One of the first big decisions you need to make when it comes to your wedding is what exactly your special day is going to look like. First of all, it is going to look beautiful, that much is for sure. But what is your wedding’s color palette, is there a theme, and what is the overall vibe you desire to achieve.
No matter the style you wish to mesh with a Long Island wedding, there are countless theme ideas that run the gamut from classical and vintage to modern and colorful. There are incremental steps to wedding planning that can add up to an overall theme, and each of those steps encompasses an element of decoration.
Wedding decorations include every imaginable detail. There’s obvious components like floral arrangements, linens, and seat covers, but there’s also more nuanced designs and touches—and it’s these small, subtle carefully curated elements that add personality to your wedding and make it a romantic event that will truly resonate with your guests.
Here’s five opportunities for you to put a personalized seal on your wedding day, using both typical decorations and other, less obvious design pieces.
Table Names
Most couples choose to use numbers to denote seating arrangements, but unless you and your partner are mathematicians, there’s nothing all-that romantic about numbers. Changing up this normally stale wedding tradition is one of the simplest things you can do to separate your special day from the rest. While there are many ways to approach this idea, one of the most novel ideas is to use some of your favorite literary works as table names. If the written word is what makes your heart sing, name your tables after some of your all-time favorite books, authors or even famous literary lovers like Romeo and Juliet, Daisy and Gatsby or Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.
one of the most novel ideas is to use some of your favorite literary works as table names.
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Backdrop
- Saying “I do” in front of something unique, artistic or personal is a stylish twist that any couple can add to their wedding ceremony. Perhaps you want to dress up a room or create a dynamic altar space outside, a wedding backdrop can help tie the ceremony and reception together in one theme. Some popular options include flowers, which are a fresh and classic arrangement for a backdrop, while building a backdrop from reclaimed wood can add a touch or rustic flair to your nuptials.
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Centerpieces
- The word “centerpiece” usually conjures up only one mental image: flowers in a vase. And design-wise there’s nothing wrong with that. The simplicity of fresh flowers in an elegant vase is often the epitome of wedding beauty and sometimes, it’s important not to overthink every single detail of the wedding day. If flowers are the best option, by all means go for flowers. But as with most decorations, it is not the only option. For a non-floral take on centerpieces, consider other options like balloons, fruits and veggies, garlands, candlesticks or even stacks of books.
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The simplicity of fresh flowers in an elegant vase is often the epitome of wedding beauty
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Cocktail
- Here’s an idea that doesn’t immediately pop into anyone’s head when thinking about “design,” but a personalized wedding cocktail is a fun way to put your signature spin on your wedding day. Find a cocktail that you and your partner both love—gin and tonic, Moscow mule, Old Fashioned, etc.—and playfully change the name or add an off-center ingredient for a personalized twist. You can also start the party the moment your guests arrive by hosting a pre-ceremony cocktail party, giving your guests a chance to mingle and take the edge off, while also ensuring that no one is late for the vows.
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Favors
- Wedding favors are yet another minute detail that absolutely falls into the realm of decorative ideas. Oftentimes these small tokens of love are the first things your guests will see at the beginning of your wedding aisle. It makes sense to ensure that your wedding favors either fit into the larger theme of your wedding or stand up as a unique bit player in the grand event that is your wedding day. Some stylish wedding favors include mini champagne bottles, wildflower seeds, dried lavender sachets or parasols.