Planning a wedding is exciting! It is also overwhelming. Full-Stop. I should know. I planned every detail of mine. It is a miracle I made it to the altar. There are a few things I wish I had done differently. One of them is planning my decor. Wedding decorations bring your venue to the next level. But often, the options are mind-numbing. There are many options with so many variables, not to mention the fear of having too much or too little for the chosen space. It is a tricky balance that I wish someone had walked me through. I was stuck between choosing votive candles and pillars, between flowers on every table, flowers on only some, or even the basic color scheme. It would have been different had I done the decor consultation with EventRoostr, but alas, we can’t rewind time. I know they will help you avoid many pitfalls that befell me. Here are some things I wish I had known when planning my big day. I hope they help you.
Keep it Simple
More things, more problems, amirite? Trying to keep track of your ideas and the various items is a lot in the wedding planning journey. Each new element increases the chances of mismatch or problems with scale, sourcing, color, layers, distractions, time, and teardown. Not to mention the cost. Simplicity is understated and CAN NOT be overstated. You are the star, not your decor, remember that! Unless you have a wedding planner and the complex design decor of your wedding is managed professionally, do not overdo it. Planning is only half the work – execution is a whole other beast entirely! And far less glamorous. Unless you want to feel like Cinderella before her fairy godmother, leave the intricately interwoven design decor elements to the side.
Dream weddings can be dreamy with sheer simplicity or devolve into a nightmare of your own making. Fortunately, we were in a beautiful space that could stand independently, so we added pops of color with our tablescapes and lighting. We used large letter lights and rustic wedding decor to DIY. Outside we had grand marquee letters and marry me letters inside. We also had a fun donut feature wall that doubled as our dessert table! Remember, the decor consultation at EventRoostr can be a real lifesaver for getting a handle on your decor expectations.
Showcase You
There are countless wedding decoration inspiration pictures out there. But do they reflect you and your future spouse? Finding ways to incorporate your favorite colors or styles can make decorating a breeze. The best advice for really centering your wedding decor experience is to create mood and picture boards for you – don’t use ones created for others. The time it takes in this part of the wedding planning journey is time well spent. From those mood boards, you can begin to find elements that you want to incorporate into your nuptials. If your personalized board includes rustic wedding decor, you might have wine barrel decor and big letters with lights. If it leans more classic, you may have a decorative wine barrel paired with chiavari chairs and wedding matte black marquee letters. From a marry me sign to lighted marquee letters, marqueelit.com can supply all your decor needs. They even do marquee rentals to suit the taste of every mood board.
You can also print out your pictures together and find fun frames to use as table numbers or menu boards.
Start Early & Be Flexible
In the days of supply chain issues, it is best to start sourcing your decorations early. Some items may be back ordered or even unfulfilled, so you need time to devise alternative plans. With each element of my wedding, I was fixated on particular things and demanded them. This unwillingness to waver stressed my family, future spouse, and myself. Each time something came up that I couldn’t control, I got upset. And trust me, those things came up frequently – especially with decor. Many decor items have minimum orders to secure them for rentals. The only alternative is to purchase them outright. This requires you to decide if you can store and transport them, not to mention the added purchase cost. This has to be compared against rental costs and the likelihood your venue won’t include them in the setup costs as they are add-ons. Fixating on your vision has a price, and unless it is an absolute must, don’t go down that path if you can avoid it.
Beyond that, you also need to be flexible. As you get close to your big day, things could be sold out, unavailable, or of inferior quality. Nothing is worse than being a bride or groomzilla when you get unexpected news. It is best to insist on your vision until it is impossible, then adjust. Linens go out of stock, chairs break, seasonal flowers fail to make beautiful blooms, vendors may need to substitute – the list goes on. Roll with the punches. You will save yourself, your future spouse, and everyone around you a world of pain if you stay positive when getting bad news.
Enlist Help
If you find yourself taking a DIY route, do not do it all yourself! Make DIY, DIT – do it together. Reach out to your family and friends to see if they can help take on your projects. Out of sheer necessity, I discovered the DIT method to solve my decor problems for the wedding. The venue could not provide enough staff for the various tasks due to staffing issues. So for my wedding, we enlisted family in a variety of things. We had some make the signs for the venue and place them on the day of. We had friends create the guest book by combining old hotel note pages. My aunts created the bouquet for the bridesmaids from the flowers we got from the florist. Ten bridesmaids can get expensive, and it was an easy way to save money. My uncles set up the lawn and yard games. We had croquet and badminton, along with horseshoes and cornhole. It was a simple setup but required some muscle, one that is not available the same day as your groom and his groomsmen. Inside the venue, we had grandmas decorating the tables. We had them place vintage photographs, feathers, and dried flowers under the glass tops of the tables.
But – this is important – the DIY/DIT method does not have to be limited to the day of. Use it in advance. Decor projects such as marquee sign letters can be made with some effort. While it is easier to rent from marqueelit.com, you can create your own lighted marquee letters. These projects can be done far in advance and require some expertise. Likewise, you can create your own picture frames, guestbooks, tablescape, and personalized decor all before your big day to save money and give it that special touch.
Double Duty
Think outside the box! Most decor items can do more than one thing. For example, pictures printed out and framed can serve double duty as both table numbers or menu boards. Like your couple pictures serving as table numbers, think about what else your decorations can do. For example, if you love flowers, maybe the seating cards are seed packets for your guests to take home. Encourage your guests to take home flower centerpieces so they can enjoy them in the days to come. While this advice seems obvious, when you are deep in the weeds of wedding planning, you may forget to use things for more than one purpose. Be creative. Your bank account will thank you for it.
Think Capturable Moments
It is your big day, and you are focused on the task at hand. Likely you’ve given thought to some great pictures for your guests or for you – but just some thought. It is worth it to loop in your photographer and videographer before your big day to hear their thoughts on really getting those capturable moments. Think utilizing decor such as your marquee wedding letters or wine barrel decor to create those moments. With this perspective, you can tie together the various elements of your decor. You can have moments for both the ceremony and the reception and moments for your guests, your wedding party, and you. Just don’t limit these capturable moments, though! You can also have signs, flowers, and other elements to create moments that last for you and your guests.
It is worth it to seek as much advice as possible to avoid the full-on stress of wedding planning. Decor sets the visual tone of your big day, and the experts at EventRoostr are on hand to lighten the load. They offer decor rentals and purchases directly from marqueelit.com and can even do it all for you when you book your event at The Falls Banquet.
Remember, don’t get overwhelmed and ask for help.