room theming

Gorgeous Wedding Garlands

Flowers might seem like something you put midway down your list of wedding priorities, but in fact, your wedding flowers are a key part of your wedding day’s overall look and feel.

From the style of flowers to the colour, to how many you have, it all matters. And if you want to make a big impact with your flowers in a modern way, then consider going for a floral garland.

Whether it’s running along your tables, or over fireplaces or even suspended from the ceilings, floral garlands with greenery are the stunning wedding trend of the moment.

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you 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.

 

 

On The Table

A floral garland or a garland made primarily of greenery with a few flowers peeping through, will look particularly stunning on long tables. Allow them to be the feature and run along the middle of the tables and spill over the edges. Or why not have something a little more organic and intersperse it with tea lights and candelabras. Even consider moss style garlands with pops of wooden accents.

Around the Room

There are so many creative ways to use a garland. Think about having lush, full mini garlands handing from the backs of the couples chairs. Hang bushy green garlands over mirrors and fireplaces. Use them above and on entrances and for a really show stopping effect, don’t forget the staircases! They are made for a big dramatic garland full of blooms and will look simply amazing.

 

Suspending Garlands

Don’t forget to consider the space above! Suspending a garland above your tables will look stunning given the right sort of venue. It also works particularly well with long tables. Why not hang some tea lights from the suspended garland for a truly show stopping effect once the lights go down.

On the Cake

Whether you go for a garland of cascading roses around your tiers, or you go for some crisp green leaves wound around each layer, garlands and wedding cakes are the perfect match. It works particularly well with naked or simple cakes, without masses of buttercream of detailing.

 

Things To Consider When Picking Your Wedding Venue

Choosing your wedding venue is one of the most important factors in planning your big day. The moment you make that crucial decision, it feels as if the wedding is finally, really happening. It’s an exciting time, but it can also be stressful as you try to make the right choice for you as a couple.

There’s many factors you both need to consider before going ahead. Crucial issues like numbers, your budget and the theme you want to go for, will all have a major bearing on your final decision. But there are other elements to consider as well, such as the time of year, the venues proximity to your guests, does it have accommodation, are you are having the ceremony in the venue or in another location, does it have outdoor grounds you can avail of for photos, the catering situation and so on.

As an award-winning wedding planner, I can take the hassle out of much of this process and if you’d like to chat about how I can help plan all or part of your big day then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

In the meantime, here are some of the top considerations to keep in mind when choosing your wedding venue.

 

Number of Guests
While it’s impossible to have your extract final figures set in stone before you choose your wedding venue, the likelihood is you’ll have a pretty clear idea of roughly how many people you expect to attend. You may already know you’ll have something in the region of 200-300 guests for example and this will have a direct bearing on the sort of venue you can book. Think hotels with ballrooms and function rooms large enough to cater for this size of gathering. Alternatively, you may know that you want something small and intimate with just immediate family or friends. In this case you can include different sorts of venues such as restaurants into the mix.
guests

 

Your Budget
This, along with the number of guests you expect, is a crucial factor in deciding on your venue. You may have enough of a budget to go for an exclusive castle venue or 5 star hotel, or indeed you might only have enough of a budget for a quirky guesthouse or smaller hotel. Whatever your maximum budget is, try and stick to it as rigidly as you can, as costs can spiral. Hiring a wedding planner like myself is an ideal way to keep an eye on your costs, plus I can source incredible and unusual venues that will fit with your budget.
budget

 

Your Theme or Feel for the Day
This is another really important factor that should be right up there on your top list of considerations. If you’ve always wanted to have your wedding in a marquee for example, then there is no point going for a standard hotel package. Similar if you have your heart set on a glamorous ballroom style feel for your wedding, then going for a trendy barn venue is not going to work. In the end, you have to try and find the best venue that fulfils your vision for your wedding day. And while we may not all be able to afford an exclusive 5 star castle, there are plenty of private hire venues around the country which can give a similar feel for less. It’s about doing your research and again, this is where a wedding planner can come into their own as they have fantastic connections and can do much of this leg work for you.
theme

 

Accommodation and Location
Choosing a venue that has suitable accommodation either on site or close by is another very real factor to keep in mind as it can have a major impact on your guest’s ability to come to the wedding. Location is another key point as not everyone will be in a position to travel large distances.
location-2

 

The Time of Year
Finally, another really important point to keep in mind is the time of year you plant to get married. You may have your heart set on a glamping style wedding complete with yurts and outdoor music, but if you end up saying ‘I do’ in winter this may not be realistic. Similarly, that remote country venue in the mountains might not be a runner if it snows. While no-one can predict the weather, it’s a consideration worth keeping in mind,
time-of-year

Tropical Wedding Theme

While you may not be jetting off to the tropics for your wedding day and the possibility of Ireland suddenly morphing into Hawaii being low, that doesn’t mean you can’t channel the exotic in your wedding day décor! And if you love all things bright and beautiful and want to inject some serious fun into your day, then this theme is really worth considering.

Think pineapples, coconuts, flamingos, rainforests, palm trees, banana leaves, cocktails, tiki torches, pinks, greens, yellows and lots of Hawaiian style. It’s possible to inject some tropical fun into practically all aspects of your day and the best thing is that much of these touches are both easy to source and on the whole inexpensive too. The main thing to remember with this one is to have lots of fun and really go for it.

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.

 

Pew Ends

No matter if you’re walking down the aisle of a church or another venue, having pineapples at the base of your pews or chairs is a fantastic way to kick things off! Also consider palm leaves tied with flowers and look for brightly coloured exotic flowers if you can. Banana leaves rolled into cones filled with petals look stunning too and if you’re saying ‘I do’ outdoors then why not go for tiki torches?

 

 

Centrepieces and Table Décor

Centrepieces are always an essential cog in your wedding day décor and channelling the tropical will really add the wow factor. Think hollowed out pineapples with tropical coloured flowers inside and tall birds of paradise or green bamboo.  Palm and banana leaves work so well as place settings. Think of using rainbow cocktail umbrellas as place names. Have large shells filled with tropical flowers or give each guest a Hawaiian leis as their escort card or place name.

 

 

Room Décor

Placing some carefully chosen props around your venue will further cement your theme and add lots of fun to the day. Bamboo would work wonders for a backdrop, as would some flamingos, even the inflatable kind would work well! And if you’re having a DIY photobooth they’d be great as props, as would hula skirts and Hawaiian shirts and Hawaiian leis for guests to play around with. Don’t forget the light up Aloha signs and surf boards too!

 

Food and Drinks

Finally have fun with the food and drinks! And what could be more tropical than drinking out of a coconut! And they don’t even have to be real coconuts, source kitsch plastic ones and serve welcome cocktails or ‘mocktails’ to your guests on arrival! Or forego the coconuts and have some colourful pink cocktails or creamy Pina Coladas instead.  Exotic fruit is also a must with fun skewers or even trees made out of fruit for guests to enjoy.

 

Images via Pinterest