Day of decor.

Stop right there. If you are here and you haven’t yet started thinking about your invitations get out. Seriously, hit that back button. This information is just going to overwhelm you (another reason to hire a personal designer–less stress!) and you’ve got enough on your plate. I admire you, I do, but take a step back and tackle those bad boys first. Chat me if you need help.

Alright, to those of you still here, you’ve got a vision, you have clarity on what your reception is going to look like and you’re wondering how to incorporate that vision throughout your wedding day. Wooooot! You’ve made it to wedding planning level 2!

What is day of decor? In my world, we create all the tangible items that guests touch through your event. Menus, seating charts, escort cards, favors, and more. Which of these do you need? Well, all of them, obviously. Jk jk, you don’t need all of them, but these are how they play out on the day:

Ceremony programs

These are the first items your guests hold in their hands on your wedding day. They outline your ceremony, provide information on the wedding part and those facilitating the marriage. They are also a great opportunity to thank your guests for coming and honor passed loved ones. Depending on the style of ceremony you’re having, they can be infographic, or bound booklets. Formal or fun, or a mix of both, these give your guests something to do as they arrive to the ceremony without taking out their phone and looking bored. Sometimes churches provide programs, so check with your officiant.

Seating SOMETHING.

For the love of Pete, please do this for your guests. Unless you only have, like, 18 people at your wedding and everyone knows and likes (bless you, fam) each other, it’s in your best interest to create some sort of seating plan for your guests. I’m a fan of table assignments, which assigns guests to a certain table, but offers flexibility for them to choose who they’re actually sitting next to. This provides enough structure for people with social anxiety (read: me) to avoid feeling like you’re the last kid to get picked for the kickball team. We create both seating charts printed and framed in oversize formats as well as escort cards to achieve a cohesive seating plan that’s easy to follow.

Tip: arrange your seating plan in alphabetical order, not by table. This makes assignments much easier to find for guests and they’re not all crowded around your display trying to find their names instead of enjoying cocktail weenies.

Welcome Baskets

Yes, this is a luxury, but holy shit, how excited do you get when your hotel room has snacks? Now imagine your best friend picked out those snacks for you….And gave you a scavenger hunt to find all the cool things to do where you’re staying. And gave you Gatorade and Advil to take care of you after partying.

Fuck yes man, welcome baskets are the shit.

I love personalizing them with locally made snacks or snacks that are typical of the area (can you tell I love snacks?) and doing fun things like providing a pronunciation guide of the local dialect or glossary of terms you’ll need to fit in like a local. Always thanking your loved ones for booking in your hotel block (because some hotels will make you pay if you don’t fill your block!) and loving on them for loving on you. I love welcome baskets.

These are the 3 biggest things I notice people wanting and making the biggest impact on guests, but honestly, you can personalize everything. I am always a fan of menus, social media information (so the couple makes sure to get this epic food shot I took of my filet mignon), photo booth strip logos, and favors (fan favorites are always something consumable or has their name/face on it instead of yours).

The biggest thing that is going to make your wedding authentic and memorable is to incorporate YOU into your wedding. By working with a creative like me, I find the right people and things to infuse you into your wedding. I’ve named signature drinks after pets, and had piña coladas machines in November because they were the couple’s favorite drink. I’ve brought cakes across state lines and pieces from my couples home into their reception space to make it comfortable and reverberate their energy.

Anyone can throw a wedding, but those details are what make it yours.

If you’d like to work together, I’m currently booking design clients. Reach out to me here to snag your spot and revel in yourself.