11 minute read
THEME ON
Weddings by Emily Charlotte © https://helencawte.com VENUE STYLING
The ultimate guide to styling your venue
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Join us for a stroll through the wonderful world of wedding venue styling. It’s all too easy to get carried away, but when a simple idea is executed to perfection, well, that’s when you have a theme come true!
CHOOSING A THEME Settling on a theme can be a tricky business, so the best way forward might be to consider your personalities and common ground, and don’t be afraid to seek help. Rachel Piper from The Fantastical Events Company says, “The theme you choose for your wedding will ultimately come down to your personal tastes, the style of venue, the time year and your budget. There are so many options available from traditional, rustic or boho to modern and festival-inspired. The whole prospect can be daunting on top of organising guests, photographers, caterers – the whole shebang! This is where event stylists come in. We discuss all the ins and outs of the wedding with you and get a feel for your personalities, clarify your likes and dislikes, check for any limitations at the venue, then, based on your budget, present you with a moodboard of ideas and the props we can offer, fully styled. Pinterest and Instagram are great sources for décor inspiration and any good stylist will take on board your suggestions to come up with your perfect wedding at a price you can afford.”
The rustic theme has been extremely popular in recent years and shows no signs of abating. So, if this is one you have your own hearts set on look out for local suppliers who specialise in creating this vibe. One such company is West Sussex-based Ace Rustic Hire. Owner Vikki started out by creating various rustic items along with her dad for her own wedding. They received so many compliments that they decided to share these creations and the business began. Vikki says, “The majority of our items are hand made using reclaimed wood and our range includes table decorations, centrepieces, welcome signs, crates, backdrops, post boxes, seating plan, running order displays, display ladder, sweet cart and bars.” EXPERT TOP TIPS Emily from Weddings by Emily Charlotte shares her expert advice on how to choose a theme. Think about how you envision your wedding day, not just from a style perspective, but the overall atmosphere and setting. Start by writing down some key words that help summarise this, for example: indoors/outdoors, summer/autumn, relaxed/formal, intimate/ party. If someone asked you about your ideal wedding day, these should be the words that instantly come to mind. Think about how you want your guests to feel at your wedding.
Do you want it to be comfortable and familiar, or an impressive experience? Is it important that they have wow-factor moments, or would you prefer a more subtle day but one that’s done well? Next, consider your own personal style; what are you, your partner and your bridal party likely to be wearing? You don’t need to have your exact wedding dress picked out yet but if you dream of a black-tie affair then this will suit certain venues and styles more than others. Don’t be too influenced by trends. By their very nature, trends come and go. If you want your wedding style to last the test of time, then don’t do something just because it’s fashionable. If you love it, then that’s different, go for it! But if you go for a style purely because it’s current, you may look back at your photos in years to come and wish you hadn’t!
© Ace Rustic Hire © Ashdown Events
THE VENUE SPEAKS VOLUMES It doesn’t pay to overlook the setting you’ll be styling, not only when deciding on a theme and palette, but practicality too is crucial. Rachel from The Fantastical Events Company explains, “Picking a venue is not without its considerations. While there are so many beautiful hotels, castles, farms, barns and blank canvases to choose from in Sussex, it’s best to do your research to ensure there are no limitations in terms of what you can and can’t do on your special day. For example, some venues may insist on providing catering themselves. Others may have noise restrictions in terms of live music or DJs, only allow preferred suppliers or, if they’re in demand, may only give you 24 hours to set up and take down, which can be super-stressful.
“Location is also very important. How far is the venue? How will your guests get there? Is there ample parking and accommodation nearby for those faraway relatives? If you’re opting for a festival-style celebration in a hired field more planning will be involved to ensure factors such as power, lighting, weather-proof areas, catering and guest safety are covered.”
Draping can transform a venue into an intimate romantic haven, but there are elements you’ll need to take into account with regards your venue. Fiona Sharkey from Ashdown Events tells us more, “Don’t try to cover up something too big to hide. By draping you can sometimes just draw attention to the very thing you’re trying to disguise! Also, consider any air con units as we can’t cover those.
“What’s more, a lot of ceilings are too low to drape and you’ll make the room seem a lot smaller by trying. Finally, be sure to manage your expectations. Budgets for those big glitzy venues in the U.S. are huge, if you don’t have a £100,000 budget best not look at the pictures!”
The Fantastical Events Company © www.jessicabevanphotography.com
EXPERT TOP TIPS Emily from Weddings by Emily Charlotte shares her expert advice on what to bear in mind when it comes to your venue and styling it. How will your day flow at the venue, which spaces will you use, and where will your guests walk to get from one location to the next? Look at what is (or isn’t) in situ at the venue: colours, patterns, textures, structures. Take photos so you can refer back to this once you get to the styling stage of your wedding. Look at both your plan A (good weather) and plan B (wet weather) options; will your décor plans need to change if you had to implement the latter or can they simply be transferred from one space to another? Check if there are any restrictions or specific suppliers that must be used in your preferred spaces; for example, don’t assume flower installations on existing fixtures will be permitted, if in doubt always ask to avoid any surprises after you’ve committed to a particular design theme. Request clear details on what is (and just as important, what isn’t) included in your venue. Do they offer a choice of tables, chairs, linens, glassware, crockery etc? Be clear on what is available to you within the fee, what may come at an extra cost and what will need to be hired externally.
Weddings by Emily Charlotte © https://helencawte.com
LOOKING AFTER THE PENNIES We’d always recommend that you sit down together and agree on a budget at the very start of your W-day journey, before you do anything else. Deciding how much you’ll devote to the venue styling will be an important part of that, not least because it’s an area in which you can all too easily get swept away. This way, when you’re looking at venues you can get an idea of whether you’ll be able to achieve the look you want within budget given the blank canvas you have in front of you.
Emily from Weddings by Emily Charlotte has some suggestion on where to start. Know how important venue styling is to you. I love the flowers, stationery and place settings, so in an ideal world everyone would allocate a good proportion of their budget to the styling and décor, but for some it’s just not a big deal, so this is an area they’d look to cut back on. If it’s important to you, then be prepared to allocate a reasonable chunk.
Sussex Florals © www.laurenbethphotography.co.uk
Be realistic. It’s totally okay to be unsure of what to expect. Ask your suppliers for guideline figures based on the ideas you have in mind, and be prepared to adjust either your brief or your budget if needed. Trust the experts’ advice. We’ll always work with you where possible, but there’s a limit to how much magic our wands can do! If your style ideas are more than your preferred price point, then a planner or the relevant supplier can help you to come up with alternatives that may give a similar aesthetic at a more cost-effective price. Be honest. When working with your planner or suppliers, always be honest about what you have to spend as it’s important that we know what we’re truly working with so that the design concept is suitable for you. Don’t forget about hidden costs. Delivery, set up and dismantle fees can often apply when hiring in rental items or for floral setups. Remember you’re not just paying for the product but also for people’s time, so allow for this when budgeting.
Weddings by Emily Charlotte © https://helencawte.com
Sussex Florals © www.gemmamount.com CEREMONY TO CELEBRATIONS So, you’ve decided on your theme and allocated a budget. How can you get the most out of that pot? One way is to utilise your décor from the ceremony in your reception space. Petra Beaton from Sussex Florals tells us more, “The ceremony area and reception area will most likely have the same colour scheme and style so we always recommend repurposing as many of the floral arrangements as possible. One arrangement that’s almost always reused is the ceremony table flowers, the long and low style is still a popular choice and it’s so easy to move over to the top table after the ‘I dos.’
“The aisle decorations can also be moved and we often supply vases for tied chair aisle bunches to be placed into in the reception area, allowing them to be used as centrepieces or to decorate another area like the bar or window sills. Likewise, where we’ve used gorgeous flower-filled lanterns to decorate the aisle, all intertwined with fairy lights, these too can be used for reception tables. All of this ties your theme together perfectly and is also so much more sustainable.”
Sussex Florals © www.laurenbethphotography.co.uk
“Sustainability is something we’re becoming more aware of in all aspects of our lives and it’s definitely filtering through to weddings. I work with my couples to repurpose flowers as much as possible throughout the day, and many are foregoing wedding favours completely to avoid the wastage as they often get left or thrown away.” – Emily, Weddings by Emily Charlotte
“Barns are still a popular option together with outdoor ceremonies. Weddings are being booked for all times of year now as off-season venue rates are great value.” – Fiona, Ashdown Events
© Ashdown Events
“Bright colours are set to return in 2023, while navy blue and white remain popular.” – Fiona, Ashdown Events
“Gypsohlia and rose arrangements are definitely the look for 2023! Embrace the unexpected with flowers arranged at all angles and heights with no real symmetry.” – Petra Beaton, Sussex Florals
The Fantastical Events Company © www.jessicabevanphotography.com
“Among the trends for 2023 are creative ceremony backdrops for those Insta-worthy snaps, bright and bold colour schemes for couples wanting to make a statement, metallics, and Bridgeton blue.” – Rachel, The Fantastical Events Company
The Fantastical Events Company © www.jordanmansfieldweddings.com
Weddings by Emily Charlotte © https://helencawte.com
“Earthy tones and warm colours such as burnt orange, dusky pinks, sands and olive greens are proving popular for 2023, for flowers, stationery and bridesmaids’ dresses.” – Emily, Weddings by Emily Charlotte
Weddings by Emily Charlotte © https://helencawte.com
“I’m seeing an increasing number of couples wanting to add a pop of colour to their wedding table. Coloured napkins are a subtle, but beautiful way of doing this, often in conjunction with coloured glassware.” – Emily, Weddings by Emily Charlotte
CONTACT OUR EXPERTS Ace Rustic Hire, www.acerustichire.co.uk Ashdown Events, www.ashdownevents.co.uk The Fantastical Events Company, https://fantasticalevents.co.uk Sussex Florals, www.sussexflorals.co.uk Weddings by Emily Charlotte, https://weddingsbyemilycharlotte.co.uk
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