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Ask the Experts: How to Have Elegant Decorations in an Unusual Setting

by Marta

Dear experts,
My wedding is in 29 days and I have yet to come up with ideas as to how to decorate my reception. We are having both the ceremony and reception at my mother-in-law’s church. The reception is in their "hall" which is actually a basketball court with a stage and kitchen (which our caterer will use).

Photo: Photo Courtesy of Rose of Sharon Event Florist

HOW DO I DECORATE A BASKETBALL COURT!? I want the reception to tie in with the rest of the wedding, which is elegant and classic. So far we have candles, candle holders and marbles to go in the candle holders. That is it as far as decorating goes. How can I turn this basketball court into an elegant wedding reception?

Signed,
Bouncing off the Walls

Thea Daniel of Rose of Sharon Responds:
Basically, you want to draw the eye away from the basketball court.  To do this, you have to create other focal points.  My first suggestion would be to use a tent.  However this would depend on your budget.

Another option would be to use tall columns and drapery creating a 'room' or several 'rooms.'  You could have these over the dance floor, over the food, and over the seating.  If you're looking for something with a little more nature, create groupings of plants around your reception areas (dance floor, seating, buffet, etc.)

Use ferns, hosta, liriope, and shrubs.  These can often be rented from a garden center.  You'll need decorative containers to hide the grower's pots as well.  Here's a photo of one such grouping we created.  This was for an outdoor wedding, but you could easily move it indoors.  

About Thea:
Thea Daniel, owner of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayeteville, Arkansas, has been designing floral arrangements for events for 15 years.

Ask the Experts is your chance to have your wedding questions answered by a panel of experts. If you have a question write asktheexperts@onewed.com.

See our answer here: OneWed.com: Ask the Experts

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OneWed.com Ask The Experts (see our advice below)

Ask the Experts: Earth Day Tips for a Green Wedding

Apr 22nd 2010 9:30am | by Marta

In honor of Earth Day we asked our Ask the Experts panel to share some of their favorite tips and suggestions for Green Weddings.

Thea of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayetville, Arkansas says:
My favorite practice that I've seen recently is to re-purpose the florals after the wedding.  By collecting the flowers and donating them to a hospital or live-in care facility rather than throwing them away, arrangements can be enjoyed for the full life span of the flowers, residents of these facilities get to enjoy fresh flowers, and the bride & groom get a little more value from this perishable product.  (Plus the florist doesn't have to throw away HOURS of hard work!).

See our answer here: OneWed.com: Ask the Experts

OneWed.com Ask The Experts (see our advice below)

Ask the Experts: How to Create a Unified Wedding Look

Feb 11th 2010 8:57am | by Marta

 

Ask the Experts is your weekly chance to get wedding planning advice from a panel of wedding professionals.

If you have a question write the panel at asktheexperts@onewed.com
This week, a bride writes:

Dear Experts,
It’s always looks a little silly to me when the bridesmaids dresses match the tablecloths, which match the centerpieces, which match the groomsmen’s ties, etc. So, I was thinking I just wouldn’t have “wedding colors.” But, whenever I talk about this with my mom and sisters they insist that if I don’t have “colors” everything will look hodge-podge. What are some ideas for making the wedding look unified and together, without making everything “matchy-match.”

Signed,
Miss-Matched

From Jeff of Blackbird Images

We photographed a 500-guest wedding at the Congressional Country Club last fall. $100k budget, which typically translates to “matchy-match.” The bride chose color “themes” instead: Bridesmaids dresses with groomsmen’s ties; tablecloths with table settings and lighting; etc. Everything worked as component pieces but didn’t have to match in totality. (She even let her bridesmaids choose different dresses, as long as they were the same color and basic style… since no one style fits everyone.) If you think it’s silly to over-match, don’t! Just give it a little thought… and then move on to making the day yours. You – and your guests – will remember how much fun they it was.. not whether everything was perfectly color-coordinated.

Thea of Rose of Sharon:
A color theme does help unify the event. But that doesn't mean everything has to match exactly. You can pick one or two main colors and a couple of accent colors. The accents can be variations of the main colors or something that compliments the main colors. Another way to have a color theme without being too one-dimensional is to have a seasonal color theme. For example, you might pick 'muted fall tones' giving your burgundy, burnt orange, brown, and golden yellow. Anything that falls within these colors can be used. Or you might go for 'winter whites' and use white, cream, champagne, ivory, an a very pale pink. Color isn't the only way to unify an event, however. You can also pick a theme, such as an wildflowers or fall.

Arti of Zoya Couture:
I couldn't agree more. I think you have the right idea on not trying to go overboard on matching. However, I don't recommend doing away with wedding colors altogether - otherwise you may, accidentally, end up with all of the colors in the rainbow! A very vibrant wedding, but probably not what you have in mind. Instead of 2-3, pick 4-6 colors to maintain flexibility. Start with what you know you must have, and then try adding darker or lighter shades of some of those colors that would still give the palette a sense of harmony.

About our experts:
Arti Anand works with ZOYA Couture, a boutique design and print studio in Washington, D.C. that creates wedding invitations and marketing collateral. The company incorporates work of numerous in-house and freelance designers, offering clients fresh new designs, layouts, and materials.

Thea Daniel, owner of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayeteville, Arkansas, has been designing floral arrangements for events for 15 years.

Jeff Haden is President of BlackBird Images, wedding photographers based in Harrisonburg, VA. Not only is he a well-respected and talented photographer, but has also gained recognition as a ghostwriter.

Thanks to Rose of Sharon Event Florist for providing these photos showing one way to unify without looking too matched!

Photo: The bouquets

Photo: The reception centerpieces

Photo: The rehearsal dinner centerpieces

* Compiled from OneWed Ask The Experts Article & Blog

OneWed.com Ask The Experts (see our advice below)

Ask the Experts: What Are the Best and Worst Places to DIY?

by Marta

 

Ask the Experts is your chance to get all your wedding questions answered by a panel of wedding professionals.

If you have a question for our wedding experts, write us at asktheexperts@onewed.com

Dear Ask the Experts,
Every article I read gives different advice about what sorts of things you can and can’t DIY. In your experience, what are the best things to DIY, and what are the best things to leave to the professionals?

Thanks
DIY-Wanna-Be

From Wendy of 1812 Hitching Post:
Do it yourself centerpieces and party favors are a great way to personalize your wedding reception. A candy bar with cute bags for candy is one of the most popular party favor options we've seen. Centerpieces that include floating candles, silk or dried flowers, fabric, or any other material that lasts can be planned and created months in advance. A single live flower or live garden flowers added last minute can add color, dimension, and freshness to your centerpieces.

Best left to the professionals are photography and catering. You don't want either of these elements to suffer the day of your wedding. Food tastes best when it's prepared directly before it's served by people who are used to taking care of groups. Professional photographers can add their artistry to every photo for memories your family will cherish for centuries. Don't put your family and friends to work; they want to celebrate with you. If you're working, they can't have fun, either!

From Jeff of Blackbird Images
My advice is general rather than specific. Definitely do plan, at least in overall terms, your own wedding: The events, the timeline, what you want to do… it’s your wedding and should reflect your desires and dreams. Don’t take on anything you’ll have to participate in or oversee on the day of your wedding. You’ll have enough to do… and should be able to focus on enjoying the day, not on supervising and making sure everything goes as planned. So DIY the planning – leave implementation to others.

Thea of Rose of Sharon
Ideally, your budget will be adequate to cover all your desires. Realistically, you'll end up doing a lot yourself or cutting things from the plans. DIY sounds like a good idea when you still have months before your wedding. Keep in mind that wedding professions spend time and energy learning the best way, the most creative way, the most artistic way to make weddings wonderful.

The best place to DIY depends on your talents, the amount of help you have, and how much you have to do. A project that can be completed two months before the wedding is much easier to handle than one that has to be completed the day before the wedding. Creating your own personalized favors can usually be done early, but your bouquet shouldn't be made more than a day or two in advance. And if you use a computer to write everything because nobody can decipher your handwriting, hand-addressing your invitations may not be the best idea. If you're not quite sure if you are up to a project, try it out on a smaller scale--preferably while you still have time to find a professional if you find it's not your cup of tea.

Be realistic. Are you trying to DIY to save money or because you're secretly Martha Stewart? After you purchase all your supplies and materials, dedicated hours of your time (and probably some of your friends' time as well), and the end result isn't quite what you expected, was it really worth-wile? Yes, you may have save a buck or two...then again, maybe not.

About our Experts:
Jeff Haden is President of BlackBird Images, wedding photographers based in Harrisonburg, VA. Not only is he a well-respected and talented photographer, but has also gained recognition as a ghostwriter.

Thea Daniel, owner of Rose of Sharon Event Florist in Fayeteville, Arkansas, has been designing floral arrangements for events for 15 years.

Wendy Waldron, photographer and wedding coordinator of 1812 Hitching Post Wedding Venue in central North Carolina, has 10 years experience planning and photographing "simply beautiful" outdoor weddings.

OneWed.com Ask The Experts (see our advice below)

 Ask the Experts: DIY Winter Decorations

by Marta 

Ask the Experts is you chance to get professional wedding advice from OneWed’s panel of wedding experts. If you have a question write asktheexperts@onewed.com.
Dear Experts I’m getting married in January in Chicago (I know, but we don’t have a lot of out of town guests, so I’m not worried about the weather). I’m on a tight budget but most of the DIY advice I see for flowers and decorations assume you’re getting married in the spring or summer. What are some ideas for festive, whimsical decorations my friends and I can do ourselves? We’re having an evening reception with wedding cake and drinks, but no dinner and I’d like a fun feel. Thanks Winter Budget Bride

See our answer here: OneWed.com Ask The Experts


Ask the Experts: Becoming a Wedding Professional

by Marta 

Ask the Experts is your chance to tap into a panel of wedding experts to get your most pressing wedding questions answered. If you have a question for the panel writeasktheexperts@onewed.com.
Dear Ask the Experts,
I got married last year and LOVED planning my wedding. I’ve helped with the weddings of a few friends as well and now I’m considering looking into doing this as a career. I’ve worked in a florist shop before and am considering either wedding planning, or becoming a florist for weddings. How do I go from being someone who loves to help with weddings to a wedding professional? What are some of the most common misunderstandings people have about working in weddings? Am I silly for thinking that just because I was good at my wedding, I’d be good at doing someone else’s?

Thanks
Would-Be Wedding Professional

See our answer here: OneWed.com Ask The Experts