Whether your big day is taking place in a marquee or a luxurious hotel, help from the experts is essential to guarantee your venue looks the part, as these couples discovered
Leanne and Graham Oliphant used Dream Events by Sarah for their wedding decor
“We wanted something simple and elegant to decorate our wedding and that’s exactly what we got,” says bride Leanne, who hired props from Dream Events by Sarah. The ceremony was taking place at her husband’s farm, Standingstone, with an evening reception at the Mansefield Hotel in Elgin. She is full of praise for the decor company’s great selection of items and value for money, as well as the warm vibe she got from the owners – “they were so friendly, and I felt they were genuinely interested in our plans for our wedding.”
It’s really tricky for most of us to envisage how a blank canvas like a marquee might look, say the couple, so thankfully Sarah was on hand to help. “It was ideal, as she came a few nights prior to the wedding so we could discuss how it was looking and make any changes we wanted,” recalls Leanne. “But to be honest, on the actual day, I don’t think I would have noticed as it’s the last thing I was thinking about!”
Leanne brought along some DIY items to give a personal touch: her dad created a lovely sign with the couple’s names and wedding date (a wonderful backdrop for photographs) and made a sweet wooden board showing pictures of the family. From Dream Events by Sarah, the couple hired chairs, chiffon chair drops, a hexagonal arch and an aisle runner for the farm, while for the hotel they had a starlight backdrop and big LED letters spelling out ‘love’ and ‘Mr and Mrs Oliphant’.
Eze Events created Amy and Rory Cullens’ dream decor for their day at Inglewood House and Spa
Collaborating with Bindiya at Eze Events was “a joy”, says Amy who appreciated the decor stylist’s willingness to try new things. “It made the creative process such a positive experience for us.” Bindiya had worked at Inglewood House several times before so had great knowledge of how to bring out the Alloa venue’s best features.
As they were marrying in September, Amy and Rory liked the idea of referencing late summer and autumn with rich, jewel-toned decoration – a sort of ‘enchanted garden’ theme, with lots of foliage, branches and fairylights. “Eze Events gave me even more ideas and were really encouraging,” notes Amy. “It was always, ‘yes, we can try that’ or ‘what about this?’, and I think that collaborative attitude made them great to work with.”
One standout decor piece was the flower arch which was used at the ceremony then positioned behind the newlyweds during the wedding breakfast. The bride loved it so much she wanted to take it home!
“I think you need to trust your feelings and not be influenced by outside opinions on what you should or shouldn’t do with decor” is Amy’s top tip. “It’s also important to take a really good walk around the venue so you know where you’d like photos to be taken and any key areas that would benefit from some decor.”
For Amy, the most difficult part of the whole process was trying to rein in all her ideas: “It’s easy to get carried away, but always remember the costs and be mindful of your budget.”