Everyone, especially women, dream about having a fairy-tale like grand wedding. But what if your tight budget does not allow you to have that kind of wedding you have been dreaming of since childhood? Well, we have got you covered. Don’t let your financial restrictions stop you from making your wedding a dream come true?
But how? You may ask. The answer is simple- just bring your creative mind and artistic prowess to the table and play with your imagination. When it comes to designing a wedding reception, the sky is only your limit.
You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on the design of your wedding reception. There are many innovative and creative yet budget-friendly ways to do such. You just need to spend an hour or two (or maybe more) to search for them. They are just around the internet, waiting for you to find them. Thanks to search engines and smartphones, searching for anything especially about wedding design has now become more convenient, easier, and quicker.
Luckily, you have arrived at the right post. You don’t have to spend long hours for research as we have already done that for you. Below are some of the different ways to make your wedding reception more elegant without breaking the bank. You can either use these ideas alone or use them as an inspiration to create a style and design that is uniquely yours.
- Cover your chair with beautiful chair covers
Whether you are using a set of old wooden, rusty steel, or not so pretty chairs, dressing them up with beautiful chair covers is the only way to fix them up. A chair cover is a piece of fabric that is being used to cover the chair. It cannot only hide the imperfections of the chair, but it can also help make your entire venue instantly elegant and at the same time provide your guests with more comfortable sit.
Chair covers come in various colors and fabric. And they are easily accessible, too. You can find a lot of rental companies or ask your venue if they offer premium chair covers. Either way, you will sure to find the right color and fabric that will perfectly fit your wedding motif and your budget as well.
- Dress up your dining tables with elegant table linens
Unless you are always hosting huge events such as a wedding, you probably have only a few pieces of table linens. And for sure, it won’t be enough to cover each and every table in your reception, plus cleaning and washing all those fabrics can be quite time consuming and tiring. These are among the reasons why many people trash the idea of using table linens for huge events like a wedding.
The fact is, table linens will not only protect your precious tables, they likewise contribute a lot to the overall look and feel of your venue especially if you get matching chair covers. If you think you’ll only use the linens for your wedding, you may consider renting them out.
Instead of buying, which of course will cost you tons of dollars, rent table linens instead. Not only will you save a lot of dollars, you are also saving yourself from the hassles of setting them up, and then cleaning or washing and storing them afterward.
- Transform your wedding reception venue with lights
Your wedding reception should receive the right amount of light it deserves. But, simply turning all the fluorescent bulbs on is not enough to wow your guests. Say goodbye to ill-lighted, boring, and dull reception venue. Instead, use the right lighting to add lovely glowing hues and to transform your wedding reception into something magical.
There are a few things you need to remember when using an uplight, though. First is to choose the right color. You can either opt for the one that goes with your motif or be more adventurous by blending a few colors to create something dreamy like a watercolor-inspired effect, a frosty feel with icy blue lights, or a touch of royalty.
The most commonly used colors for uplights are purple, blue, red, and magenta. For a more romantic and warmer effect, choose universally-flattering colors like amber. Moreover, if you are using white centerpieces, try placing purple undertable lighting underneath the table. Doing so will instantly transform your white centerpieces into a mesmerizing purple inspired arrangement.
If your budget does not allow you to illuminate the entire reception hall, consider placing the lights in the most important areas like the dance floor, the cake table, and the tables. If you are hosting your reception outdoors, make sure that you are using waterproof lighting.
Again, you don’t have to buy them all. You can rent uplighting or rent undertable lighting, or perhaps both if your budget allows.
- Be creative with your wedding backdrop
A wedding backdrop does not have to cost you a fortune to look sophisticated. Making intricate small designs require more to be beautiful. It is like a mosaic, you need to gather and arrange all those pieces to form the image you want. You may think that using small designs are cheaper but if you will sum up all those materials and number of pieces you need, you’ll end up paying more. Why not go large and bold?
You can create a stunning backdrop without spending that much. One of the best wedding backdrop ideas is to use lights. You may use oversized lightup letters, cafe light strands, or twinkling lights as your wedding backdrop lights. Not only will they help illuminate the venue, the wedding backdrop lights will also add a magical effect to your entire design.
Another option is to use projections to enhance your backdrop. You can choose different textures, designs, or images to make it unique. You can choose a wavy image projection on the wall to create a catchy backdrop, a beautifully patterned projection on the wall or ceiling for a one-of-a-kind feel, a combination of moon, sky, and stars for a fairy-tale like wedding effect, or anything you like.
- Use draping for an upscale look
You will be surprised to see how such simple pieces of fabrics can go a long way. Yes, draping some fabrics can transform a simple venue into something with a royal touch. You have a lot of options to choose from in terms of draping style, color, and fabric. You can also choose to have an overhead draping or side draping or both.
And the best part is that, even if you go light on other decorations like on table decors and lighting, you can still be able to make the venue look more stunning and elegant with the right drapings.
- Hang some paper lanterns
Paper lanterns are literally one of the most affordable yet amazing ways to jazz up any event venue. Paper lanterns cost only a dollar or less per piece depending on the design and size. So, even if you hang a hundred or more, it won't still cost you that much.
You can choose single colored paper lanterns in the same sizes or in different sizes for a more festive effect. You may also choose a variety of shades to add a colorful and fun way to punch up your reception.
Another option is to add lighted lanterns. Not only will it make your place more illuminated, it will also provide your guests with a quick trip to an enchanted garden. Also, if you are hosting a nighttime reception outdoors, these lighted lanterns will add a warm glow over your reception.
Final Words:
You can use one of these options or combine any or all of them. For instance, you can choose lighted lanterns that perfectly match or contrast your uplighting like if you have blue uplighting, some sprinkles of white or light blue starry light, and a dark background, you can hang some yellow paper lanterns or light lanterns to create that milky way effect and enhance the romantic feel of your venue. This will also help draw eyes upward. So, even if you only have minimal table elements and smaller centerpieces, your guest won’t notice them and they will still get mesmerized with your decor.
Please note, though, that you need to check your venue contract or contact the venue representatives to know the decor that comes with your package and to know if you are allowed to make some alterations. Some venues may impose restrictions when it comes to the type of decor you can use. For instance, you may not be allowed to use lanterns lighted with candles for safety purposes, or perhaps you may need to add extra charges for the additional lightings.