Join us for a stroll through the wonderful world of wedding venue styling. It’s all too easy to carried away, but when a simple idea is executed to perfection, well, that’s when you have a theme come true! CHOOSING A THEME Settling on a theme can be a tricky business, so the best way forward might be to consider your common ground. Karl Shoemark at Glastonbury-based Themes Inc says, “Why not find a wedding quiz or use your venue to make the decision for you? You might choose a theme inspired by where you met, a holiday you spent together or a dream adventure.” Alternatively, you may both decide to influence different areas. Wedding planner Samantha Smart from Wedding Regency says, “If the couple have different ideas then it may be worth combining two themes for example Harry Potter and Star Wars – it could be fun!” The key thing to bear in mind when you’re at this stage, to avoid getting carried away, is whether it’s realistic. Can your budget accommodate your grand plans for example? As Bath-based event stylist and floral designer Lauren Alexander points out, “The likes of Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful ways to glean inspiration, but often images are of carefully-curated styled shoots rather than real weddings, and it’s so hard to gauge the cost of their contents. Therefore, I spend a lot of time researching with my couples and finding out what floats their collective boat. What’s important though is to do something really well, rather than stretching your budget across the entire venue and making it less impactful.” PICK A PALETTE One of keys to settling on the perfect colour palette for your big day is the time of year. Holly Allman-Lopez of Ambience Venue Styling Bath explains, “Different seasons naturally lend themselves to certain palettes. Spring and summer tend to suit lights or the brights, with an abundance of fresh flowers to choose from; whereas autumn and winter weddings work well with warm, rich tones with lots of lovely dried textures.” The other most important consideration, aside from simply what you like of course, is your venue. Lauren tells us, “Choosing your colour scheme before your venue can be a little dangerous! What if you’re adamant on a palette, but your surroundings completely clash? There’s something to be said for working with what the venue can offer rather than trying to pigeon-hole it into anything else. I love to work with couples to build a gorgeous palette, which complements not only the venue, but also the bride’s dress and the bridal party attire, as well as having fun and being a little playful. Over the past few years we’ve seen a huge trend for pastel tones, but pops of colour are starting to come to the forefront now.” If you’re still undecided Karl has some further pointers: “What about your home? Take a look around, maybe these are the colours that best represent you. The most popular hues for weddings at the moment are champagne, white and ivory – these classic neutrals work as a base to support other colours, pairing well with any theme, style and venue.” “Choose a maximum of three colours for a rustic, vintage look.” – Karl,Themes Inc THE VENUE SPEAKS VOLUMES It doesn’t pay to ignore your setting when it comes to the styling, not only when picking a palette, as practicality is crucial. So, there are some important points to bear in mind. Karl has some advice: “Think about your vision for the day and look for a venue that fits. If a rustic vibe is for you, perhaps a barn would be best. If you have your heart set on a fairytale of a big day, what about a castle or an abbey? You could chat to a planner before you start the search as they may be able to narrow your ideas down, less is more.” Lauren says, “Choosing your venue is like choosing your other half! There’ll be things you love and that’s why you picked it, but there’ll always be things that niggle.” On the topic of venue styling, the best thing you can do, as is the case in all other areas of planning your big day, is to quiz with as many questions as you can, both of the venue staff and of yourselves. “Will everything be in one room or are there multiple spaces available? Does the venue provide any décor?,” Samantha suggests asking. While Lauren reminds us, “Things can be changed or upgraded and you can rent plenty of different props to make the space more personal. So, don’t be afraid of a venue that might not be 100 per cent to your taste.” LOOKING AFTER THE PENNIES We’d always recommend that you sit down together and agree on a budget at the very start of your journey to W-day, before you do anything else. Deciding how much you want to devote to the venue styling will be www.jamesandkerriephotography.co.uk for Ambience Venue Styling Bath The ultimate guide to styling your venue come true A THEME VENUE STYLING 49
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