There are many stylish ways to decorate a wedding ceremony and breakfast room – here are just a few of our favourite ideas to help bring your venue alive and make your special day unique.
We receive a multitude of requests from brides and grooms looking for ideas on how to set up their ceremony and wedding breakfast room. And the answer is we allow our couples to do pretty much what they like, whether they want to match the decor to their wedding theme, the colour and furnishings of the room, or tie it in with the seasons, the options are almost never-ending. Here are a few ideas of our own to help inspire you when it comes to dressing your venue.
Runners: a runner, which is often a long red carpet that spans the length of the aisle, can rapidly transform a room. There is no written rule that the carpet has to be red, you can have any colour you want, you could even create a personalised runner with your own initials.
Flowers: flowers can create a beautiful impact on any room, not to mention a fresh floral scent, and with so many varieties, there are an infinite number of ways to create a certain look. Moreover, whether you opt for a large pedestal arrangement, hanging baskets, vases of blooms or flower walls, all of which can transferred to the reception, flowers can create a stunning finish. Alternatively, lush garlands of greenery can help your venue to come alive – simply entwine around beams, down stairways and across ceilings.
Lighting: lanterns and tea lights – whether they are on the floor or suspended – can effectively create a romantic effect without blowing the budget. Likewise, candles are a great way to light your walk or create an eye-catching entrance at the beginning of the aisle by arranging in a cluster of different sizes. For something grander, try hanging votive candles, pillars or candelabras. When the day turns to dusk fairy lights are a magical way to illuminate a room.
Chair covers and sashes: this is probably one of the most popular ways to decorate a ceremony and wedding breakfast room, as it is so cost-effective. Chair covers do a magnificent job of hiding banqueting chairs and making everything uniform and pretty. Sashes (and drapes) add a touch of colour and with a huge range of materials available, from organza to taffeta and lace – it covers a multitude of themed weddings from rustic to boho.
Props: when it comes to weddings, it’s all in the details and props are a fantastic way to make a room beautiful, fun and bespoke to you as a couple, and with so many suppliers out there, you are spoilt for choice. From vintage furniture to light up letters, whisky barrels to book arches, ensure you big day is unforgettable with a few uniquely crafted props.
Backdrops: if your ceremony room is a little bland a starlight backdrop can add a touch a romance, it would also work well for the reception, too. Paper flowers, ribbon, or origami birds of different colours and shapes also make fabulous backdrops and can double up a photo backdrop. If you want something one-off then why not have a donut wall – compared to a sweet cart, or even a multi-tier wedding cake, it costs a fraction of the price and provides a great talking point. Likewise, a family photo wall of wedding snaps makes an easy conversation starter – devote a row to your partner’s family, one to yours or just mix them all up. Chalkboards are a great way to decorate an entrance, too, and you can personalise it by thrifting an old frame and spray-painting it to match the rest of your décor.
Let your venue speak: if your venue is a country house hotel, then why not let the grandeur of its original décor do the talking. Most of our hotels feature historic paintings, fine furnishings and friezes that trace their centuries of tradition and heritage, which means all you need is crisp table linen, polished cutlery, sparkling glasses and either subtle floral details or taper candles to make your big day stand out. Glass and mirrors add an extra dimension reflecting candlelight and colour to great effect and paper lanterns hung from the ceiling and trees create a lovely ambiance for the evening.
Theme: while a themed wedding is not for everyone, it does give you a more focused approach to planning your decorations, as you can tie in all the wedding elements, including for example flowers, favours and cake. Pick a theme that is fresh, stylish, and appropriate for you and your partner – if you are struggling for ideas a seasonal or holiday themed wedding will simplify the process for yourself. For instance if you are having a Christmas wedding, a white tree and accented foliage wreaths can look elegant, alternatively for a bit of colour incorporate frosted pastels and metallic hues together with baubles and snowflakes. Candy canes and gingerbread make great edible decorations, which your guests can take home as favours.
Table décor: from patterned tablecloths and runners, to confetti and coloured glasses, there are many ways to make your table stand out besides using flowers. Why not have a little fun with your décor – sprigs of herbs, calligraphed menus or table numbers and names displayed on unique vessels, all add a real style statement.
Remember, before you start decorating, plan a recce of your venue, and jot down anything that catches your eye when you are there and think about what you like that will complement the core style and colour scheme – that way you should save on expensive mistakes and wow your guests.
