You've picked your venue, chosen a photographer and appointed your bridesmaids and groomsmen. Now what? How do you go about designing your wedding? If you think it isn't design, you're wrong, you are planning the decoration, style and aesthetics of your wedding day. You start with a concept or an idea of how you want the day to look and feel then you choose the visual elements and details to transform your venue. That IS design. Here are 7 x pro tips to get you on the right track.
Tip One - Keep it simple
You'll have heard the saying 'less is more', this is very helpful to remember when designing the look of your wedding ceremony and reception room. Over complicating a wedding design can make weddings reception spaces look confusing and too busy. By keeping decorations simple, you'll achieve the sophisticated and elegant wedding we all crave. The trick is to let the details stand out by using leaving space around them. In design, this is called negative space or white space.
Tip Two - Pick one or two decor elements for maximum impact
Following on from the theory of using negative space my next tip is about choosing one or two elements that really make a statement. This could be achieved using show stopping wedding flowers or unique table centrepieces, luxury tableware or a really eye-catching backdrop for your wedding ceremony.
Tip Three - Only include things you love
You'll probably have viewed your chosen wedding venue when the event space was laid out for show rounds, a wedding open day or even on the morning of a wedding, during a wedding set up. It is tempting to make a list of the things you've seen on show and book them all. This is an expensive way to decorate and often leaves you with decor that you think you need but not decor that you love! Your wedding should be personal to you and not a replica of other weddings you've seen or or slightly different to the last wedding you attended. The most memorable weddings are the ones that are intentional and personal to the couple.
Tip Four - Pick decor that works with your venue
You'll have chosen your wedding venue because you love the look and feel it has. Take cues from the venue decor and pick decor to suit the aesthetic. Whether you have chosen a romantic, country house wedding venue in the Essex countryside; a modern exclusive-use stylish, boutique hotel in Cambridgeshire or a charming converted barn venue in Suffolk, continue the decor theme and styling. Include colours, textures and surfaces you've found in your venue in your concept vision board and bring those elements into your wedding design. Here's a couple of examples. If your venue has luxurious marble bar tops, clean lines and is filled with natural light through floor to ceiling windows, replicate this design on your tables with tall glassware and glass candle holders, crisp, smooth sumptuous table linens in cool colours and finish place settings with sleek, intricate hand lettered stationery. Alternatively, if your venue has oak beams and natural stone floors, pick a slightly warmer colour palette, add textured linens and a less formal place setting to reclaimed wood tables and simple table decor to allow room for artisanal sharing platters. Simple!
Tip Five - Visualise your venue filled with guests
It is important to remember that your venue will look completely different when filled with your nearest and dearest. The event space won't seem so empty when your guests are all seated. Consider how your chosen decor will look once guests sit down and pick centrepieces that won't obscure their view of the room and guests opposite them. It is best to keep eye level clear of decor.
Tip Six - Pick a flexible colour scheme
Most couples pick a colour palette of two colours. This isn't nearly enough hues to make design easy or interesting. Picking just two colours means everything will have to be matched exactly. Have you ever tried to match a flower with a fabric? Nature will do what it will, one garden rose will be a different shade to tone to the next and colours will look different on different fabrics due to the dyeing process and techniques used. It is best to pick a flexible palette that includes contrasting colours as well as different hues, tones and shades. If you are stuck, try really looking closely at something from nature and see how many different colours are found within, I guarantee you'll end up with at least 5-7 different hues.
Tip Seven - It is your day
Lastly, I want you to remember that it is your wedding and your choice. Everyone will have suggestions and opinions about what colours are best, which are back luck and which are seasonal, but only you know what you love.
So there you are! Good luck and enjoy the wedding design process.
You may be feeling overwhelmed, don't know where to start or simply would prefer professional design help, if so, please get in touch You can request a brochure detailing my wedding design service or book a call. It is OK to admit that you haven't a clue how to design an event! Most of us only design a wedding once. I offer as much or as little help as is needed to guide you through your wedding design and styling. You can get full support and a comprehensive wedding look book with supplier recommendations with my wedding design service or a kickstart with a concept consultation and wedding vision board for you to share with your chosen suppliers.
If you are a newly engaged couple looking for some inspiration before you start your wedding planning you'll find plenty on my Instagram page, which I use as a portfolio of previous weddings and styled shoots. You may prefer Pinterest as a search engine, in that case visit my Pinterest account to see my pins and inspirational boards. Happy planning!
Victoria