How to Make Decorations for a Wedding Reception

Wedding receptions are typically filled with flowers, candles and other decorations using the colors and flowers from the bride's bouquet, bridesmaids' dresses and other small touches the bride has chosen to incorporate into the wedding. Making your own wedding reception decorations brings a personal quality to the reception, as well as (usually) saving you some money.

Things You'll Need

• Glass vases (enough for one on each table)
• Marbles, stones or pebbles in your wedding colors
• Silk flowers and flower petals in the flower and color of your choice
• Silk baby's breath, ivy or other greenery
• Florist's wire or tape
• Silk ribbon in one of your wedding colors
• Tulle (white or one of the wedding colors)
• Scissors
• Silk flowers
• Florist's wire and tape

Instructions

Make Your Own Floral Centerpieces

1. 

   Put the colored pebbles, marbles or stones into the vase. The stones should be a couple of inches high in the vase to make sure they are visible.

2. Grab a few silk flowers (one to three for small vases or a handful for larger, fuller vases) and arrange them in your hand by adding one at a time. Turn your hand around to view the flowers from each side, making sure they are even.

3. Tuck in baby's breath, ivy or other greenery. Turn the floral arrangement around to make sure it looks appealing from all angles.

4. Hold the stems together and wrap them, toward the bottom, with florist's wire or tape. If you use wire, you can then wrap tape around the wire for a more complete and professional look.

5. Insert the arrangement into the vase, with the stems extending into the marbles or stones. The florist's wire or tape should not be visible, but should disappear into the stones. If it does not, remove the flowers and add more stones.

6. Tie a bow around the vase using the satin ribbon. This creates an elegant look and ties in the wedding colors.

Make Your Own Chair Bows

1. 

   Cut a large section of tulle approximately 4 or 5 feet long. This allows for a "tail" to hang elegantly from each chair once the bow is in place.

2. Gather a handful of flowers and hold them together. Continue adding more flowers until the bouquet is approximately 6 inches wide. You'll need more small flowers, fewer large blooms.

3. Secure the bouquet using florist's wire, then wrap the stems with florist's tape.

4. Wrap the tulle around the chair and tie it into a knot right at the center of the back of the chair. Leave a small gap in the knot (do not completely tie the knot).

5. Insert the flower stems into the knot and finish pulling the knot securely in place. Tie a bow and let the tails of the tulle hang free, creating a romantic, sweeping look.

Tips & Warnings

• Embellish using silk flower petals or sparkly confetti to sprinkle around the tables. Use alternating colors of tulle for chair bows for a more colorful look.

• Allow enough time to complete your decorations, particularly if you are doing them yourself.

References

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