A THEME COME TRUE

The ultimate guide to styling your venue

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. Lauren Marnell at R’marnies Weddings & Events says, “For a truly personal wedding, look at what you both like, what you’ve dreamed of, what you enjoy and what makes you smile, as well as your life experiences, and places and people important to you.”

Whatever theme you opt for, it’s a way to communicate your own love story and ensure your big day is as unique as the two of you. Regardless of what you have in mind, the best place to start is by having a chat with your venue stylist, recommends Amanda Nelson of Wachadoin Events. She tells us, “Your venue stylist can help you keep things viable whatever you go for, whether it’s something current such as rustic or botanical themes; traditional, classic design; or something completely different. You’ll need to decide how far you want to take the idea – it could be as simple as using a table plan and name cards to add in a hint of the theme, or you can go all out and decorate the whole venue. From pirates to motor racing or Disney and beyond anything can work, but you need to maintain a good balance between the theme and how you want your day to look and feel.” PICK A PALETTE One of the keys to settling on the perfect palette for your big day is the time of year. Different seasons will naturally lend themselves to different colours. During the spring or summer for example, many opt for pretty pastels such as the oh-so on trend blush pink and sage. Autumn and winter on the other hand bring out the gorgeous rich jewel tones such as burgundy or emerald green, or seasonal hues of frosty white, blue and silver.

Don’t fret though, as Katie Lloyd at Maddison J Creations says, “You’ll know what you’re drawn to the most when it comes to colour and style. Don’t be afraid to be different, you don’t have to stick to the trends – this is your day. There are many different ways to add pops of colour throughout the styling, which is why we think it’s so important to meet with your stylist at your venue.”

THE VENUE SPEAKS VOLUMES It doesn’t pay to ignore your setting when it comes to the styling, not only when picking a theme and palette, but practicality too is crucial. In fact, it’s so important that Katie advises you to choose your venue before you set your heart on anything else. She says, “Some are light and airy, others can be dark and historical. Settling on where you’ll marry first, gives you a starting point for your theme. Most will have an image gallery of previous weddings on their website to help inspire you.”

So, to the aforementioned practicalities. We recommend you ask your venue team as many questions as possible and ask for a meeting with

Wachadoin Events

your venue stylist to guide you. You’ll need to know about things such as ceiling height, which will affect your centrepieces; what chairs are available; how much time to you get to set up; and whether you/your stylist can attach anything to beams, ceiling and/or walls.

Another key question to ask is whether the venue team will transfer your ceremony décor to the reception, as reusing these elements in both parts of the day is a sure fire way to save money and to make sure everything is cohesive. Lauren says, “Dress your ceremony aisle well as it sets the tone. Careful planning here means you can transfer some of your décor to create stunning centrepieces and other items can be placed around the venue. If you’re having a church ceremony and then going on to a venue, giving the church props a minimalist vibe will make them easier to transfer. With lanterns and candles, a couple of blossom trees and pew bows you’ll have a beautiful romantic ceremony with easy-to-move elements that are kind on the budget.”

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“Incorporate your bridal bouquets into your top table décor. Ask your venue stylist to leave out vases with fresh water to give them a place to sit and save them wilting throughout the day.” – Katie Lloyd, Maddison J Creations

LOOKING AFTER THE PENNIES We’d always recommend that you sit down together and agree on a budget at the very start of your journey to W-day. Deciding how much you want to 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. “Look at affordability, look at what you want and be prepared to be open minded to small changes that could make a difference to your budget, but not to your vision,” Lauren advises.

Katie says, “Be realistic with what you want to spend, there are lots of companies who caterer for all different budgets. Most will provide a detailed quote allowing you to decide on your must-haves. After all, everyone will see the venue styling as soon as they walk in, it makes an impact, so if it’s important to you, allocate the budget.”

Research local venue stylists carefully and you’re sure to find the right one who’ll help you work out a budget and will be happy to operate within it. For example, the team of specialists at R’marnies work with their couples to do just that. Lauren explains, “We make the effort to provide the perfect day within the allocated allowance, tailoring our bespoke packages to suit. We want all our couples to be happy and stress free so we find exchanging ideas, creating options and providing a great service for a fair price is the surest way to ensure a fabulous occasion.” VENUE STYLING DOS AND DON’TS ...according to Katie at Maddison J Creations

THE DOS ❤ Make sure your venue stylist is insured and has relevant up-to-date public liability. ❤ Take along as many ideas as possible when you meet with your venue stylist. The more examples you can show, the more your stylist will understand what you want. Mood boards are great for this. ❤ Have an input, even if you feel overwhelmed at the thought of designing your wedding. This is your day and your decor should reflect your personalities. Your venue stylist will work with you and apply their expert knowledge and advice. ❤ To guide your budget planning, break your styling down into sections – ceremony, venue and wedding breakfast. Remember your ceremony is less than 30 minutes, guests will be in your main wedding breakfast room for most of the day.

THE DON’TS ❤ Don’t hire two venue stylists as their work could clash and fail to create a uniformed appearance. ❤ If your venue has strong colours don’t fight them. Go with the flow and chose hues that complement the surroundings.

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R’marnies Weddings & Events © bancroftphotography.co.uk

“This year has seen pale pink and peach take weddings by storm. Along with clean-looking natural weddings bringing the outside in.” – Katie Lloyd, Maddison J Creations

“Hanging florals are in demand, some suspended over the top table and others from the ceiling. This will all depend on your venue, their rules and the height of its ceilings.” – Katie Lloyd, Maddison J Creations

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▲ Blush and sage has been huge for 2022 and it’s not hard to see why, simply gorgeous.

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▲ Thanks to Bridgerton the Regency trend has well and truly taken hold. Think Wedgewood blue and plenty of loose pastel floral displays.

CONTACT OUR EXPERTS Maddison J Creations, https://maddisonjcreations.co.uk R’Marnies Weddings & Events, www.instagram.com/rmarniesweddingsandevents Wachadoin Events, www.wachadoin.events