The Decorations.

Good afternoon, guys and dolls! I'm really loving your outfit. You look fantastic. Also, last week's post is below this one! Check it out. :)

So a big part of the wedding reception is the decorations. Obviously the first step is to think of your wedding colors and what you like as decorations. Do you like balloons, tulle, paper flowers, fairy lights, etc? Do you want to make them yourself or buy them?

The possibilities for decorations are endless. My soon to be sister-in-law is doing beautiful things with lace, paper lanterns, tulle, and puffy paper flowers, which we are going to be working on later on tonight. She, her mom, and the rest of the bridal party are hard at work on the decorations and didn't really buy much for decorations, except for the supplies to do it themselves. I think this is a great option if you have the time and resources, unless you are not someone who really likes to do crafts (such as myself). In that case, there are lots of great decorations on the market. My favorites that are the most traditional are flowers, fairy lights, and candles. Using those three are a really nice way of keeping it simple but still very pretty and classy.

But what if you want a little more pop to your wedding? Go for brighter colors and maybe some ribbon around the chairs and along the walls. Paper lanterns are always a nice touch to every occasion. If your wedding is themed, then choose decorations to match.

At my cousin's wedding, they weren't allowed to put anything on the wall, and my brother and his fiancee are using the same venue. They're playing up the tables and hanging a lot from the ceiling, and so far I think it's going to be gorgeous. At my cousin's reception, though, they kind of back lit the room with purple lights on the floor, which looked really cool. There are so many awesome ways to incorporate lights into a wedding reception. You don't have to use just plain tea lights or taper candles. You can float them on water, hang them from the ceiling, nestle them in grass, whatever you want to do! The decorating part of the wedding might be the more fun aspect and definitely the most creative.

As for centerpieces, do something fun and pretty, but don't put so much on the table that your guests won't have anywhere to put their dinner plates. Choose the flowers you want there, and a couple of candles, and if there's still room, maybe some candy. Pick out original and unique vases that you really like. There's also no law that you have to have flowers! Make it all candy, or all candles, or whatever else. At my graduation party (or wedding) I want to have fake fireflies in jars as centerpieces with some grass around them and small flowers. Just picturing it makes me happy.

To sum up:

1. As always, keep it original, but keep it classy, too!
2. Think of ways to make the centerpieces and tables look really cool, but don't make them too busy or crowded.
3. Come up with ways to make the lighting pretty, but not harsh or too dark. 

Have a wonderful rest of your day!