- Wedding Ideas & Advice for the Couple, Wedding Party and Guests
Wedding Decor: Beyond Flowers
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Truly creative wedding decor often goes well beyond ordinary flowers. With out-of-the-box thinking, you can create a wonderfully individualized, one-of-a-kind look for your wedding. This is precisely how the best wedding consultants approach wedding décor, and it’s something you can do yourself. Used together with flowers or alone, you can incorporate any of the ideas below into your personal wedding theme and style.
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CANDLES
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Candles can instantly change the mood of a room. They come in abundant colors, scents, sizes and styles, any of which can fit into your theme.
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Tips
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Be careful not to place candles near curtains or other hanging fabrics.
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Quality counts. Test the burn time of various candles to find ones that will work for your wedding reception timeframe. Burn times can typically be found on the label.
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Ideas
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For an outdoor wedding, use torches around the periphery of the dance and seating area.
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Use traditional lanterns on each table for an old-world feel or impart an ethnic vibe, with the use of lanterns from Morocco.
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Place dramatic candelabras at the corners of the room.
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Using just one small flower arrangement at each table, place white votives at each place setting for a truly magical look.
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Have floating candles in a pool, pond or fountain. The light reflecting off the water creates a luminous appearance.
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Classic, elegant centerpieces are easily created by grouping together pillar candles in varying heights.
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BALLOONS
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Balloons are a cost-effective way to turn a room into something magical. They are not just for kids anymore; decorators now create elaborate sculptures with infinite possibilities. Generally speaking there are two types of balloons:
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Latex balloons are the traditional rubber type. They are inexpensive but don't hold helium for more than a day.
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Mylar balloons are made of a strong foil-like material and are available in a variety of shapes and designs. They cost more than latex, but can hold their inflation for weeks.
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Tips
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The colors of the balloons should complement your color scheme or that of the venue.
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Check the height of the ceilings in your venue prior to arranging the balloons.
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Ideas
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If your site has high ceilings, fill balloons with helium and tie with pretty curling string. Let them float to the ceiling with long ribbons streaming down above your guests' heads.
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Attach helium-filled balloons to chairs or arrange them in clusters throughout the site.
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Create an enchanting walk through arch in the entryway to the reception hall.
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Form tall columns in corners, by cake tables or at either end of doorways.
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Dance under a magical canopy of beautifully colored balloons which will no doubt complete the enchanted moment.
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RIBBONS & BOWS
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The ultimate wedding accessory, ribbons and bows are an inexpensive way to add sweetness to any event.
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Ideas
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Wrap everyday items like a vase for a sophisticated look.
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Tie ribbons to chair backs, napkins and programs.
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FABRIC
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Organza, tulle, gauze or satin can be artfully used to mask room imperfections or create a sensuous mood.
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Ideas
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Drape swaths of fabric from ceilings in clusters or create an archway at the start of the aisle.
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Use fabric to line an aisle or drape it over tables to add a touch of elegance.
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SEASONAL
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Using organic items can help to create sensational color, textures and aroma.
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Ideas
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For a fresh, organic look, use potted trees, topiaries or plants to dress up your reception area.
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For fall weddings, buffet areas can be adorned with pumpkins, squash and other gourds.
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Create beautiful blocks of color by nestling citrus fruits in clear vases of all shapes and sizes.
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NATURE
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Nothing is more glorious than gifts from Mother Nature. Not only are they naturally beautiful but if you’re lucky you can get these items for free or close to nothing!
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Ideas
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A summertime wedding is the perfect setting to incorporate bowls of shells or pretty stones.
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Incorporate actual shells onto program covers for a beach or nautical theme.
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Autumn weddings are perfect for utilizing the colorful leaves of the fall. Recreate the look of fallen leaves on your tables by placing dry and flattened leaves under a piece of glass. It can be small and work as a placemat or done for the entire table.
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Pinecones are perfect for winter weddings. Not only do they look great, but they also exude a terrific aroma. For a splash of color spray them with fake snow and/or glitter.
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