Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!
Find Your Local Florist:
Home Shop Flowers Bloomin' Blog Find Florists About FSN Contact FSN Florists Only!

Decorating Ideas For A Wedding Reception

What is true of nearly every wedding is the fact that the guests spend far more time at the reception than they do at the ceremony. So when it comes to flowers, the astute bride will focus more of her attention, and her budget, on decorating the wedding reception. The ideas are as varied and unique as each individual bride, but the primary goal is always the same: to provide a happy and memorable experience for the guests and the bridal party alike. And flowers are, of course, the obvious choice for creating a festive and celebratory mood.

Find Your Reception Theme & Stick With It

Among the most important ideas in decorating for a wedding reception is to establish a specific theme and stick with it throughout the venue. This may be based on a particular color or color harmony, or a certain motif, such as a heart or a fleur-de-lis, which is repeated in all the decorations. Very often, the color scheme is related to the color of the bridesmaids’ dresses; when the attendants enter the room, they complement the environment with their colorful presence. Tablecloths, napkins, and flowers are then selected to coordinate with the gowns. It is important to consider the existing colors in the room as well, even when it comes to selecting the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Reception Entryway Flowers

Decorating Ideas For A Wedding ReceptionThe wedding guests’ entry experience will greatly influence their mood at the reception. This is an area which should be emphasized for maximum impact. Decorating ideas include hanging garlands of fragrant blossoms over the doorway, flanking the entrance with grand floral arrangements or masses of foliage plants, hanging heart-shaped wreaths of flowers on the doors, swagging fabric overhead, or strewing the floor with rose petals. Miniature twinkle lights can certainly add to the festive atmosphere, and may be incorporated into trees or garlands.

Free-standing Flower Arrangements

Free-standing floral arrangements, strategically positioned around the room, can contribute greatly to the wedding reception decorating plan. One idea is to stuff the canopy of a rented ficus tree with flowers, creating a large-scale floral topiary. Or place extravagant, cascading flower arrangements atop tall columns, which may be situated among the tables or around the dance floor. These large scale designs can do a lot to dramatize the room, and create a sense of intimacy among the guests.

Decorating The Wedding Cake Area

The wedding cake is a primary focal point at every reception, and should be decorated accordingly. Stage the cake in a prominent position in the room, on a special table of its own. Consider creating a backdrop of foliage, flowers, screens, or fabric, since this will be a setting where many photographs will be taken. Drape the table in layered linens to emphasize the importance of the scene, and elevate the cake on a large platter or silver plateau to make it more prominent. Of course, fresh flowers will always enhance the wedding cake itself as well as the table. One lovely decorating idea is to position the cake on top of a clear glass disk, perhaps 24″ or 30″ in diameter, which is supported by glass bricks. Fresh flowers can then be arranged beneath the cake, gracefully spilling out onto the table from under the glass as the cake seems to float.

Reception Finishing Touches

To add a charming and sentimental personal touch to the wedding reception decor, place framed photographs of the bride’s and groom’s parents from their own wedding days on the cake table or the guest book podium. It’s a loving expression of heritage and gratitude.

The individual guest tables provide unlimited opportunities to personalize the reception decorations. Consider clustering several small vases of fresh flowers into a larger composite centerpiece. Guests can then take the individual bouquets home as a memento of the happy event. Placing the vases atop mirrors, and interspersing votive candles and glass gems, adds a dimension of sparkling light to the completed tablescape.

Your local florist has lots of other creative decorating ideas for a wedding reception. Call or visit today, and begin planning an unforgettably special event.

Fabulous Wedding Day Flowers

As spring fever rises with the temperatures, newly engaged brides-to-be will soon be planning the wedding flowers for their upcoming nuptials. In an earlier post, we discussed some of the special details that can be incorporated into the wedding bouquet flowers and the personal flowers for members of the wedding party. Here we’ll take a look at some ways to add personality to the flower arrangements at the wedding ceremony and reception.

Aisle Flowers For The Wedding Ceremony

Rustic Wedding - Aisle FlowersFlowers can really make the mood of a wedding, and floral arrangements created with an eye for stylish detail will be remembered long after the bride has gone down the aisle. Speaking of the aisle, this is an area which is a focal point for the ceremony and ought to be treated as such. For example, the aisle can be transformed into a veritable garden by placing clusters of flowers and foliage at the ends of the pews. These floral clusters may be accented with a cascade of ribbons or sheer tulle for an even more romantic effect. Or for a sophisticated alternative, the ends of the pews may be swagged with fabric which matches or coordinates with the bridesmaids’ dresses and is tied into an over-scale, Dior bow. Alternate the bows with floral torchieres created on inverted cones covered in gilded leaves.

Protecting Aisle Decorations

For a really elegant feeling, the aisle may be “closed”, meaning that garlands of flowers or fabric are draped between the pews, preventing access from the center aisle which is reserved, untrampled and pristine, for the bride and her wedding party who enter on a white cloth runner (guests are seated from the sides).

Guestbook Table Flowers

The guest book podium provides another opportunity for flowers to delight the wedding guests. Consider laying a garland of fresh and fragrant blossoms across the book stand, and later it can be reused around the base of the wedding cake or at the head table. Or place a simple but gorgeous hand-tied nosegay into a small vase near the book. Add long, flouncy ribbon streamers, and afterwards the bride can lift it from the vase and reuse it as her tossing bouquet at the reception.

Wedding Reception Flowers

Tennessee State Florist Association Convention Banquet CenterpieceWedding guests typically spend more time at the reception than at the ceremony, so this is an area where the wedding flowers can have maximum impact. Enhancing the guests’ entry experience here will create a lovely ambiance for the rest of the celebration. This can be achieved by hanging flowers over the doors to the room, flanking the entrance with large arrangements of aromatic flowers or lighted ficus trees, and letting the room with sparkle with candlelight.

Wedding Cake Flowers

The cake itself can be the centerpiece of the wedding reception. Consider placing it at the entry to the room where all the guests will encounter it as they come inside. Drape the cake table in a tulle skirt to which fresh rose petals have been glued, and pull the corners up into peaks which are accented with clutches of more, full blown roses tied with shimmery satin ribbons. Complete the tablescape by tucking roses and stephanotis blossoms between the cake layers and on the top…..scrumptious!

Head Table Flowers

What’s the most romantic new trend at the wedding reception? Do away with the onerous head table with its sometimes prickly political alliances, and seat the bride and groom at a small private table for two which is elaborately layered with luxurious linens. Position the table in the center of the room, surrounded by all the other guests, place some glimmering candles and an intimately designed wedding centerpiece in the middle, and add coordinating fresh floral garlands to the backs of the chairs.

The Ultimate Wedding Flower Detail

Of course the ultimate, memorable detail among wedding flowers is to place vases of them in the restrooms, which will surprise and delight the guests. This sort of attention to their comfort certainly heightens the festive occasion.

Your local professional florist has a lot of other ideas for personalizing your wedding flowers and creating an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. Call to set up an appointment for a wedding consultation today.

Rustic Wedding – Aisle Flowers photo by Back to the Fuchsia, a flower shop in Saugatuck MI.