How to Decorate the Ceilings in a Reception Hall

Helium balloons can be allowed to float at the ceiling.

Reception halls are almost as important as the wedding venue, but they are generally pretty plain. However, they can be decorated in a variety of ways that will make you forget that fact. Keep in mind that what you decorate with will need to be cleaned up or put away, so that the space is ready for the next renter.

Things You'll Need

• Reception hall

Instructions

1. Hang burlap flat against the ceiling. Use clear thumb tacks to keep it in place. Intertwine pieces of green ivy or some small flowers with white Christmas lights. String them up across the ceiling to give the room a magical look. Use safety pins to attach the ivy and lights to the burlap.

2. Fill up a large number of helium balloons and let them float at the ceiling. Use the colors of your wedding, or choose pale pearlescent colors. If you want your guests to be able to take them home, make sure you tie ribbons to them before you let them float to the ceiling. However, you may not want your guess to have to wade through a million ribbons while they are moving about the room. Either way, you will need a ladder to collect the balloons at cleanup time. A quick jab with a stick pin or ice pick will let the balloons fall to the floor, where they can be swept up.

3. Make a bouquet of tulle intertwined with white Christmas lights to hang at the center of the room. Use clear thumb tacks to secure it to the ceiling. Then drape tulle out from the main bouquet to the each corner of the room, so that you have a large X-shape across the ceiling. Secure the tulle at the corners with clear thumb tacks.

4. Attach burlap material to the ceiling using clear thumb tacks. Spray paint dead branches with silver spray paint. Twist white Christmas lights or flowers throughout the branches. Attach the branches to the burlap using large safety pins or clear packing tape. You won't be able to see the tape from the floor.

5. Cover the ceiling with large swaths of tulle, attached with clear thumb tacks. Hang strands of beads across the ceiling like a garland. Allow a few of the beads to hand down like streamers. The beads can be attached to the tulle with safety pins. Use strands of beads in the color of your wedding or colors, such as silver, gold and white.

References

• ThriftyFun: Wedding Reception in a Church's Gym