Reception Decor...

[littlemrs]

FH and I have begun planning and have decided on a picnic themed reception -- gingham tablecloths, picnic baskets with flowers planted in them as centerpieces, picnic fare. I'm excited about it!!

 

[reverie_maiden]

FH and I have begun planning and have decided on a picnic themed reception -- gingham tablecloths, picnic baskets with flowers planted in them as centerpieces, picnic fare. I'm excited about it!!

Hmmm...that's interesting. My fiance and I were going to do an ancestral themed wedding...would have been Norwegian, Irish, English, Scottish, Welsh, German, and Cherokee. We were going to have foods from each culture to represent our family histories...but it was going to be too expensive. We tried to bring it in the best we could though...our invitations will have a celtic knot border, I have a celtic knot promise ring, and a celtic knot engagement ring.

 

[stealingheaven]

I'm just wondering how much you spent or plan on spending on your decorating your reception hall. Did or will you decorate it yourself or hire someone to decorate it? Also if you by chance have any pics I'd love to see them!

*Amy*

We have booked a small hotel for our reception, we are having a formal 3 course meal. The hotel staff will decorate the tables and the reception room/bar area, I just have to give them the decorations and tell them how I'd like the rooms done. I'm looking forward to it because everything is done by the family who run the hotel, they will decorate the rooms, and serve the 3 course meal.

 

[reverie_maiden]

This Willow Tree figurine known as "Promise" will be the centerpiece on the table with the cake. I will put pink silk roses around it and a dolie underneath it.

 

[Southern Cross]

My suggestions are photography related, so please don't skewer me for centering my comments around photography! I make my living as a photographer, and I shoot a LOT of weddings. Anyway, there are centerpieces, and then there are "table arrangements". There is a difference! There are some really neat things that you can do with pictures as a part of your table arrangements.

A lot of people think of centerpieces as just one item. But for just sa bit more time and a little more money, you can create gorgeous arrangements that add a huge visual impact to your wedding reception.

Think of building a centerpiece arrangement in layers. You may have a flower arrangement in the center, surrounded by table candles, and glasses filled with candy, or miniature baskets filled with specialty teas, chocolates, etc. for guests to take with them.

One neat thing to add to a layered arrangement is pictures of you and your fiance on each table. I do something for my clients called "Table Images", and they go over very, very well with guests. We basically take a number of images from their engagement shoot (i.e., 15 tables = 15 different images) and those images are produced on black beveled polished wood backboards in 5X7 size. They are held on miniature easels on the table in or near the centepieces. If you have a friend that's good with a camera, they can help with this. Or talk to your phoographer.

Sounds kind of strange having pictures of yourself on tables, but I guarantee you they will disappear. Relatives and friends grab them. Anyway, nestle in among the centerpieces, and near candles, etc., a nice black and white image really imparts a nice atmosphere to those sitting at the tables. Eventually, once people realize each table has a different image, they'll go from table to table looking, and it gives them something to talk about.

Some of our clients put framed 8X10 and 11X14 prints all around the reception venue, and people seem to have a great time looking for the images. Then the framed prints are given to parents and grandparents as a valued keepsake. At the wedding I shot this past Saturday, the bride and groom had 5 black & white 8X10 prints framed at the signtaure table in really nice silver toned frames. Then at the end of the wedding, the pictures wre given away.

Someone above metioned bowls with candles and flowers floating in water. Those look beautiful!

We've had couples also do the following:

Centerpieces with little teddy bears dressed in sports team outfits for local college and pro teams. Those got snagged!

A couple very much into fishing bought fishermen and fisherwomen figurines and had pictures of themselves hanging off the poles in the shape of different fish.

Very tall glasses filled with Hershey's Kisses - kids love these!

Tiny envelopes embedded in the centerpices (if 8 people were seated at the table, there were 8 envelopes), and they had a kind of suprprise announcement. Whoever had a specific envelope got a dinner certificate fot two at Olive Garden, etc. Someone got a spa treatment. Another person got a blockbuster family gift certificate, etc.

A LOT of weddings here in Florida have a beach theme. So we constantly see very unique sea shell and flower themes with beautiful sand candles, pictures, and beach themed favors (remember, think in layers).

Then when I shoot weddings in other parts of the country, sometimes I see very seasonal themes especially if it's close to the holidays.

I have yet to see a black and white cow theme .

 

[Amy47]

Well I'm not willing to put alot of money into the centerpieces so my fiance and I decided to just have flowers. Since he works as a network engineer at a greenhouse farm we'll be getting them for either very cheap or FREE... sound good enough for me. I'd rather put that money into the Honeymoon...

 

[reverie_maiden]

Well I'm not willing to put alot of money into the centerpieces so my fiance and I decided to just have flowers. Since he works as a network engineer at a greenhouse farm we'll be getting them for either very cheap or FREE... sound good enough for me. I'd rather put that money into the Honeymoon...

I wish we could have flowers as centerpieces. I would love that! But, even the silk ones tend to get expensive. It is really a bummer.

 

[Amy47]

I know what you mean. We REALLY lucked out.

 

[faerieevaH]

Well... as said earlier in the thread, my aunt did the flowers for the reception. They were so good even the caterer, who is a definite professional who does a lot of weddings, complimented her on it.

What did she do? She made a 'table arrangement', combinging both the favours and the tablesetting: Small liquerglasses on a high foot and champagne glasses intermingled, eight on each table (one for each guest). Inside the glasses where a mixture of either greenish stones or something else in a different tone green, and then in each a simple white fresia.
It had an enormous visual impact because of the different heighs, the combination of glass, green and white. The glasses were given with the guests as favours, so it saved money as well and it looked as if some designer worked it out! The only thing I had said was that I didn't want something that just 'clogged up' the view of the table, and that I would like for the colours to be green and white, and that I would like things to be airy, because the hall itself was white/glass with exposed art deco beams. I didn't even see the table decor before I arrived at the reception after the wedding. I just put my faith in my aunt and with good reason!

 

[reverie_maiden]

Well... as said earlier in the thread, my aunt did the flowers for the reception. They were so good even the caterer, who is a definite professional who does a lot of weddings, complimented her on it.

What did she do? She made a 'table arrangement', combinging both the favours and the tablesetting: Small liquerglasses on a high foot and champagne glasses intermingled, eight on each table (one for each guest). Inside the glasses where a mixture of either greenish stones or something else in a different tone green, and then in each a simple white fresia.
It had an enormous visual impact because of the different heighs, the combination of glass, green and white. The glasses were given with the guests as favours, so it saved money as well and it looked as if some designer worked it out! The only thing I had said was that I didn't want something that just 'clogged up' the view of the table, and that I would like for the colours to be green and white, and that I would like things to be airy, because the hall itself was white/glass with exposed art deco beams. I didn't even see the table decor before I arrived at the reception after the wedding. I just put my faith in my aunt and with good reason!

Gosh, I could never put that kind of trust into my aunts, my future mother-in-law, and mom to decorate for the reception. I am glad I will be there to help out with it all before we do the rehearsal.

 

[reverie_maiden]

I changed my mind on centerpieces. I am having these rose candle votives instead of the tissue bells. We will hang up the tissue bells, so the fellowship hall can be more decorative.

 

[faerieevaH]

Gosh, I could never put that kind of trust into my aunts, my future mother-in-law, and mom to decorate for the reception. I am glad I will be there to help out with it all before we do the rehearsal.

Why couldn't you?

 

[RedeemedbyHisBlood]

I needed to spice this thread up with some pictures! Our colors are red, cream, silver, and a little pink. (I couldn't resist the pink) The first picture is going to be my bouquet (maybe some cream roses also mixed in because the bridesmaids will have cream roses with red dresses.
The second is going to be the general idea of our ceremony decorations (outside wedding, on grass) but the flowers and petals will be red/pink/cream and the chairs are white.

The 3rd picture is similar to our centerpieces...but at the same time very different.... lol (we have cream pillar candles, circle tables, red sheer cloth)

The 4th is going to be our signature platter (instead of a guestbook) but it will be oval. I love this idea, and we always bought a platter display holder thingy.

The cake is going to be very similar to our cake, but with a K for my new last name and different flowers on top. Oh, and hopefully NOT fondant.

I really love your choice of decorations. I'm thinking of 'borrowing' a few ideas. I hope you don't mind.
I can't really figure out what's on picture 3 though.
Is it a rose bowl made of glass with water in it and candles and roses as well ?
Or is it without water ? And are those real roses or fake ones ?
I'd love to do that too.

And if you got more ideas I'd be glad to hear about them (view them)

Bless you,
Chan.

 

[reverie_maiden]

Why couldn't you?

Probably because in my head I have everything all planned out. I want things just right and in their place. I guess I have always been that way. If things aren't where I want them, I would move them by myself to make them look just right. I think it is an obsessive compulsive problem I have.