Wedding reception decor gets personal
More personal, more inventive.
Those are the dominant trends in wedding receptions, experts say, in an era when brides have all the online resources to plan, share and often produce their own affairs.
Many are drawn to something beyond the traditional banquet/speeches/garter throw-and-go reception.
Pins and plans
Sites such as Project Wedding, The Knot, Wedding Wire and Pinterest show a wide variety of designs for fabric and paper decorations, centerpieces, color schemes, food table displays and party activities. A bride can take on the creative task herself with friends, or share her favorite ideas with professional planners or vendors.
There are tips online for hosting an under-$5,000 wedding (have an afternoon affair serving cookies, cider and champagne instead of a whole meal, decorate tables with trails of polished river rocks and small bowls of single-hued flowers), or making a large reception feel more intimate (group people at smaller tables, provide sofas or lounge areas for casual conversation).
Shira Savada, an editor at Martha Stewart Weddings, says that when it comes to details, today’s brides aren’t “just duplicating something they see in a magazine – it’s ordering something custom through Etsy, or having mom make fabric napkins instead of renting.”
Themes
Craig Norton, director of operations for the Prince George Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says themes are in. He oversees between 40 and 50 weddings a year, with budgets from $10,000 to $120,000.
“We’ve done a Parisian theme, with a bistro menu en francais. We did a summer camp theme for a couple who had met at one. There was food served in a canoe, a campfire, picnic tables and s’mores,” he says.
Colors
Savada, at Martha Stewart, says color palettes have gotten more unusual: combos such as gray and black paired with coral, or ivory and cream with emerald.
“Black may not be the first color you think of when you think wedding, but it packs a punch and can be quite elegant,” she says. “And metallics are all over the place.”
While stripes and polka dots were the trend in the past couple of years, she says, those bold geometrics are yielding again to loose, hand-painted patterns such as florals and prints inspired by art and nature.
Savada also notes that some brides love modern typography and juxtaposing sleek elements with a rustic outdoor venue, for example. Others love all things vintage – but are finding inspiration in mid-century, ’60s and ’70s style.
Another trend, she says, is having decor pull double duty: escort cards as favors or place cards integrated into the menu, centerpieces for the guests to take home.
Flowers in fashion
Although there are lots of new alternatives to flowers, Norton, at the Prince George, observes that brides still love blooms.
“With the green movement, they were out of style for a while, but we’re once again getting requests for big centerpieces and buckets of flowers,” he says.
Cake is back
Norton’s seeing the return of a wedding-reception icon: the cake.
“Cupcakes are out, and cakes are back,” Norton says. “At one wedding, we did a parade of cakes. Each table got its own two-tiered cake, cut and served family style. It’s impressive when a train of servers carrying 22 identical cakes walk into a room!”
Cupcake towers can still be a great alternative to a big pricey confection. Or try a doughnut tower, with gourmet flavors for adults and simpler ones for the children’s table.
This undated photo provided by Moxie Photography shows an embellished paper cone with rose petals. Embellished paper cones can be filled with flower petals or confetti, and are a simple craft brides can make themselves. Pinterest and bridal websites have hundreds of ideas on DIY projects to create personalized wedding reception décor. (AP Photo/Moxie Photography, Diana Vermeulen)
This 2013 publicity photo provided by courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. shows calligraphed paper lemon wedges, perched on rims of glass goblets, that serve as placecards in place settings from the Real Weddings spread, originally published in the spring issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Combining rusticity and elegance is a modern trend in wedding receptions. Flowers can have a less formal presentation, and seating can be more casual. (AP Photo/Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.)
This undated photo provided by Moxie Photography shows a display of vintage wedding dresses belonging to members of the family, that one couple displayed at their wedding reception. Personalizing the décor is a popular trend in wedding receptions, and there are many creative, inexpensive ideas to be found on the Internet’s bridal sites and pin boards. (AP Photo/Moxie Photography, Diana Vermeulen)
This publicity photo provided by Prince George Hotel shows tall vessels, with submerged flower blooms that set a dramatic table at this late spring wedding with a romantic evening theme. After a period of unpopularity, wedding reception flowers are back in a big way, says Craig Norton, Director of Operations for Halifax Canada?s Prince George Hotel, which hosts 40 to 50 weddings each year. (AP Photo/Prince George Hotel, Liam Hennessey, Applehead Studio, Inc.)
This 2013 publicity photo provided by courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. shows a Weddings Hybrid, Spring 2013, centerpiece, originally published in the spring issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. Combining rusticity and elegance is a modern trend in wedding receptions. Flowers can have a less formal presentation, and seating can be more casual. (AP Photo/Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., Patricia Heal)