Tips and ideas for decorating a large wedding venue for diy couples
•Posted on July 11 2020
So you've booked your wedding venue which is fantastic news, such and exciting stage of wedding planning! You've got loads of ideas buzzing around your mind for how you want to style it all, but then it suddenly dawns on you how much there is to do. What felt like a fun task, now feels pretty daunting and a little overwhelming! Especially when you realise the scale of your space that you need to fill. 'What if we don't have enough decor?' This is a what most couples fear the most!
Feeling this way is totally understandable, because when was the last time you decorated a large space for a really important milestone? Chances are, you have never done it before, so firstly give yourself some slack, it's normal to feel this way!
The first time I felt like this was when I decorated a huge white marquee for a wedding open day, and I'm a trained wedding stylist! I'd already styled tipis and small barns but they were intimate spaces, so the approach I had to take was a lot different for decorating them. I felt overwhelmed at the amount of space there was, because all the white walls made it feel very spacious. If you want to find out how I got on with styling this space transforming it into a luscious tropical wedding theme, you can read more about it out here.
What does it take to decorate a large wedding venue?
Decorating a large space takes a lot more work and a lot more decor that smaller venues. You will need to think bigger, as your decor could feel lost if it's too small. And you'll need to carefully consider creating zones for each area, so that you don't have to decorate every square inch. God that would blow the budget, wouldn't it!
The danger is, that your venue could feel under decorated if you don't get it right, so I am sharing some of my favourite ideas with you in this blog post. I'm passing on my wisdom of all the things I have learnt from decorating larger spaces, there's nothing quite like learning from a stylist that does this all the time, and has gained the experience and knowledge needed to pull it off. You will hopefully feel inspired to confidently choose your own decor after this. I'll be providing you with some simple solutions that will help you make instant impact.
Of course, if you know you would rather get some help with the huge task ahead of you, then this is what wedding stylists are for, there is no shame in getting some help to bring it all together. They can take all the stress away and advise you on how to achieve your wedding vision.
If you prefer to watch me chat about these ideas instead, you can subscribe to my you tube channel here
So, let's get into how you are going to decorate your large space;
Ceiling Decor Installations
If your large venue has high ceilings, this space can often feel a bit empty and spacious. A fantastic way to fill this blank space is using items that will help bring the space down to a more intimate level. We're talking ceiling installations! Using wooden ladders to hang decor from whether it is greenery, lights or lampshades will add some interest above and draw the eye straight to it, giving you a wow factor. This will avoid the venue feeling undecorated. It makes a great guest experience to, whilst sitting underneath a structure and makes an impact when they make their entrance.
The white walls and ceiling of this barn made the room feel very spacious. A wooden ladder was suspended for the rustic beams and covered in fresh foliage, with hanging moss and wicker lampshades. This gave the space a more intimate vibe and an instant wow factor when the guests entered the room. A statement piece like this, draws your eye away from all the extra space above as your guests will be focussed on the decor.
There are many decor options that you can use to style the ceiling, depending on the fixtures the venue supplies. There are hoops, disco balls, greenery, lanterns, fairy lights, bunting or drapes to bring the height level down to more of an intimate level for your guests. To save you money and time, you may want to focus your attention on placing these ceiling details just over the tables, rather than the whole venue. By grouping decor together it will have more of an affect.
With this large traditional marquee for 100 guests, I designed a vibrant teal, terracotta and yellow tropical wedding theme, perfect for outdoor summer weddings. Because the marquee had such high ceilings, I decided to design a statement feature over the main seating area. Over the middle row of rustic trestle tablescapes, I created a hanging installation with lush green tropical foliage, chiffon draping and fun disco balls. It helped to break up all the white space and it felt more immersive for the guests sat underneath.
Important Styling Tip
What I will mention at this stage, when it comes to decorating a larger space ,is that everything takes longer to set up. And I do mean everything! You have factor this in as, knowing how long you have to decorate will determine what decor you choose, and how much decor you will be setting up. The more guests you have the more place setting decor items you have to put out. And installing hanging ceiling decor is not a five minute job either! I created my main foliage piece for this set up the evening before the wedding open day, ahead of time, and transported it the next day. But depending on what you are having, you physically may not be able to do this. So knowing how much time you have to play with on set up day for styling all your decor pieces, is crucial to knowing what you can realistically achieve in the time frame.
You can check out the rest of my tropical oasis set up here.
Large Entrance Signage
You want to create an impact as soon as your guests walk into the venue, so a tiny welcome sign on a tiny easel just isn't going to cut it in a large space. You need to go big for it to be noticed, so welcome your guests with larger signage. Fabric pieces on stands are a great choice for an impact. You'll have the room to style the welcome area out with complimenting decorations so that it is a wow entrance. I love using metal plinths at different heights so I can create something interesting which means I can spread out my display. Wooden crates can also help you create similar results. By using large vessels like wicker vases filled with big and fluffy pampas grass for a boho vibe, you will easily fill an empty area.
Make a Feature of your Wedding Cake
If you are having a wedding cake, it will get lost in a large venue if you don't make a fuss about it! It's a great idea to make a feature of it with some statement decor in order to show it off properly, after all you have most likely paid a lot of money for it because you have a lot of guests, so you need to do it justice. I think having a large sign or a photo backdrop behind the cake will really help with framing the moment you go to cut it, for all your photo opportunities.
If you need a sign for your cake you can find some fun options here in my shop
Fill Your Dance Floor
It's quite common for couples to forget about the dance floor, but in a large venue space, imagine how this looks to your guests if you don't make the effort to style it up? It needs to make them want to get up and dance instead of looking empty and scary to be the first up there. Guests will not want to get up on a big empty dance floor! So be sure to make a statement and use the extra space to your advantage. Put fun signage in a corner along with some disco balls to help get the party started!
Cards & Gifts & Guest Book Area
As you have a large space to decorate, you have the opportunity to go to town with your guest book and cards & gifts area. Remember that it's an interactive area for your guests to sit and write a few words to you both in your guest book, or if you have chosen an audio guest book they can leave a message for you to listen to later, so if there is a seat for them to take a minute, even better! It helps style a quiet empty corner in your big space.
I offer lots of wedding signage to help you style these fun key areas, that can also be personalised with your own wording or your names and wedding date. You can find them all in the shop here >>
Epic Table Plan
When you're dealing with a large venue you have the space to get creative with your table plan display. I love creating seating plans, they are again an interactive area that your guests can get involved with to find their seat, and if you have the space you can make it an unforgettable experience for them. It's where guests seem to gather when they arrive and a place you can inject some of your personalities and love story, so make it a fun moment for your wedding reception.
Decor pieces that are amazing for displaying table plan cards are metal grids and wooden boards. They allow you to attach your seating chart and style out the area with complimenting decorations, providing you with an interesting set up.
Wooden ladders also make a great feature which you can style up to make a bigger display. Use bottles or plant pots to attach luggage style table plan tags to, and surround your ladder with wooden crates and decor pieces that compliment. This kind of look is great for vintage wedding themes or rustic wedding styles.
If you have room for another table in your large space ,why not have a table top seating chart. To add height just use wooden crates or metal plinths which will help you add interest. You can display your table plan cards in frames, or in stands or by using bespoke objects like below, to create something unique and larger.
When you know what space you have to work with, it can help you get creative with it. These vintage books and wooden apothecary drawers held the individual table plan cards, which made the perfect corner feature as guests made their entrance. You can find this torn edged table plan here.
The individual table plan cards I design, really allow you to get creative with your seating chart display, helping you create something completely unique to you both. You can find them in my shop here >>
Photo Wall
Photo walls are a fantastic decor piece that will fill a big empty space in your venue in an instant. You can use them to take photos of your guests using fun props in the evening time. And you can add neon signage to give the backdrop some personality. Style them out by adding complimenting decor around it, and you will have yourself a fun interactive zone for your guests.
Display Your Favours
Instead of having your wedding favours on each guests place setting, why not make a fun display with them instead if you have plenty of room. A great tip is to set up your display nearer the exit so your guests don't forget to grab one as they leave your wedding, after the evening reception has ended. I have some lovey wedding favour signs to help you display your wedding favours here.
Drinks Station
What about setting up a drinks or cocktail bar if you have the space? A fun and interactive area for guests to linger. This could be a whole bar, or a few containers filled with ice, for a help yourself style, this is perfect for an outdoor setting. I have some fun wedding signs in my shop perfect for signature drinks and cocktails here. I also have stylish drink straws which can be personalised to style up those drinks on arrival. Helping you create a fun area in your big space.
Chill out zone
Even though you have styled all your other key areas that you want to, you may still have an empty corner dying for some attention. Why not create a chill out area for guests to relax in if they want to take a minute away from the dance floor. Think bean bags, sofas, and comfy arm chairs for your guests to unwind and mingle. It works particularly well in a large space as it will help your guests spread out a bit and give them a space away from noise and the reception tables which might be getting cleaned down by the caterers. Style it up with big and tall plants, cushions, rugs, throws and some small tables to place a drink on.
So let's re-cap as I'm sure that's given you plenty to think about! To decorate a large space you need to think bigger! There's no exception! Consider choosing statement ceiling installations, creating an epic welcome area for an inviting guest arrival, design a interactive table plan, make a showstopper cake display, and add a relaxed chill out zone. Don't forget other essential key areas that will you help you dress your large space, such as your guests book, a huge photo wall, drinks stations and creative favour displays. The main goal is to have fun with styling your larger space so it makes sense to the kind of wedding day you want to have, so choose what works for you and leave the rest!
I hope these clever ideas have inspired you to decorate your large wedding venue with confidence. If you would like to hear more ideas from Rea at Confetti Sweethearts, you can join my free email list 'The Nook' Where I share regular inspiration to help you plan your wedding.
Need more help decorating your venue?
If you are decorating your own wedding venue and you want it to be as stress free as possible, I have created the perfect guide to walk you through the process. It will help you gather everything you need so that styling your space runs as smoothly as possible. I was a diy bride once so I know exactly what steps you'll need to take to pull it all off!
You can download your copy of the guide here >>
If you have enjoyed reading about the botanical wedding styles and you would like to hear more from me, you can join my email list 'The Nook' here. where I share more inspiration and tips to help you plan your event.
You may also like to read:
How to style your wedding tables
Creative ways to display your table plan
The Best Botanical Wedding Themes
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