Wedding Reception Decoration Ideas

Coordinating Decorations around a Theme

One of the easiest ways to create a cohesive look for your wedding reception decorations is to choose a theme for your party. Popular themes include:

• Honeymoon Destination: Are you picking an exotic honeymoon spot? If so, pick up elements that remind you of your honeymoon destination to incorporate into your wedding reception decoration ideas. For example, you could use pineapples, orchids, and palm trees to create a tropical paradise if you’re planning a honeymoon to Hawaii.
• Cultural Heritage: If you and your finance share a common cultural heritage, consider incorporating representative elements into your wedding reception decorations. For example, Gerber daisies and pitchers filled with bread sticks in decorative spiral shapes can help set the mood for a wedding with a Tuscan theme.
• Seasons: From elegant winter ice sculptures to cornucopias filled with pumpkins and leaves, the seasons offer many wedding decoration ideas. If you’re getting married near a holiday, such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day, incorporating these decorations into your wedding reception is another possibility to consider.
• Family History: Is your family filled with examples of long and successful marriages? Consider using framed wedding portraits of your relatives throughout your reception area as a simple decorative element.
• Hobbies and Interests: Do you and your spouse share a common hobby or interest that could be used as a theme for your wedding reception? For example, do you both love to watch movies or play sports? Although certain themes are obviously inappropriate for a very formal wedding, this can be a great way to set the tone for a more informal wedding reception.

Creating a Book of Wedding Reception Decoration Ideas

Save ideas you like.

When you’re in the process of brainstorming decoration ideas, it’s often helpful to create your own idea book. If you plan on making your decorations yourself, an idea book will serve as a blueprint for your own projects. If you want to hire someone to plan your wedding decorations, an idea book will give them a better idea of what types of decorations you would like for your reception.

Obviously, bridal magazines are a great source of inspiration for those in search of special wedding decorations. You may also want to check out the following helpful websites:

• Bridal Insider has a number of photo galleries featuring decorations from different types of wedding receptions.
• Knot for Life has a gallery of photos neatly organized by the wedding color scheme used.
• North Coast Events has decoration ideas for your ceremony and reception.

Sources for Wedding Reception Decorations

Once you’ve decided what type of decorations you’d like to have at your wedding reception, there are three basic ways to get the items you need.

• Borrow from a friend or family member. If you know someone who was recently married, this is a very cheap way to get decorations for your wedding reception.
• Buy new decorations. Party supply stores are a great source of all sorts of wedding decorations, but you may also find a number of useful items at local craft or discount stores. To make sure you’re getting the best deal, do some comparison shopping before making any major purchases.
• Rent your decorations. Depending upon where you are hosting your reception, you may be able to rent centerpieces and other decorative items.

In many cases, brides will use all three techniques for finding wedding decorations. However, it’s important to remember to write down where all of the items need to go after your party is finished. You don’t want to have someone accidentally return your great aunt’s best crystal vase to the rental shop!

You can find wedding reception decoration ideas in many places, and if you carefully keep track of the ideas that appeal to you most, you will be able to plan your own unique reception décor while drawing inspiration from many sources.