As the decorator for my little sister’s recent wedding, I don’t want to forget to show you the great design ideas her wedding showcases. For brides on a serious budget the reception can be a tough, but rewarding design challenge.
My sister has a modern and bold design style. Her favorite colors are yellow, gray, silver, and black. She wanted her wedding décor to also feature the chevron pattern combined with the texture of burlap. This was very challenging at first because it was not my style at all, but with the help of my youngest sister and mother we were able to come up with some great ideas.
One of the biggest challenges was the reception, which was held in a gym. The red pads on the wall behind the goals and the red basketball floor markings were a bit distracting. To counteract this, we hot glued strips of cloth, burlap, and ribbon to twine. We then stretched the streamers over the pads creating a unique backdrop.
Our main goal was to draw your eye up from the floor to the tables and to the wonderful people seated there. We achieved this by filling simple mason jars with sticks from my parent’s farm and adding a few sprigs of yellow flowers and silver beads. My mother used the jar lids to make mini chalk boards with personalized messages. She glued them to the front of the jars with jeweled ribbon. The burlap chevron runners helped to turn ordinary plastic table clothes into an eye-catching layered designer look.
Because it was a desert reception, the wedding cake and groom’s cake were not the only sweets we enjoyed. This antique three tiered table became the perfect cupcake station. We also created a candy wonderland with every kind of sweet in the wedding colors. This was the highlight to all the young guests.
Displayed in pretty jars, these treats became an edible part of the décor. I have to say that the one thing that pushed this reception over the top and made you forget you were in a gym was the tulle ceiling.
My dad and the groom’s father spent hours rigging this masterpiece up. There is not a picture that does it justice. When the gym lights were dimmed and the candles were lit the tulle set off a glow and hid the ceiling above. I really think this reception was a great success. It just goes to show that you don’t have to have a lot of money to pull off the perfect wedding; just a lot of people who love you.
