Photo credit Daniel Ackerley
Decorating a wedding or styling a wedding venue is a bit like decorating your home. Your wedding decor should include decorative elements and styles you both love and most importantly should be all about creating an atmosphere and aesthetic that looks and feels personal to you. I’ve come up with five simple ways you can ensure your wedding decoration is not only different to weddings you’ve been to before but is also unforgettable to guests.
BE UNIQUE
The definition of unique is to be unlike anything else, so a unique wedding is just that, a wedding unlike any other. In order to achieve this the wedding should be about you as a couple. I strongly recommend that you visit your wedding suppliers with an open mind rather than an idea for them to reproduce. Trust in their creativity and let them get to know you both as a couple, as this way they’ll be able to create something that is personal to you. Book a face to face or video consultation (the latter will be necessary if you’re currently planning a wedding and government restrictions prevent face to face meetings due to the Covid-19 pandemic), whilst your supplier is listening to how you first met, the proposal, your engagement and plans for your future, they’ll be thinking about ideas for how to incorporate key moments in your story into their design. Your cake maker may be thinking about ways to use a particular flavour associated with the country you plan visit on honeymoon, your florist may be thinking about which national flowers to include in your bouquet or selecting blooms with special meanings like peony which symbolises romance and prosperity. Trust me, wedding suppliers or wedding creatives as we like to be known, love nothing more than a couple who allows them to design.
KEEP VISION CLEAR
You’ll have an idea or two on how you want your wedding to look and feel. Some couples I see have their vision nailed by keeping about what they love; a favourite colour palette; style; particular venue or even choice of entertainment helps keep this vision on track. If you need a little help deciding on your vision an easy way to start is by looking at your venue choice and mood of the wedding. Choosing a venue style may dictate the mood of the event, or you may pick a venue and a contrasting mood. Once those elements have been decided the styling can be designed to enhance both. For example, you may have chosen an exclusive use country house wedding venue in Essex with contemporary décor with interesting original and historical elements like Chippenham Park , Baddow Park House or That Amazing Place and want a relaxed mood with informal dining and a folky band like Three Mile Hill or a more formal wedding breakfast and after party style evening reception with 5 Star Essex Wedding DJs, Fox and Braces. Already you are building up a picture of how your wedding will look and feel and you can choose decorative elements to suit that mood.
Photo credit Daniel Ackerley
AVOID PACKAGES
Wedding décor or wedding hire packages are the preferred option for some couples. A pre-designed collection of decorative elements is curated and priced according to guest numbers. Packages are perceived to be a cheaper way to decorate weddings and this may be true, however, using pre-designed packages will not make your wedding unique to you and may result in a ‘cookie cutter’ wedding, that is produced over and over with perhaps different colour options. I find that suppliers working on styling modern weddings for clients who are looking for something different, tend to be those suppliers who tailor packages towards individual clients. There is a cost implication here as the quotation process and involvement is much more extensive, however the service is bespoke and expect to pay for it.
BE A TREND SETTER
I see couples aspiring to unique weddings as the trend setters. They are the couples who decorate their weddings like they’d decorate their home. They surround themselves with only the things they love, whether others love them or not. Couples who are flexible and allow their suppliers to try new things and trust them with the creative direction are the ones who will have the most unique and unforgettable weddings. They may shy away from traditions or set new traditions for their family and friends to continue. One of the most unforgettable weddings I ever attended had a wedding vow tombola! The tombola spinner was filled with wedding vows the couple had written together, the flower girls and page boys picked a vow and the couple read them to the guests at their humanist ceremony. A truly unique and creative way for the couple to share their promises, in front of friends and family.
MAKE A STATEMENT
I recommend a spend and splurge approach to décor, creating a statement piece paired with minimal décor to really make an impact. Not all of your décor needs to take centre stage, sometimes a little space helps elements stand out more. You might choose to combine tall extravagant flower arrangements with lower simpler arrangements or focus ceremony decor at either side of the aisle or walkway drawing the eye directly to the ceremony itself. You and your partner will have different ideas what is important. The best way to choose your statement décor is by talking with your partner and agreeing décor must haves before you speak to your wedding suppliers. It will give you an idea on how to allocate your wedding budget and will enable you to quickly make decisions based on the design proposals you are given by your wedding suppliers. There will be design elements you will not want to do without, but your partner can take or leave. As you may not agree on these from the outset, it is best to have the conversation and try to agree a ‘must haves’ list. If there is money left in your budget after the must haves are booked, you can look at including some of your other ideas.
So, if you want a wedding that is unique to you and unforgettable to your guests, I advise you to be clear on your vision and stick to it, choose only décor elements you love and can’t do without and avoid décor packages or obvious wedding trends that you and your guests will have seen at other weddings.
I am always excited about hearing wedding plans and ideas – it’s one of the best parts of the job. Some couples have it all covered; some need a little more help. Wedding stylists like myself offer slightly more unique décor for hire as well as inspiration services. These inspiration sessions are aimed at couples who know what they like, but find it hard to imagine exactly what the visual parts of the wedding will look like. Think of it as a kickstart to planning how your wedding will look and feel. If you’re interested in finding out more about my inspiration service, please drop me an email or call me on 07913 166697 to find out current pricing and what the service includes. To view my modern and eclectic wedding décor hire – take a look at the ALL PROPS section of my website to view the collection we currently offer.
Happy wedding planning, Victoria
Venue + Planning: Chippenham Park Photographer: Daniel Ackerley Videographer: White in Motion Films Florist + Styling: Feather and Ferns Prop Hire + Styling: Party Squared Tableware: A Place Setting Table Linen: Northfields Linen Vintage Plateware: Aunt Clara's Vintage China Cake: Honey Shed Bakery Bridal Boutique: Lara B Bridal Couture Grooms Attire: Golding Newmarket Stationery: The Luxe Paper Co MUA: Danilou Makeup Hair Stylist: Charli Smith Hair Accessories: Botias Accessories Neon Signs: Pink Lamp Weddings Models: Silvanna Martinez and Thomas Janes Welcome Sign: Lulabelles