How to successfully decorate your wedding

Many future brides and grooms aspire to an original wedding. I like to think that each wedding is unique, it is the reflection of your history, your personalities, your ages, your tastes. The first rule is to stay true to this DNA that makes you unique. And then to let yourself be carried away by your desires. At the beginning it will necessarily be a little messy, you will skim the blogs, pin a thousand inspirations on Pinterest. And then as you organize, an atmosphere will gradually take shape. Defining your style, your colors, your budget, the task may seem relatively simple at first, but it can also become a real headache.

To help you see things more clearly, today I am welcoming Edina, Wedding Designer at Noobah, who is sharing her professional expertise and wise advice with us...

The decoration of a wedding matures throughout the organization process but must really take shape 5-6 months before the big day.

When I work on creating a wedding decoration, I demonstrate organization and creativity. Two notions that may seem diametrically opposed! I then apply the funnel technique: I start from the general to move towards the particular.

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

1. Budget your decoration

As with any wedding planning, decoration must be budgeted accurately. Here is a breakdown by item of the costs to consider:

Flowers

This budget is essential and yet still too underestimated or even neglected. A beautiful wedding requires thinking about floral design. This element brings life to a decoration and gives it relief. More and more artisan florists are establishing a minimum intervention budget, set between €1 and €500 (including centerpieces, buffet arrangements, reception room arrangements, bridal bouquet). When I work on decorating a wedding, I budget a minimum of €1 for floral design. And this is indeed a minimum that can quickly increase depending on your aspirations in this area.

Stationery

Table numbers, menus, place cards, thank you labels, table plan, are among the stationery items to consider when drawing up your budget. Their graphic charter very often follows that established for invitations and save the date. I cannot give you a budget range because everything depends on the finishes requested. Indeed, the price will not be the same for a simple print or for a letterpress print, an ink print or a laser print, a single-sided or double-sided print. The choice of paper or support (wood, plexiglass, concrete, etc.) also plays a role in the budget estimate. Finally, remember to budget for the little "extras": links to hang the thank you labels, table plan and table number support.

Furniture & decorative objects

The chairs and tables offered by your reception venue don't suit you? Opt for rental. Once again, this has to be budgeted for and can seriously inflate the budget! On average, count on €6,50 per chair and €9 per tablecloth. To this must be added the delivery and handling costs which depend on the location of your service provider. Finally, you can rent furniture (sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, etc.) to create a coherent atmosphere and then decorative objects (candelabras, candlesticks, vases, etc.).

Table cloth

My experience allows me to tell you that it is not so easy to benefit from quality table linen, especially when you go through your caterer who subcontracts this service. It is not uncommon to end up with stained or scratched tablecloths... in short, to end up with tablecloths whose condition you have to check before putting them down. This is time-consuming but necessary if you are, like me, meticulous. It is also difficult to find circular tablecloths. In terms of budget, the dimensions and the finish (cotton, linen, hemp, silk, etc.) also come into play, you should expect on average between 35€ and 60€ per tablecloth then 1,50€ per napkin.

Tableware (dishes, glassware, cutlery)

This position is very often managed by your caterer, who, for the most part, also subcontracts. On the other hand, there are specialized service providers who will offer you a wide range of products. This position is not essential but can really make a difference. The detail of a chiseled crystal glass or the engraving of a cutlery will always have their little effect on your guests. Always keep in mind that in decoration the devil is in the details. Thus, you can enhance your table service with knife holders, bread rests and individual butter dish. There is no shortage of small attentions in this area! Finally, if you have the possibility of creating a food and tableware pairing, do so. It will be very effective.

Guest gifts

I always prefer to include guest gifts in my decoration budget because they are often presented in a special "form": in a small box, a kraft bag, tied with a pretty ribbon. And that, without realizing it, adds costs!

My little tip: try to offer a little something related to the region in which the reception is taking place (vial of olive oil / small Marseille soap in Provence, beaten cake / vial of Pommeau in Normandy, etc.). The idea is to introduce your guests to part of the regional heritage.

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

Once the whole budget aspect is taken care of, you can let your creativity run wild! You've looked around Pinterest a thousand times, plundered Instagram and selected all the photos that make you dream and that you would like to use as inspiration for creating your decoration. Perfect! Once you've done one thing, let's now move on to the next steps:

2. Determine the universe of your wedding

Your iconographic research will have allowed you to know what is being done in the wedding and decoration sector. On the other hand, I invite you to rely on the visual identity of your reception venue. Indeed, the latter already tells a story, it is up to you to enhance it in order to create real coherence between your story, your decoration and the building. This point is one of the keys to decorating a wedding.

3. Define your color palette

Now it's time to refocus on your wedding and detach yourself from all your inspirations, which have nourished you until now, to make your decoration your own. The first thing to do is to define your color palette, that is to say the colors of your wedding. Then determine the "warmth" of your palette: warm or cold. Are you more taupe gray or mouse gray? The main thing is, afterward, to stick to a range of shades.

Wedding Decoration – Noobah’s Advice

4. Identify your spaces to decorate (and prioritize!)

This step is closely linked to your budget. My advice is to first focus on the decoration of the tables. Putting the package on your table decoration will always create the "wow" effect when your guests enter the room. Then you can subsequently consider the decoration of the buffets, the entertainment corners, the room in general. Without forgetting the location of your ceremony as well as the cocktail.

5. Choose your providers

Your budget is set, your inspirations are gathered, you have brought your wedding identity to life and you know the number of spaces to decorate. It is now time to contact the service providers who will be working on your wedding. Launch the quote requests, choose your services and plan the interventions.

Credits

Pictures : The Scribble Woman
Flowers: Petrichor
Decoration, stationery and staging: Noobah

TO BE CONTINUED…

Our addresses on The Address Book
Our favorites on the Shop
Our inspirations on our Pinterest

Follow our news on instagram et facebook

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like:

Where to find inspiration to decorate your wedding?
Renting furniture and decoration for your wedding
Find your wedding decoration online