Tips for decorating a large wedding venue

So you have booked your wedding venue which is great news, but it's often not till afterwards that it may dawn on you that you need to decorate this space. Which can feel overwhelming if you have a pretty large space to fill at that. An empty space will feel uninviting as your guest's walk in and the last thing you want is for them to feel uncomfortable. You want them to feel welcome, relaxed and admire the surroundings so they can look forward to the rest of the day. I have some top tips to help you think about how to make that space work for you with some clever ideas. 

Guide to Decorating your Wedding Venue >>>

If your venue has high ceilings, a fantastic way to fill this empty space is using items that will give you plenty of height. Such as balloons and large floral centrepieces. You can place these on the tables so they are a part of your table decor.

Equally you can use the ceiling to hang things from, such as lanterns, fairy lights, bunting or drapes to bring it down to more of an intimate level for your guests. 

Hoops, tassels and bunting are a great budget friendly alternative to use.

You may want to focus your attention on placing details just over the tables rather than the whole venue, this works particularly well if you are having long banquet tables.

Be playful with your ideas, if the above suggestions are not your thing why not try something more fun, like paper origami shapes hanging from invisible threads.

Have lights streaming down as well as hanging across is a great alternative.

Large light up marquee letters or words are a great way to fill a wall or liven up a corner. They make a statement feature which your photographer will go wild for.

When it comes to signs, think big, use frames to hang them from to make a statement piece that eyes will be drawn to.

Larger spaces, will most likely have plenty of room for a photo booth, whether you hire a professional where it can fit neatly into a corner or you do it yourself, it will be great for keeping the guests entertained. 

Make your guests feel welcome with a welcome sign, easels are great for displaying signs, and crates work well for creating a statement entrance.

Create an area for your guests to give their cards and gifts to you. 

Create an area for your guests to send you their well wishes and sign your guest book.

When it comes to your table plan, think big, you have a large venue as you have a large number of guests attending, so think larger when it comes to displaying where your guests are sitting. Big backgrounds and material are among some of the newer creative ideas. But explore Pinterest to be more inspired so it fits your theme.

Adding playful items that you can create displays with are great for making a feature to fill empty spaces. Think ladders for shelving, tree trunks at different heights, chicken wire makes great frames to peg things from such as photos of your youth to reminisce with close ones.

Instead of having your wedding favours on each guests place setting, why not make a fun display with them. Set up your display nearer the entrance/exit so your guests don't forget to grab one.

Wooden barrels make fantastic surfaces to add your lanterns, candles and flowers.You could create a walkway for your guests to be guided to their seats.

Create a feature with a dessert bar, doughnut walls work particularly well for this. Think about when your are cutting your cake, you want it to look amazing in the photos, so think how you can bring the area to life.

Set up a drinks or cocktail bar. A fun and interactive area for guests to linger.

Create a chill out area, its all the rage at the moment. Think bean bags, sofas, and comfy arm chairs for your guests to relax and mingle when their not going for it on the dance floor. It works particularly well in a large space as it will help your guests spread out a bit.

If your hiring a DJ they may have their own set up. But if not why not create a fun feature for them to play your tunes in and create a music booth. The guests will love it, and it will feel more fun and interactive.

In a large space the idea is to create these zones which have a different purpose but don't feel separate from one anther. It wants to flow and compliment just like everything else.