With This Ring: March 23, 2018

52 With This Ring
STYLING
Your Venue
Styling your venue should be fun! But before
you start looking at all the fine details and
decorations you need to establish the colours
you like, the level of formality you are comfortable
with and the theme you envisage, whether classic,
rustic, romantic or quirky.
If you already have the colour, formality and theme sorted, you can
decide on who and how it is all going to take shape. If you want
spectacular wow and your budget allows for it, then engaging the
services of a stylist will give you an expert eye for the detail. Their
skill and experience can create a mood or a look that brings furniture,
lighting, fabric and décor together in a way that complements the
style of the venue and the theme you desire.
It is helpful to a stylist if you meet over an inspiration board that
highlights your favourite fashion and decorator ideas and gives
them an insight into your personality and individual style. They will
certainly be full of innovative ways to bring your theme and colour
palette to life with flowers, linen, lights, tableware and accessories.
Flowers are ideal for establishing mood, colour and formality.
There are flowers to suit every taste and budget; they can decorate
aisles, tables, walls and marquees, they can be the star attraction or
a beautiful backdrop and they can be romantic, exotic, minimal,
colourful, simple or elaborate.
Fabrics can transform a room from plain to elegant
effortlessly. Draping swathes of fabric on the walls or ceilings,
around poles or over chairs is a clever disguise that swaps
functional for magical in an instant.
Table Linen is a key component of creating the
right atmosphere. Most venues provide floor length white
tablecloths and napkins that can be accessorised with your
colour theme, although usually you will have to pay extra if
the venue supplies the non-white items. Alternatively, you can
source coloured table cloths, runners and napkins yourself,
either purchased or hired.
Tableware supplied by the venue will most often
include white china, standard stemware and cutlery that can
be dishwasher-cleaned. But there are venues that provide
luxury level crystal, silverware and fine china if you wish
to pay more. Whatever you choose or afford, be sure all the
cutlery matches and the china and stemware conform to the
same design, size and shape.
Table Sizes &Shapes are also part
of styling the room depending on its dimensions and the
formality of the wedding. Round tables create intimacy,
oblong tables are good for seating a large number of guests
and long tables are ideal for a banquet-style reception.
Décor: Accessories comprise all the finishing touches
to the room and make your style visually apparent; lights,
lamps, candelabra, urns, pedestals, plants, topiaries, vases,
table decorations, bowls, baskets, bunting, signage, menus and
place cards. By all means dress up the room but be sure your ideas
won’t impede the waiting staff and don’t clutter the tables with so
many decorations that there is no room for plates and glasses!