Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor

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Question:

I'm trying to plan a wedding for about 100-125 people. We decided that with not much $ we would cut alot of corners, have a simple buffet meal & trim out as much as possible so we could have the people we want there to celebrate our day with us. This is our 1st marrage (hopefully only), even with the financial stress I still want to make it a special day. I have lots of people who are willing to help, make, build, do whatever we need for the day - found a venue that will allow us to cook our own food in thier kitchen (major savings!!).

WHAT FEW(3 or 4) DRAMATIC LOW COST THINGS COULD I DO TO DECORATE THE HALL TO GIVE A MEMORABLE LOOK?

I haven't really decided on colors, I'm getting married in the Spring of '10.

Answer:

It sounds like you have a terrific foundation set for your gorgeous wedding! And how fabulous that you have so many people willing to help work on the wedding plans, which is one of the best advantages in wedding planning. DIY and helper teams can save 40% or more off of wedding prices, and some can give the materials and labor to make various elements for your day as their wedding gift to you! Which saves them AND you lots of money!

Okay, for low-cost room, decor, here are some ideas to consider:
1. Go to your local craft store to stock up on clear fishing wire and crystals with holes drilled in the top of them. You'll then create hanging crystals by slipping a crystal onto the wire, then knotting the wire below, moving down each length of wire until you have lots of great, spaced crystals to make it look like a very expensive decor item for under $5 apiece. You'll then use these to hang from chandeliers, windows, and other accent pieces to create a uniform decor look on a budget.
2. Look into renting potted trees. Lots of nurseries and garden centers will rent out their prettiest potted trees, including exotics, palms and other types that suit your decor wishes. You pay a small amount, create a great effect, then return them the next day. Nurseries and garden centers will often cut you a break when you offer to to display their business cards on an entry-way table with a note that the floral decor comes from them. Yes, that's a sponsorship thing and some people don't want 'ads' at their weddings, but these are tough times, and many floral designers just put their cards out at weddings anyway, so it can't hurt to offer! Nurseries/garden centers love the living 'ad' all of your guests see.
3. Make great use of table linens. Choose the right colors from your site's existing, free linen choices to make a great foundation, and then one of your helpers can sew great table runners or overlays to give even more color and perhaps some shimmer to your tables...and make this their gift to you! It's an easy craft and it looks amazing, making your floral centerpieces and table settings really pop!
4. Remember that less is more! Just a few small decor pieces to accent architectural elements of the site/room let the building be the decor. For instance, a small tuft of flowers on top of a dramatic mantel looks fabulous, a floral arrangement on top of the site's piano [which they can roll in as a decor element for a corner of your room] or floral pomanders or petals on window sills provide those great details that make an impact for not a lot of money.
5. Ask what the site has in its stockroom for you to use. Many have a supply of elegant wrought iron candelabras that you can ask to use for free, or bistro tables or benches for your outdoor cocktail party, or silver centerpiece bowls, cobalt blue platters or other designed glassware that can be set around the room or used as centerpieces.
6. Ask friends if you can borrow their strings of white holiday lights [get them to write their names or initials on tiny tags affixed to each] and use them to decorate various aspects of the room, such as lighting up the site's potted trees or circling the mirrors on the walls. Little, subtle touches with light go a long way. And ask the site manager to train their existing lights on your cake table, sweetheart table, and other spotlight accents of the room. Most sites can do this for free, since they already have extensive lighting abilities for all of the different types of events they do. This includes outdoor lighting.
7. If the room or entrance has a fireplace, ask if they can be lit for your day.