Beautiful Adornments:
Choosing a Florist, Decorations & Favors

Decorations

Today decorating for a wedding and reception offers a variety of options. Crepe paper and honeycomb bells have been joined by balloons, bows, tulle, candles, mini-lights and flowers, to create any style of décor a couple may desire. Whether the couple wants to do-it-themselves or hire a professional there are many decisions to be made and like all other details of the wedding, careful planning will help to alleviate any last minute rushing and worry.

The first decision to make is one of control. Does the couple want to handle every single detail and item themselves or hand the job over to a decorating professional? If the couple would like to do-it-themselves they may still find it helpful to turn to a pro. Most professional décor providers are happy to sell the supplies and rent the equipment, plus show a few tricks to those desiring to do their own decorating. The wise couple will keep in mind the fact that in most cases the decorating will have to be done on the day of the wedding. The couple must then decide whether more to do on the wedding day is worth the small savings in the decorating budget.
After the decision is made on who will do the work, the job ahead is to decide on what needs to be done. The following décor ideas may be a helpful way to start.

Ceremony Décor

The Entrance: More and more couples are choosing to utilize balloons as decor at the wedding ceremony. Nowadays balloon-decorating professionals are using the aid of other materials along with balloons to add a much more elegant feel to the traditional festive balloon decorating of years past. Pillars of balloons wrapped with tulle and ribbon outside of the ceremony location add a special touch to mark the entrance and welcome the guests. For theme weddings the use of props, balloons and other decorations can be used to create nearly any desired atmosphere or idea a couple may have! And if they haven’t seen it before, it doesn’t mean it can’t be done, decoration professionals are in the business of creating unique and wonderful ideas!
Ceremony Seating: Tulle, flowers and custom bows in the wedding colors make an elegant way of denoting reserved seating at the ceremony. These lovely accents can be custom made by a florist or decorating specialist.

Reception Décor

The Entrance: The first impression of the reception starts at the front door. Decorations at the entrance set the tone, it says, “the party is here!” For a fun loving celebration clusters of balloons bring cheer to your greeting. A more elegant reception may welcome the guests with beautiful floral topiaries accented with soft white miniature lights.
Dance Floor: The dance floor is the place to let loose and celebrate, so loose balloons with glittering streamers are a very appropriate choice here! For large spaces with high ceilings, consider a canopy to create some intimacy – balloons, tulle, holiday lighting or a combination of all three can create a stunning look. Another idea is to use large balloons filled with smaller heart-shaped ones for a balloon burst that will shower the bride and groom with love at the appropriate time.
Tables: Table décor also adds to the ambience of the room. Event artists can provide elegant place settings, unique centerpieces, and chair covers to dress-up any table. Special attention is given to the head table; often a backdrop of an arch or other creation is made to frame the area where the bride and groom will be seated. Likewise, the gift table and cake table are also decorated for prominence in the room.
Through the creativity and know-how of an event artist/designer, a truly magical transformation can be made to any location. Balloons, fabrics, lighting, flowers, fountains, arches and props can be used in any combination to provide a one-of-a-kind look sure to fit any couple’s style.

Favors

Favors are small tokens of appreciation that say “thank you” for attending. Favors are given to guests at many types of celebrations. At weddings, favors are usually associated with showers and the reception. These gifts can often be found in baskets by the entrance/exit or at sit-down events placed on the table at each place setting. Choices and ideas for favors are limitless. The most common favors for weddings include nuts/mints wrapped in tulle, boxed individual pieces of chocolate, votive candles, CDs and flowers. Sometimes favors will incorporate wedding colors, the bride and groom’s name or other information that makes them a personalized momento. Favors and supplies can be found at a variety of businesses, from those who specialize in creating unique favors to shops that carry or can order personalized trinkets.