Planning a wedding is a very thorough process. You must take into account everything: from the biggest concern (venue) to the smallest details (decorations). Speaking of details, your choice of wedding decorations can spell the difference between a dream wedding and a nightmare scene. But don’t worry because we compiled 10 of the best wedding decoration ideas to help you plan your perfect day.
Product FAQ
Before we proceed, here are some FAQs you may have regarding wedding decorations.
1. What Are Wedding Decorations?
Even the most minimalist weddings put at least a few decorations in their reception venue. Whether it’s a garland of flowers, or the choice of glassware, or the carpets and draperies, simple details like these can make or break your wedding’s ambiance.
Wedding decorations are accents that emphasize the overall theme and mood of your wedding. A simple photo collage of you and your partner’s pictures can instantly add romance and nostalgia to your venue. To wit: the love is in the details.
2. What Makes Great Wedding Decoration Ideas?
The best wedding decoration ideas are often the simplest ones. As mentioned, decorations are little details to add more joie de vivre or life to your wedding. So they must not be overwhelming in terms of colors, size or shapes.
Don’t forget: the decorations depend on your venue, so do a survey of the place before you decide on which decorations it allows.
3. How To Make Wedding Decorations?
Most of the wedding decoration ideas we have on our list can be done by yourself (or whoever you hire to decorate your venue). These ideas are simple and easy to make. And they won’t burn a hole in your wedding budget.
4. Where Can You Buy Wedding Decorations?
The materials we list in our wedding decoration ideas are readily available in sections of supply stores: art, school, crafts, parties, etc. You can also ask your wedding supplier/organizer if they can think of better or cheaper supplies to help cut the cost.
How We Reviewed
We compiled the wedding decoration ideas on our list based on the following parameters: Features and Pros and Cons.
Wedding Decoration Ideas: The List
Here’s a rundown of the best wedding decoration ideas we recommend for your dream wedding.
- Drape the Ceilings
- Rustic Crates
- Gold Dipped Balloons
- Marbled Votives
- Chalkboard Menu
- Colored Glassware
- Garland of Greens
- Family Photo Wall
- Floating Bush
- Tassel Garland
Drape The Ceilings
Features
If your venue is spacious and has high ceilings (like a hotel ballroom), we recommend filling these empty vertical spaces with draperies. You will be amazed by how a simple piece of fabric can turn your venue into a work of art.
Opt for the timeless white fabric to infuse the space with airy elegance. Or embrace pastels and use colors like coral or pale yellow if you want a summery vibe. Remember: these are for accent colors, so make sure you don’t drown out your main color motif. Speaking of color motif, make sure the color of your draperies complements your wedding’s theme.
Why drape the ceilings? Because if you do this, you can keep the table and floor decorations more subtle and still execute a decked-out, elegant look.
Pros
- Simple but effective
- Draperies are readily available
Cons
- Needs setup time
- Can snag objects (ex.: if you are releasing balloons or doves)
- Not ideal for small venues
Rustic Crates
Features
If you are the type of couple who’s chill and want to keep things low-key and casual, then we recommend accenting with rustic crates. These seemingly simple wooden boxes can instantly give your venue a throwback, countryside vibe. It will be almost-perfect if your venue is on a stretch of land or a private mountain cabin!
Set up these wooden crates as display stands in the reception area. Fill them with your personal mementos like childhood photos, engagement pictures, special mementos, etc. Do this and your venue will have rustic and nostalgic feelings of home—which is what you want to build as newlyweds!
When coupled with other rural objects (an old wagon, perhaps), you can turn these crates into stools so your guests can sit down and mingle during cocktail hour. For a wedding with this rustic theme, we recommend asking farms for these kinds of decorations.
Pros
- Rustic and nostalgic
- Simple but elegant
- Eco-friendly
- More personal and intimate
Cons
- Needs setup time
- Can be difficult to find materials
Gold Dipped Balloons
Features
Balloons have this air of both formality and playfulness (pun intended). Depending on the colors you choose, you achieve a relaxed, playful vibe or a classy, elegant wedding fit for royalty.
If you prefer the latter, we recommend using gold-dipped balloons as your wedding decorations. As the name implies, these are simple balloons dipped in reflective gold paint to give your place a shimmering elegance. Tip: you can partner these balloons to other “royal” colors like purple or deep red to invite the gods of fortune to bless your union.
Party balloons and gold paint are readily available, so you can do this by yourself.
Pros
- Simple but elegant
- Works on any kind of wedding theme
- Fits most formal weddings
- Materials readily available
Cons
- Balloons aren’t eco-friendly (for eco-savvy couples)
- Might be hazards to small kids
- Balloons can pop during the reception
Marbled Votives
Features
Votives are candles used in solemn ceremonies like weddings. These little objects signify your wedding vows, so it is important to consider their details. There are many generic candles out there, but we highly recommend designing your own marbled votives.
Why personalize your votives? Because for one, these represent your personal vows. And two, DIY votives are much more fun and creative and your guests will surely notice them. All you need are clear glass votive cups and colorful nail polish. Pour the nail polish into a container of water and dip your votives before the polish dries out. Use different colors per layer so you create a beautiful marbled finish.
Pros
- DIY crafts are always fun to do by yourself or with others (hello, bridesmaids!)
- Adds a personal touch to your decor
- Materials readily available
Cons
- Needs preparation time
- May look bad if not done properly
Chalkboard Menu
Features
Ask any guest and they will tell you that the best part of any wedding reception is the bar. So wow your thirsty guests with some personalized chalkboard menu or bar list.
As the name implies, you only need a chalkboard (and some chalk) to pull off this simple yet effective decor idea. This adds a personalized touch because it will use your own handwriting.
You can also incorporate chalkboards as table numbers, at the ceremony site or gift table site with a personalized message. Tip: place the board in an old frame and spray paint it with copper color to give it a rustic look. You can adorn it with lace fabric or garlands, too!
Pros
- Simple and easy to make
- Materials readily available
- Simple but elegant
- Reusable for other events
Cons
- Needs setup time
- Chalk writing is easy to muddle
Colored Glassware
Features
When you hear wedding glassware, you may immediately think of crystal glasses with silver or gold trims. But does not always need to be the case! You can always bend tradition a little and opt for more colorful options.
Colored glassware can make your table setting pop. Add blue or rose-colored glasses onto the tables and see the layout come alive. You can color-coordinate your glass per guest (e.g. blue for guys, rose for girls) for a more personalized touch.
Bonus: colored glassware looks amazing with fun drinks. And if your guests like them, you can give them away as party favors!
Pros
- Funky and playful
- Adds personalized touch
- Simple but effective
Cons
- Does not fit many formal wedding themes
Garland Of Greens
Features
Wedding decorations don’t always need to use flowers and lace. Sometimes, even your backyard foliage can double as eco-friendly decor!
You can dress up your venue with garlands of greenery to create a whimsical and nature-loving ambiance. The good thing about this wreath of foliage is it looks natural and doesn’t stand out. This decoration is subtle yet set the mood of your venue and wedding.
Bonus: a garland of greenery is perfect for rustic wedding themes, especially for receptions set outside (gardens, landscaped yard, etc).
Pros
- Whimsical and natural ambiance
- Eco-friendly
- Subtle but effective
- Materials readily available
Cons
- Needs setup time
- May look bad when overdone
Family Photo Wall
Features
Milestone events like weddings are perfect for sharing your personal moments with your chosen guests. One such personal detail you can share with your friends and families are your family photos.
A family photo wall may seem simple, but this is a great way to incorporate your friends and family into your special day. We recommend the “clothesline” style of hanging photos to give your photo collection a “raw” feel. Just hang the photos in a sequence that tells a story: from your childhood to your destined meeting and finally to your engagement. Watch as your guests say “aww” when they learn about your love story told through photos.
Tip: you can make your photo wall your design centerpiece (if you want to highlight your love story), or as a greeting piece at the entrance desk.
Pros
- Super personalized
- Nostalgic vibes
- Simple and easy to make
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Needs set up time
Floating Bush
Features
Flowers will always be a part of any wedding. If you have a favorite flower, we suggest creating a design centerpiece featuring this bloom.
You can opt for a floating flower globe. All you need is a piece of globe-shaped foam, strings, scissors, and your favorite flower. Cut the flower’s stem to 2 inches in length. Stick them into the foam globe (wrapped with strings for hanging). Then, hang the finished flower globe at your venue!
Pros
- Whimsical
- Simple but effective
- DIY crafts are fun and creative
- Materials readily available
Cons
- Needs setup time
- Flower’s availability depends on the season
Tassel Garland
Features
Tassel garlands are becoming the latest design trends at many weddings and parties. They look simple but they add instant touches of playfulness and creativity into your venue. Hang them around the windows and see them flutter like dancing fairies when the wind blows!
The trendy material to use for tassel garlands is colored tissues (though any other colored paper will do). Tissues are easy to cut and shape into tassels.
Pros
- Simple but effective
- DIY craft is fun and effective
- Materials readily available
Cons
- Can create additional trash (reminder for eco-savvy couples)
- Needs setup time
The Verdict
There you have it, 10 simple but amazing wedding decoration ideas. Choose the ones that will best suit your preference and venue logistics. Good luck with your wedding and, of course, congratulations!
