Wedding Reception Decoration - help!

[Antonia]

As many of you may know, DH and I are doing wedding and reception for our son. The bride's colors for the ceremony are pool (aqua blue). Flowers will be mostly white. Wedding is at 7 p.m. and will be a candlelit service.

My big question is this: does the reception have to be done in pool also? We have found some cute paper lanterns that light with batteries, but they are red, light green and yellow. We are also havving multiple fake ficus trees with tiny whtie lights. All of this will be in our church social hall in the evening.

In addition, we are making a twin palm tree for the buffet table out of 10 pineapples (for trunks) and this could look quite tropical - learned to make it at a wedding festival. I also have two huge tropical peace lillies - the kind with the red bloom). Of course, none of this actually carries on the pool blue theme of the bridesmaids dresses.

I still have a few days if we decide to change the whole thing and not use the paper lanterns, palm tree out of pineapples, etc. We could do a more formal look with the blue. Any suggestions? It will be in a church social hall so no real dancing - just a church reception. Of course, we don't want it to look like a cookie cutter reception so we want to have some originality.

 

[Antonia]

If I go with a tropical theme for the reception, I also have some fake birds (of course they're fake - LOL) to hide in the fake ficus trees and they are sound activated to chirp. They actually sound quite pretty.

 

[kidzmom3]

I'm not sure what I think about that idea. It sounds a little kitschy bordering on the edge of little girl luau party. I am not trying to be mean, just my honest opinion.

 

[Pam]

I personally would go with the more formal approach for the reception. I like it when the wedding colors/theme flow right into the reception.

 

[mtemm]

I agree with the PP's. Actually, I don't know if there are pictures of Rob and Amber's wedding on-line, but didn't they use a lot of candlelight and and aqua-blue and white color scheme? I remember it being really very pretty.

 

[Antonia]

Thanks - I would love to see their pictures. Actually I started out looking for white paper lanterns and ended up only finding these.

My original idea was white table cloths on round tables with a pretty silver pedestal with daisies for centerpieces. I would still do the ficus trees with white lights and maybe scatter some white, blue and and maybe silver balloons. In this theme, I would probably ditch the palm tree on the buffet.

I sure wish I could find white paper lanterns. I know I could order them on-line, but I only have until March 31st.

 

[Disney Doll]

I don't think I'd like it. I think I'd go with the "pool" color for the reception. But, I'd also ask the brdie and groom what they think, since it's their wedding.

My DSIL & DBIL were married 25 years last year, and we helped their kids do an anniversary party for them, where the colors were a powder blue and silver. Powder blue because that was the color scheme of their wedding, and silver for the silver anniversary.

We put white tablecloths on the table with a powder blue napkin in the middle. On the napkin we put a round "rose bowl" with water in it, and we floated a silver rose-shaped candle in it. We tied powder blue & silver ribbon around the "neck" of the bowl, with little fake plastic wedding rings tied into te ribbon...we used that curling ribbon and curled it and sort of left little curly "tails". We also sprinkled some of that silver confetti in the shape of the number 25 on each table. It looked really nice, and when it got dark we lit the candles, which was quite lovely.

 

[Antonia]

Okay, I think I will ditch the tropical idea and go more formal with white, silver and blue. I already have the silver pedestals for the centerpieces. I have white linen table cloths and the cake will be a white basket weave accented with daisies.

This is what is so great about the DIS! You all make a great sounding board. And my friends here in the real world will never know about my tropical fantasy. LOL

 

[tarmand]

Okay, I think I will ditch the tropical idea and go more formal with white, silver and blue. I already have the silver pedestals for the centerpieces. I have white linen table cloths and the cake will be a white basket weave accented with daisies.

This is what is so great about the DIS! You all make a great sounding board. And my friends here in the real world will never know about my tropical fantasy. LOL

What kind of daisies? If you can find them, aqua blue gerber daisies would look great.

 

[Antonia]

Oooohhhh . . . I hadn't even thought of those kind of daisies. Thanks!

 

[kidzmom3]

You can also dress the cake table with your formal table cloth, then place some white lights, then a length of tulle over it. it looks really pretty.

here are some tulle ideas:
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/displayArticle?articleNum=ae0189

 

[MAKmom]

I like the formal idea. You can also use flowers & white lights as a garland across the front of your buffett table. We did that for a dance & it looked beautiful.

 

[Antonia]

Interestingly, our church social hall is a creamy white with one blue wall - I'd call it cornflower - and blue around a sort of tray ceiling.

Keep the ideas coming - I do like the one about lights and tull around columns. We do have about four columns down one long wall.

 

[EthansMom]

I like the more traditional decorations being considered. You could get aqua blue napkins which would look great on the white tablecloths.

 

[tw1nsmom]

At our wedding, we decorated all the tables with little white votives and rose petals scattered all over. The center had a single iris. If the bride wants to stick with her color scheme and doesn't want rose petals, you could use silver and blue confetti to scatter allong the tables.

 

[Keli]

Has the bride expressed a preference or is she leaving this totally up to you? If she's leaving it completely up to you then I definitely agree with the more formal theme, especially for an evening wedding.
I love evening weddings because of the romantic atmosphere you can create with candles and many tiny white lights. I have a feeling this reception will be gorgeous!

 

[Antonia]

Yes, she is basically leaving it up to me. She and DS trust me. They say I've never let them down and they know I'll do fine on this. Just adds to the pressure, because I do want to wow them a little. They will not have seen the social hall until after the wedding.
I do think lots of white lights, candles and the blue, white and silver could be absolutely gorgeous.
I got on this tropical theme because she did love that stupid palm tree (pictured below) made out of pineapples that we saw at the wedding festival. Of course, we could
always do one up for a cookout.

 

[kidzmom3]

maybe i would change my opinion if the bride really "loved it". Could you tell if she loved the idea and thought it would be fun for a party someday, or she loved it for her wedding? Like did she say "it would be great to have one of those at our wedding!"

 

[MAKmom]

Yes, she is basically leaving it up to me. She and DS trust me. They say I've never let them down and they know I'll do fine on this. Just adds to the pressure, because I do want to wow them a little. They will not have seen the social hall until after the wedding.
I do think lots of white lights, candles and the blue, white and silver could be absolutely gorgeous.
I got on this tropical theme because she did love that stupid palm tree (pictured below) made out of pineapples that we saw at the wedding festival. Of course, we could
always do one up for a cookout.

It is very cool looking. If it was a beach or Island wedding it would be great. How old is the Bride. Are you having a rehersal dinner do it then?

 

[Antonia]

Yes, she did love it and palm trees are her thing. There was a guy at the wedding festival named Chef Mike and he has written books, etc. and he had this palm tree on display and she loved it and that is how I came to nearly ditch the elegant, formal blue, white and silver reception for a bunch of colored lanterns and a tropical theme. Even though the wedding colors are elegant and "pool" which she also loves and she picked out.

You can drive yourself crazy though trying to incorporate everything they love. I do already have customized M&M's that are pool and white with their names imprinted on them - 2 lbs. of those and those chocolate silver - coated amorini hearts to mix in with the M&M's.

It's just that palm tree that is making me a little nutty.