It is easy to create your own place settings for your wedding reception without breaking the budget or having to engage a stylist.
Although coloured glassware, plates and cutlery are very much in vogue in an attempt to create that unique feel to your reception, it does often come with an increased cost.
Simple white crockery and clear glassware are readily available and will give a timeless classic feel to your wedding and by adding a little floral touch to your table scaping the whole look of your reception can be elevated to unique and elegant very easily.
Here are some simple tips and a few visual ideas that will help inspire you to create your own beautiful place settings for your wedding reception.
- Try and select seasonal elements so the foliage and flowers can be gathered from friends and family’s gardens.
- Flowers and foliage that are smallish creates a more elegant feel whereas large tropical flowers and foliage can create a more relaxed feel.
- If possible, follow the colour theme you have for the rest of the wedding.
- If you have a particular theme to your wedding, follow it as well ie If it is a rustic bush wedding then white crockery with elegant white roses are not going to suit. Adding some hessian and perhaps some gum tree foliage would be in keeping with the theme.
- Be creative with your setting not just flowers, perhaps a few berries, the odd beautiful stone or seed heads. A a combination of different elements with different colours and textures can create a masterpiece of design that will put that wow factor into the day.
- Choose flowers and foliage that are not going to wilt as it is almost impossible to include water in your designs and your styling will need to be done hours before hand if not the day before.
Flowers that will last for hours out of water
- Orchids
- Lilies
- Chrysanthemums
- Proteas and Leucadendron’s
- Statice
- Gypsophila
- Anthuriums
- Succulents
Foliage that will last for hours out of water.
- Ivy
- Smilax
- Eucalyptus
- Leucadendron
- Banksia
- Ruscus
- Pittosporum
- Most conifers (pine, spruce and cedar etc)
- English Box
- Camelia
- Magnolia
- Mostera, philodendron and palm leaves
Try to select older, mature foliage as young growth is soft and will wilt easily
Herbs that will last for hours out of water.
- Bay tree
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Russian Sage
- Marjoram/oregano
Again, only select older, mature foliage as young growth is soft and will wilt easily
It is always a good idea to test the foliage and flowers you have selected ahead of time.
Make up your design leave in a similar setting to your venue (ie if the venue is airconditioned then place your design in an air conditioned space).
This way you can observe how the plant material holds up and then you can decide if it will be suitable or not.
Don’t feel, as the bride, you must do all of this yourself.
Often you will not have access to your venue until the day of the wedding so you will be busy getting ready.
Have someone allocated to put it all together. Just give them a picture and all the stuff they need and say this is what I want.
There are always people that love to get involved and contribute to your big day, so use them.
If you book with us at the Secret Garden, for either the ceremony or the ceremony and reception, then you have access to flowers and foliage from the garden for any or all your floral needs.