Wedding reception decor

(This is the ninth post in my wedding series.)

With help from my parents, we conceptualized and prepared all the wedding decor ourselves.  We called in favours from family and friends to help with set-up and tear-down on the day of the wedding; without their help, this wouldn't have been possible. Whenever we could, we tried to cut costs and reduce our environmental footprint by repurposing items we already owned, or buying things second-hand at thrift stores. The few items we did buy new - like our envelope box - can be used after the wedding. I'll never forget the feeling of walking into the room and seeing how beautiful it looked!

xx

We paired soft grey table linens with white chair covers and classic white dinnerware. Swaths of tulle were draped from the ceiling.

A menu at each place setting.

I made table numbers from a set of vintage classical French books my parents owned. I used wood shapes from a craft store and numbers printed onto cardstock, cut out and spray painted gold.

On the back of the books, we affixed baby photos printed in black and white.

{Some of my photos}

We wrapped stacks of books in the same pink suede ribbon used on the seating chart.

The head table was angled for a more intimate feel. A small table in the centre meant Brad and I could sit comfortably without a table leg between us.

We reused the pew bows throughout the room. 

Undertable lighting at the head table and entrance table created a soft glow as the sun went down. 

Instead of a guestbook, guests signed gold-edged cards and placed them in a set of drawers. 

'Welcome! On this table you will find/our wedding cards for you to sign/Just a line, a word, a phrase/to capture the feeling of this, our happiest of days/Placed within the chest of drawers/these sentiments will be stored/Our gratitude we cannot measure/for this collection we'll forever treasure.'

We used vintage-style suitcases to store flip flops for aching feet.

Baskets of toiletries were placed in each of the washrooms.

We used a storage box for envelopes by sealing the lid and cutting a small slit in the lid. We didn't get a photo of it during the wedding; this photo is from a pre-wedding mock set-up. I spray-painted the vase on the left gold to match the decor.