging on. Often times, venues provide the traditional “banquet chair” that can be difficult to work with. Ghost chairs, chiavaris, vineyard chairs, antique chairs and garden chairs are all great options and cover a wide range of price points. Mixing chair styles is a great way to make an impact. If upgraded chairs are outside of the budget, no worries! It’s definitely worth covering banquet chairs with simple chair covers. {We suggest avoiding the sash!} You can also have fun with seating by renting lounge furniture. Whether vintage-inspired, or swanky and contemporary, additional rental pieces are great for catering to your event’s look while also providing comfort for your guests.

Similar to chairs, venues and caterers typically provide a generic lap-length black, white, or ivory poly linen which can usually be upgraded for minimal cost to floor length. If you are a bride looking for that certain extra “something” on the table, there are plenty of upgraded linen options in town! Check out our favorite spots, Linen Effects and Apres Party and Tent Rental. Even mixing these in sporadically can make all the difference.

As you can see, there are endless amount of decor options for your wedding day! Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities or not sure how to best spend your budget for maximum impact? No problem! Our weddings team offers great design + branding services catered to helping you achieve that beautiful wedding that you deserve!

Stay tuned for the next Wedding Planning 101 post on Photography.

Wedding Planning 101: Decor

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