Design yourown Wedding
The traditional vanilla palette has had its day with bright, quirky, festival-feel decor allowing couples to create the wow factor
The first rule of wedding etiquette is never upstage the bride, right? Wrong! Nobody will notice if you do as all eyes will be on the wedding decor. From enchanting ceremony backdrops, chic centrepieces and bohemian floral garlands to retro signage and lighting tricks, decorating your big day venue – be it a church, hotel, marquee or a beach is as, if not more, important than the dress. I’ve heard people say they ‘didn’t have a wedding at all’, compared it to the big productions couples carry off nowadays, says Laura Cunningham of Hippenings.com, an online store specialising in hip and original party decor.
‘Everyone is after that illusive “something different” to make their wedding stand out and a venue that provides a blank canvas for the couple’s vision, is often more covetable than an immaculately decorated space,’ she says.
‘It’s all about the added extras and surprises that will entertain guests who have potentially been at five or six weddings that year, some of which may have even been at the same venue,’ she adds.
Like scattering odd vases and jugs filled with loose flowers, using bright, patterned rugs as runners down the aisle, festival-style outdoor cushions, pouffes, balloons and lanterns for after-dinner lounging or a photo booth with props to capture and share all the fun.
There’s no doubt that hours scrolling social media feeds and blogs for quirky ideas has been a huge influence on contemporary weddings.
‘Pinterest and Instagram have had a massive affect with couples wanting to recreate looks they have found online,’ says Jen Cleary of independent lifestyle store Moss Cottage.
‘In fact one of Moss Cottage’s most popular products are hanging Instagram chalk boards and light box signage that display wedding info and hashtags and, of course, look great in photos.’
As for colours, ‘gold, glitter and stronger colours are playing a big role this season’ says Jen.
The latest decorative wedding accessories collection
at Moss Cottage includes whimsical hanging paper pompons in coral and hot pinks, sparkly party tassels and gold foil curtains described as the ‘ultimate way for your guests to enter the party’.
Similarly at hippinings.com the traditional vanilla wedding palette is over. ‘Couples are opting for a festival feel that includes brights, lots of gold and quirky elements,’ says Laura.
‘Balloons are really having a moment. A far cry from the sad, printed latex party balloon of days gone by, they’re now a grown-up decor staple with anything from giant round styles to clear balloons filled with confetti and glitter.’
Hippinings.com’s giant tassel balloons that measure 3ft when inflated are a big hit this summer along with their gold-fringed garlands, glitter piñatas in the shape of lightning bolts and vibrant fiesta bunting – all pieces that will surely create a wow factorand get your guests talking.
Of course homeware stores have seen the potential of the wedding wow factor, too, and are tapping into the market. Susan Gallagher, creative director of wedding blog OneFabDay. com, has noticed the crossover.
‘As trends and decor have become more important in weddings, it was only a matter of time before interiors trends crossed over to wedding decor.
‘With the weddings we showcase on One Fab Day it’s always exciting to see these trends make an appearance. We’ve seen everything from on-trend copper details, to geometric prints and pared back scandi cool.’
There’s certainly plenty of romantic pieces available from the likes of Dunnes, Heatons, Marks & Spencer, ZaraHome and HarveyNorman that could work well at weddings.
The boho bride will love the botanical cake stands and jugs at Marks & Spencer, Next’s wooden heart sculpture or Carolyn Donnelly’s eclectic paper garlands at Dunnes Stores. Zara’s summer range includes brightly coloured acrylic tableware, gilded frames and ornate candlestick holders perfect for outdoor ceremonies. While Harvey Norman’s rustic whitewashed heart mirror would make for a magical backdrop.
For budget-friendly accessories, try Penneys, Tiger Stores and Ikea where you’ll find cute signs, cushions and candles galore and plenty of string LED lights to twinkle come dark.