Want to know what single piece of wedding decor will give you the biggest bang for your buck?
Of course you do!
It’s your table linens!
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Here’s how to make it work for you!
Step Up from The Basics
Sure you can use white on white and basic polyester. Lots of couples do. But how about jazzing it up a bit? The cost of using other colors is almost always the same as that of basic white linens, or only slightly more. So if you’re feeling royal blue or hunter green or springtime yellow, go for it!
A Great Color Trick
One of my favorite decorating tricks is to reverse the colors of the guest tables and the service tables—the bar, buffet, coffee service, cake, etc.—and do the napkins in the same color as the latter. For example, let’s say that the guest tables are covered in a crimson red linen and the napkins are a contrasting blue linen. The service tables might then be covered with that same blue.
Building on this scheme, you might also reverse-out the sweetheart or head table, using the same look as the service tables, and add crimson red napkins.
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Mixing It Up
Let’s take this a step further and really mix it up! Consider using multiple colors of table linens on your guest tables. A creative, trans couple did just that one time at the wedding venue I own, Chase Court, with spectacular results! They used several different, delightfully bright linen colors, pairing each with napkins in a contrasting color. The service tables were a different, slightly more subdued color. Everyone loved it!
Another way to go, still just using color as a variable, is to put a neutral color — ivory for example — on your tables and use an assortment of colored napkins on each table. Four or five colors that repeat will create a fabulous look.
You can see how this can go on and on. The idea is to be creative, and express who you are as a couple in this most basic of decorating methods.
But wait, there’s more to do with linens!
So Much Choice
Caterers and wedding planners have binders and binders full of linen samples from the big rental companies (where you can also go to see full-size samples). There are all kinds of textures, overlays, table runners, and more from which to choose. The cost of these linen upgrades is absolutely minimal compared to any other form of decor. Think less than ten to thirty-ish dollars per table. Cheap! The effect can be outstanding. There is no need to settle for plain when you can have fantastic!
Let’s talk centerpieces
A big way to save decor money is to minimize cut flowers. Use potted plants, candles, photographs in frames, and other low-cost centerpieces. Candles, especially, go a long way, particularly in a reception space where the lights can be dimmed.
Make It Meaningful
I love seeing couples choose meaningful things to add to their decor. Consider using books that represent what you enjoy or where you’ve been. You can create a theme around cites where you’ve lived or visited, or even just family, with photographs of you and your parents and grandparents.
Pro tip: Massed anything creates a powerful, larger-than-itself look. Use groups of candles, candle lanterns, blooms, piles of used books, whatever.
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Avoid Pinterest and Instagram Hell
A word of caution: Lots of couples do some or all of their own decor. That’s great! But before you begin, be realistic with yourself about your skills and your time.
It’s easy to look at that big and complex centerpiece on the web, with everything put together just so, and say, “I can do that!” It’s quite another to do it for all of your guest tables, to get it all done in time for your wedding, and to have the time and person-power to set it all up on your wedding day.
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You Can Do Great Wedding Decorating On The Cheap in Baltimore
There are a million ways to create gorgeous, meaningful decor for your wedding. With some time and effort, you can create a look that you love, one that your guests will remember, and that doesn’t cost a whole lot of money!
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Chase Court owner David Egan has lived and breathed weddings for 22+ years! That means you get the knowledge, resources, and attention of a venue owner who has helped plan and execute over 900 weddings.
Visit chasecourt.com and follow @ChaseCourtWeddingVenue on Instagram, and check out our videos on YouTube!