When faced with the initial blank canvas that is your venue you may view it in one of two ways: with total panic or giddy excitement. In which case, you'll either be in need of inspiration or focus so we chatted to Annabel from Butterflies & Bows (www.butterfliesandbows.co.uk) who was kind enough to share her expertise on the matter particularly when it comes to making the most of your wedding flowers. Check out her top tips for creating a veritable wedding wonderland with wow factor.
A luxurious floral, romantic look is on trend at the moment and that's looking set to continue for 2022. Think plenty of soft, romantic floral arrangements and decorations but with a luxurious twist. Soft pinks, pale mint green and ivory whites are popular, but this style can work with any colour palette.
THE CEREMONY SPACE
For the ceremony, floral pew ends rather than bows are the way forward. Gypsophilia and smaller, delicate flowers are perfect, paired with a lace or satin bow. These work equally well whether they're tied to each pew end or alternate.
Large pedestal arrangements with a voluminous ceremony table display at the front of the room really creates the wow factor – a real focal point! With lots of flowers and greenery trails from the stands, these can also be used for the reception room after the "I dos." I'd use the same flowers in the pedestals as in the ceremony and top table flower arrangements with lots of blooms and greenery tumbling down the front of the table.
To add some extra flair, have an arch at the entrance of the aisle. These really decorate the room and add interest to spaces that maybe have less character. The arch could then be used behind the top table during the reception or placed as a photo backdrop allowing your guests to snap some selfies in front of it.
Soft luminous drapes with flowers on the front work beautifully at al fresco gazebo weddings, with blossom trees and pedestal flowers.
THE RECEPTION ROOM
Tall centrepieces add a touch of drama to any room as they have height they immediately decorate the whole room as well as the tables. Martini vases are still very popular for table centres or tall wider vases with a ball style display. I'd recommend blooms such as roses, hydrangeas and gypsophilia mixed in with varying degrees of greenery. To add a more luxurious feel, set on a mirror plate with crystals and lights, and pearl or diamonte strings delicately hanging from the vases or around the stem of the vase.
Decorate any features in the venue. Think garlands or luxurious material swags for arches, fireplaces, bannisters, railings, poles. Use fresh greenery or greenery with flowers, alternatively, high quality artificial garlands are an option to keep that budget in check! And don’t forget the power of balloons! Modern sculpted styles will work in any venue or large round single helium balloons always make a real impact.
Sparkling fairylight backdrops, ceiling drapes, window drapes, and column drapes with greenery or lights transform simple spaces into opulent venues. Strings of LED lights wound around railings, bannisters, fireplaces, columns and outside trees and shrubs are VERY popular for next year and are ideal for illuminating darker areas and enhance all areas after nightfall. Also for the darker months, uplighters also cast a wonderful hue of light up walls and room features, or illuminate the outside of the buildings at night.
Chair décor, such as lace vertical drapes are beautiful and immediately transform Chivali chairs into something very special. If your venue has older conference chairs, covers with a sash will immediately transform the room.
THE LAST WORD
So think about every aspect of the day: ceremony, reception and evening dance and all the areas within your venue. Reuse items from the ceremony in the reception to keep an eye on that budget and think larger displays, with added details such as drapes, lights, hints of pearls, diamontes and lace to really wow your guests.
Chiddingstone Castle Wedding Show hosted by County Wedding Events
If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Chiddingstone Castle, Kent for inspiration on Sunday 20th September, 2026! Sister company to County Wedding Magazines, the event brings couples in touch with local professionals who are on hand to help plan the wedding day. From photographers to cake makers, musicians to florists you're sure to tick a lot off of your to-do list by attending one of our County Wedding Events.
READ ARTICLE
New app launches to simplify one of marriage’s biggest admin headaches
Changing your name after marriage can mean updating details with countless organisations, from banks and subscriptions to official documents and employers. New app Name Change Navigator aims to make the process easier, guiding newlyweds through each step from one platform. Founded by Rebecca Dainton, Head of Product at Flutter UK & Ireland, the app was created to reduce the stress and mental load associated with name changes. It supports a range of naming journeys, including traditional surname changes, double-barrelling, blended surnames and other choices following marriage, civil partnership, divorce or personal identity changes. The launch comes as younger generations increasingly rethink traditional naming conventions, with technology offering a more streamlined approach to this often-overlooked part of newlywed life.
READ ARTICLE
Port Lympne's wedding show is in September - hosted by County Wedding Events!
If you're newlyweds-to-be embarking on your wedding planning journey, pop along to the County Wedding Events wedding show at Port Lympne, in Kent, for inspiration on Sunday 13th September 2026 - 11pm - 3pm! Sister company to County Wedding Magazines, the event brings couples that are desperate for face-to-face wedding planning in touch with local professionals who are on hand to help plan the wedding day. From photographers to cake makers, musicians to florists you're sure to tick a lot off of your to-do list by attending one of our County Wedding Events.
READ ARTICLE
Something borrowed, something blue’ is out – but 1 in 4 Brits still value wedding cards
New research from Moonpig reveals the top wedding card writing confessions. A whopping 30% of Brits admit to defaulting to a safe "congratulations!" because they simply can't think of anything else to say. This is followed by recycling the same message for different couples (11%) and signing a card without knowing what your partner has written (8%). What's more, when stuck for words, one in 10 (8%) admit to turning to AI for inspiration - this rises to one in seven (14%) among 25–34-year-olds. Brits are not alone in facing this wedding card conundrum. More than half of Brits (55%) admit they have struggled with at least one aspect of wedding message writing. Nearly one in four find wedding cards (23%) or guest-book messages (24%) difficult, while one in five (20%) hit writer's block when preparing the all-important wedding speech.
