chiavari chairs

How To Style Long Wedding Tables

When it comes to wedding receptions, the traditional set up has often been for a long top table for the bridal party, with round tables through the rest of the reception set up.

But while the old classics are tried and tested go-to’s for a reason, that doesn’t mean you have to stick to it.

As the taste in venues has changed in recent times, with many couples going for more laid back, rustic venues, the demand for long tables has increased and it’s not hard to see why.

Whether going for a room full of long tables, one big long table or a mix or round and long, they are something you should consider for your wedding day décor, both for their convivial nature and for their eye catching impact.

Here we look at options and ways to style them to the max. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

Chairs

There’s no hard and fast rules when it comes to matching chairs to long tables, but there’s no denying that a long table set up certainly evokes a more laid back, relaxed style for your reception. Think village hall chic, no set table plan, people sitting and chatting where they feel most comfortable and a really intimate feeling. With that, often the best chairs to match can be bistro style or Chiavari chairs. Keep it simple and leave them naked or if you want to add an extra layer of chic why not add some tasteful draping or even streamers?

Florals and Garlands

Long tables love long garlands. They are a match made in heaven. Whether you decide to go for long lush greens paired with crisp whites, or florals with pops of colour interspersed along the way, it’s all about that overhang at the end. A long contrasting coloured table runner is also a great addition, as are the odd tall focal points, such as blossom trees or candelabras to bring a really visual counterpoint to the finished look.

Finishing Touches

There’s no limit to the amount of finishing touches you can add to your long tables. If you want to keep to a budget paper pieces such as pop-poms interspersed with your garland can look really well, as can economical yet rustic chic wooden boxes and slices. Candles of differing sizes lined along the centre line will look absolutely show stopping, as will lanterns.

A Mix of Long/Round

The exact type of table set up will often be dictated by your venue, so when viewing options be sure to ask what is and is not possible in terms of the space.

The style of venue will often be a factor too. Barn or lofty style venues generally work best with long tables. It also depends on what look you’re after – formal or relaxed.

Bear in mind that often a contrast looks more eye catching than uniformity, so consider a mix of round and long.

Velvet Crush Wedding Theme

This year velvet is making a big impression on weddings. A beautiful fabric, full of rich texture and visual impact, there are dozens of ways to bring a touch of velvet into your wedding décor.

From pops of velvet in the bridal party’s attire, to delicate details on bouquets and to adding well placed elements in the reception itself, expect to see velvet popping up everywhere.

It’s a versatile fabric that can be used in plenty of ways, although it is probably best to stick with accents rather than having velvet overload. There’s a range of colours to choose from, but if you want to keep it classic think of rich tones of purples, sage, red and blush pink.

Ideal for weddings with a more vintage vibe or elegant theme to it, don’t be afraid to have fun and contrast the beautiful texture with sharper finishes such as cool metal or wood.

Here’s some ideas to get your thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

Flowers

One of the best ways to include a touch of velvet into your big day is with your bouquet. Think velvet style ribbon detailing on the brides bouquet or indeed the bridesmaid flowers too. Go for a colour that compliments your chosen florals and ensure the ribbon becomes a feature in itself to enhance the elegance of the bouquet.

Clothing

Expect to see lots of pretty velvet accents appearing in the bridal parties clothing this year. From velvet shoes to velvet bow ties or even grooms jackets, this is a trend that crosses all gender lines for the couple. If you want to go all out, why not have your bridesmaids in velvet dresses? Invest in a velvet bolero for the bride, or if you want to add detailing to your dress why not have a visually impactful velvet bow around the waist of the dress?

On the Table

There’s plenty of ways to add velvet accents to your wedding tables. Think about velvet style table runners, or velvet ribbons around the menus or place cards. Velvet sashes on chairs will make for a stunning counterpoint with draping for example. Play around with textures when it comes to velvet and have a mix of finishes on the table. Cool metal or wood work well as contrasting textures for velvet.

Around the Room

There so many ways to have fun with velvet around your venue. From adding velvet ribbons to garlands, to going big with velvet style backdrop for photos or even some upcycled velvet couches for guests to chill out on and for use for some great wedding photos, don’t be afraid to get creative.

Your Guide To Wedding Chairs

When it comes to your wedding day décor, chairs might not be the first thing that pop into your mind for a number of reasons. First if you’re trying the knot in a traditional church setting you don’t need to think about chairs at all. Second, your chosen venue will already have a particular type of chair option included in their packages and you might at first glance assume you have to go with those.
So you might forget about chairs all together and move on to something else on your list.

But you’d be wrong.

In fact, chairs can make a huge difference to the overall look of your wedding day and they need lots of consideration.

If you are saying your vows outside of a traditional church set up, then you’ve got huge scope to have some fun with seating.

But regardless of your ceremony, when it comes to your reception, don’t feel you have to go with the chairs on offer by your venue. There are lots of different styles of chairs and indeed ways to dress those chairs which you should consider before making any decision.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you on the top three most popular chair styles I encounter, to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

Chiavari Chairs
One of the most popular chairs of recent times, the Chiavari Chair actually dates back to 1807. It was created by Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi from Chiavari on the north-western Italian coast and has been a firm hit in gatherings ever since. This style of chair works well with a whole host of wedding styles and themes, from elegant, to modern, vintage and marquee. While the beauty of these chairs mean they don’t need any dressing up, they can look even more stunning with light draping.

Ghost Chairs
The transparent theme has been one of the biggest wedding trends in the last year and continues to be popular for 2019. Ghost chairs are the perfect way to bring the theme into your wedding day. These chairs don’t need much adornments, as the whole idea is the transparent effect they bring to the room. Keep them simple and only add the bare minimum for that on trend transparent look.

Hannah Jane Chairs
The Hannah Jane style of chair gives a nod to the beauty of the grace of the 17th Century. Again, these are chairs that don’t need much dressing up. Their design speaks for themselves and evokes a look all its own. Hannah Jane chairs work really well for that elegant or formal style of wedding.

Covers and Draping
Chairs are going to be one of the most noticeable things in your wedding venue or ceremony set up. So give some thought to how you want them to look. If you’re going for chairs and sashes, consider the colours of the sashes and remember you can go for mismatched sashes or alternative sashes too.

Even if you go for one of the design led chairs mentioned above, such as Chiavari, that doesn’t mean that you cannot add some embellishments or adornments to them. Chiavari Chairs look well with an element of draping, and adding florals or pom poms to the back of Hannah Jane chairs can look really stunning. But don’t rule out ribbons or streamers or even signage and the concept of having mismatched chairs too.

Antique Gold and Dusky Blue Wedding Theme

Muted tones are often a popular choice for wedding day décor – creams, blush, light greys and pops of greens are the perennial colours that always work. But if you fancy going a little more adventurous with your wedding day décor, then consider trying the very chic and on trend colour palette of antique gold and dusky blue.

It can be a really dramatic colour choice and bring instant atmosphere to your wedding day décor. Even subtle touches can be simply stunning. Think blue table runners with gold plates. Light blue glassware with gold candles, blue wedding cakes dusted with gold and so on. The only limit is your imagination when it comes to this truly chic colour palette.

If you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

Centrepieces

Antique style gold candlesticks with navy blue candles are seemingly simple, but can look incredibly chic. Modest centrepieces such as glass lanterns dipped with gold frosting work really well against navy blue table cloths and runners. Or why not mix the antique gold candle sticks with blue and green wildflowers? Or go for antique style gold birdcages filled with a mix of blue candles and antique style gold frames would work really well for table numbers too.

Table Décor, Glassware & Cutlery

Mix and match dusky blue and glittery gold table runners on your tables, the contrasting colours will look stunning. Play around with gold plates, blue glassware and cutlery, or just go for dark blue napkins for that pop of intense colour. Think about having intense blue notes on the table, contrasting with gold Chiavari chairs or uses sashes to create the same effect.

Around The Room

Why not set up a dramatic gold glitter table cloth for your dusky blue escort cards? Or have an antique gold style mirror with the seating plan written in navy chalk? Navy and gold high pod tables for your drinks reception would be stunning, as would some blue uplighters to give the room some real atmosphere. Think about navy and gold backdrops using streamers, ribbon and draping.

Food & Drinks

Antique gold and rich dusky blue make for a truly eye-catching wedding cake colour combo. But think even beyond cakes and go for navy macaroons dusted with gold and why not offer guests a signature arrival drink, such as a blueberry cordial or cocktail with gold straws? Or dust the top of the glasses with edible gold glitter.

Marquee Weddings

A marquee style wedding is undeniably beautiful. There’s something about being out almost under the stars that just adds romance to a wedding day. So it’s not surprising, that it’s a trend that is always popular with couples. There are plenty of options to consider when planning a marquee wedding.

You could go with a traditional wedding venue that has a marquee for their weddings, or if you have access to a private piece of land or indeed you want to hire a piece of land this is another option to consider.

If you’re going with the former, then the pros are that you’ll benefit from the hotels existing facilities, however if you want ultimate control then hiring in your own option on private land is worth considering too.

If you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Hiring in a Marquee Top Considerations

The Cost

Often people assume that hiring in a marquee, works out cheaper than a traditional hotel setting. This isn’t always the case, so make sure to do your research first.

The Site

Finding the right site is crucial. If you are lucky enough to have access to a piece of land perhaps a family home’s garden etc., then make sure the area is flat with good access. If you are looking to hire a piece of land, again, make sure to do your research in terms of access, facilities and suitability.

The Planning

If you’re hiring in a marquee in your home or you are hiring a piece of land with no facilities, there is a lot to consider, from toilet facilities, to electricity, water, proper flooring, catering, crockery, a catering tent, heating, access, a bar and staff. While many catering companies can look after many of these aspects, often it’s good to hire a wedding planner such as myself who can take care of all these very important, but detailed elements of the day.

Have a Contingency Plan

While, your professionally set up marquee should be able to withstand the elements, it’s worth considering having an indoor back up plan, especially if you’re having a winter wedding.

Free Reign

While as you can see there are some drawbacks to hiring in your own marquee, the beauty of it, is the ultimate control you’ll have over the look of the day. If you want a glamping style tent, a tepee, or a grand fairy-tale marquee, with this option, the only limit is your imagination.

If Your Venus Has a Marquee

This can be by far the most straight forward option, as you really will benefit from the best of both worlds, with the hotels facilities, plus the special marquee feel. When it comes to décor, try and maximise the ethereal beauty of the marquee –

Lanterns and Pom Poms

Chinese lanterns and paper pom poms strung from the ceiling look fabulous, but don’t forget traditional style lanterns and hanging tea lights too.

Bunting

Bunting and tents or marquees go together like bread and butter, so have fun with this look. It’s also a very easy to source and an inexpensive piece of décor.

Lighting

Think about using bistro or string lights, gobo lights, uplighters and coloured lights to set the tone and atmosphere.

Chairs

Chairs can really make a difference on the overall look of your marquee. Think about pretty Chiavari or Hannah Jane chairs.

Let them Eat Cake Marie Antoinette Wedding Theme

Whether or not Marie Antoinette actually said the now infamous words ‘let them eat cake,’ her name is now forever synonymous with extravagance and luxury. Think big hair, big colours like golds, pinks and creams, lots of opulence and of course incredible cakes and sweet treats.

It’s a really fabulous theme or inspiration for a wedding day because it allows you to have lots of fun and go big if you’ve always wanted too. While of course opulence is the key word, there are lots of ways to give the appearance of extravagance without actually going over your budget. Think false blooms, glitter, upcycled antiques and lots of gold spray paint.

If you’d like to chat about this or any aspect of your wedding planning or décor please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

At the table
Chiavari chairs were made for this theme, menus printed in the shape of old style mirrors or fans from the era with gold lettering are a must. Why not have mini Eiffel towers or crowns as your centrepieces? Lots of ornate and antique style china which you can use as your centrepieces work really well too. Have glitter sprinkled on the table or go for full on glitter table cloths. Gold coloured plates, glasses and cutlery and of course high candelabras with lots of blooms will top off the look.

Around the room
Antique ornate mirrors or frames within frames look stunning as your table plan. If you can get your hands on an old or antique chair that you fancy upcycling to look like something that could have been in Marie Antoinette’s court, then use it around the room for fantastic effect. It will also look great in your pictures too. Don’t forget the ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ signs, and old style birdcages for your wedding cards look stunning.

Favours
Macaroons have to be one of the quintessentially French items we think of when we imagine Marie Antoinette and they make ideal favours, or have your guests name on each one so it works as an escort card too! Antique style mini snuff style boxes, French Fancies or decorated biscuits work really well also.

Sweet Treats
When it comes to a Marie Antoinette style wedding cake, it’s got to be big and bold! Think lots of tiers, embellishments, decorations, colours and adornments. Also don’t forget to add a good helping of highly decorated mini cakes, French petit fours, opulently decorated biscuits and bubbles or drinks with glitter on the rim too!

Wedding Chairs

When it comes to your wedding day décor, never forget you don’t have to automatically go with what your hotel or venue is offering. For example, if they only offer regular style chairs with plain covers and you’ve always had your heart set on chic Chiavari Chairs then it’s worth asking your venue if you can hire these in for the day. Similarly you don’t have to go with the sashes they have to choose from. Instead think about what fits in with your particular décor and theme.

Indeed your chairs can play a huge role in the overall look of the wedding venue and it’s worth giving it some serious thought ahead of the big day. Think about adding adornments such as pearls, pompoms and even streamers to chairs instead of covers and sashes. Look at the different style of chairs that are out there, such as Hannah Jane chairs or wooden style folding chairs and how they’ll fit in with your theme.

If you’d like to chat about this or any aspect of your wedding day décor, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.

Chiavari Chairs
The epitome of elegance, the Chiavari Chair dates back to 1807. It was created by Giuseppe Gaetano Descalzi from Chiavari on the north-western Italian coast and has been a firm hit in gatherings ever since. This style of chair lends itself particular well to weddings. They look ideal in all sorts of settings from a traditional hotel set up, to marquees and even in barn or rustic style venues where the contrast looks really well. Generally these chairs are left with no covers, as the details on the back are key, however you can add some adornments such as pompoms or florals to enhance the look.

Hannah Jane Chairs
Another really elegant choice, the Hannah Jane style of chair gives a nod to the beauty of the grace of the 17th Century. Again, these chairs don’t really need any covers, as the detail is the main draw. These chairs work really well for most wedding set ups, but particularly for those that are aiming for a more formal or elegant feel, rather than that of a more rustic, laid back style of day.

Bistro Style Wooden Chairs
These work really well for a more rustic style of wedding and particularly well for barn or even marquee weddings. The beauty of these chairs is that you can dress them up or down as much as you want to fit in with your overall theme. Think about streamers, floral garlands or even mismatched cushions. Also consider folding and non-folding chairs.

Covers & Sashes
Covers and sashes have become something of the norm for many weddings, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with going for that look. Classic and elegant, it’s always a winner and covers immediately add a sense of grace to any venue. Plus you can choose almost any colour of sash to compliment your overall theme. Think about tying the sashes in bows at the back or the side and don’t be afraid to add more adornments to the sashes too if you feel it’s necessary. The beauty of the covers is that it gives you an elegant yet uniform canvas to work with.

Alternatives to Covers
Finally, if you hate the idea of traditional chair covers but you still want to add some of your personality to your chairs, then don’t be afraid to add all sorts of adornments to them. Think about fresh floral garlands or pompoms. Streamers can also look stunning, as can signage, pearls, mini bunting and posies. The only limit on this one is your imagination.

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