You will spend most of your planning time on reception and reception decorating, that’s where all the celebrating occurs.  So where do you begin?

1) Select a theme.  That’s the easiest way to achieve a elegantly decorating reception hall.  When you choose a theme, it allows you to narrow down your decorating scheme.  Themes can be created by a color you love, movie you enjoy or a place you have been too.

2)  Evaluate your reception space.  Take pictures of your reception hall, so that you can sit back and view what areas would be best suited for certain aspects of your wedding reception.  Find out where the reception manager normally sets up the tables.  Can you changes this or does the normal way work well for you?  Where can the band or DJ set their stage?  Can you move anything around to better suit your needs?

3)  Work within your budget.  You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to achieve an elegant look for your reception hall.  Most reception venues will have a large selection of decorations that can be used, some may even be FREE so ask!  Start shopping early, for those great sales.

4) You will want to get a lot of ideas for the decorations, so you’ll need to do some research. Bridal magazines and the internet are great areas to start your research.

5)  Express your personality through the decorations.  A truely successful wedding is a wedding that is an extension of the couple.  This may help you select your theme!