What a Bride Wants

The bride’s eye is ever-changing.  Pressure easily builds when deciding on wedding details; and rightfully so. From the large details to the small, we want to make sure your wedding is picture perfect.  Here is your easy to follow guide to making your wedding dreams a reality.

We’ve found the wedding hacks that will save your wallet.  Our first recommendation is to find a space that you love.  We are strong believers that a strong foundation is the most necessary component, and we’ll teach you how to have a critical eye when picking out the right space for your wedding.  This space will be the framework that supports all the glitter we are going to add. And yes, I really mean glitter. A lot of it.

A recent trend we are seeing is brides wanting to sparkle, and in this guide we will outline the basics on how to create a tasteful reception that will leave your guests breathless.

Today’s brides are in search of a Gatsby celebration

Step back into the 1920’s with us.

Bride’s are looking for a celebration fit for Mr. Gatsby himself.  Metallics have taken receptions by storm, and the reason is quite simple.  The flair added is complementary to a wedding or a wedding reception at any time of day.  Glitter, even the quality of which you purchase at discount party store, is designed to catch light, and we opt to capitalize on that.  Morning weddings with a splash of glitter will see muted reflections in every corner, and evening weddings will have soft ceiling lights bouncing off the glitter, creating a circular glow that will set an ideal stage for any party.

It’s easy for the skeptic to jump in and say that metallic and especially glitter, will appear blatantly inauthentic but they haven’t seen the Pinterest boards that I have.

Make it a metallic wedding

There is a way to make every detail of your wedding sparkly without gaudy, and I have proof.  

The key is to be consistent.  If you are choosing to go this glittery route, commit fully. Often, couples looking to add a bit of sparkle will only choose a few select aspects of the wedding to glitterize, such as the roses, invitations, and table placement cards.  What this does is create an inconsistent environment.  Instead of getting the glitter bug out on a few objects, look for small ways to spread it out.

Pick your metal

Gold and silver are the most popular choices, but don’t forget about rose-golds.  Some people will be bold and go for a metallic blue, which I would suggest only if there is significant meaning to you.  Sometimes these nontraditional metallics -- like blue and mauve -- will overpower more than you anticipate, but there are still ways to incorporate these hues.

If you were to choose a blue metallic color scheme, an event space can easily seem smaller and exude an almost cramped feeling, which we definitely do not want while guests. Metallics should expand the space, and lighter toned metallics, like silver, will do this.  This does not, however, mean that your color palette is limited.

Decide where the glitter goes

I found this Pinterest board I am in love with. Her name is Anne Whitson, and I have to restrain myself from repinning every single thing of hers.  What I like about her is that she is right on top of the trends with the metallic themes.  

As mentioned previously, metallics and glitter should be spread throughout the event space, so that candles and fabric undertones are connected.  The gold details below are subdued by the white which serves a double purpose: not only is it calming the effect of the metallic, it is adding to the elegance.  And I’m sorry, how do you look at that and not want to be the bride with that backdrop??? Anyone would look like an angel.

United with Love, a DC based wedding company, has great inspiration for cross metallic designs I think you’ll love.  That giant gem in the middle of a gift bow? Simple elegance. When I saw the table setting below, I fell in love all over again with the idea of a metallic wedding. The blue accents are so small and complement the table perfectly.

You’ll find that going a route like this will simplify the need for much else, the decorations will tie the room together effortlessly.

Create your space

An opulent and open environment is easily created when we mix in dark drapery to our lace or lightly-colored walls.  

Fall colors, like aubergine, form a perfect backdrop when draped along a wall.  They serve a dual purpose of decorating the room while hiding any undesirable wallpaper or light from windows.  Drapes will give you more control of the room’s lighting, but it will also add a unique degree of customization people won’t be expecting.  Here’s my pick, these blackout drapes are sure to give you the control you need, especially for a warm fall wedding.  Against a small wall, attach the curtains with these crystal lights in the middle, and you’ve quickly created a unique attraction that will tie the calm notes of the room with the shimmering. (Extra tip: if you don’t like the spacing, you just get a second strand and stagger the two!)

This brings me to my first wallet hack: shop around! Don’t think you have to buy all your decorations from a certified wedding store when online stores can provide quality products, too. (Bonus: the financial nerd in me cannot pass up a chance to remind you to use a CREDIT card for these purchases.  Sign up for a miles card that will give you a load of miles if you spend a certain amount of money within the first few months. I can guarantee that you’ll be racking up some serious air miles.  Perhaps even enough to cover the honeymoon flights!)

Pick one wall to be the centerpiece.  This will be the wall with the most attention; this wall itself will become the centerpiece of the room so that the rest of the walls can breathe easy. In the example below, this technique let the wedding party be the center of attention, while having a glamorous feel.

Drapery and crystal strands complement the above room, but they are extremely versatile.  I can almost guarantee that no matter the season or setting, this simple trick will simplify your decorating.

This brings me to wallet hack #2: Go off-season with your wedding.  These crystals will look as amazing in spring as they will in winter.  Below, you can see that these crystals look heavenly even on a rainy spring day.  Notice something else: the green looks FANTASTIC with these.

Wallet hack #3: Load up on greens. The same is true in flowers as it is in salads. The greenery works nicely with metallic reflections.  Invest in small flower accents, but have the greenery cushion them.

Have your cake and eat it too

Don’t break budget on an oversized wedding cake.  Having a smaller wedding cake does not mean that it won’t draw attention. Metallic is the trend, so why not get some of that glitz on something edible? Honestly, whoever said you can’t have your cake and eat it too never went to a metallic wedding with a metallic cake.

Wallet hack #4: Use fresh flowers to decorate the cake instead of sugar frosted ones.

Wallet hack #5: Why does cake get two wallet hacks? Because people spend too much on it. Keep the smaller cake for you and the wedding party, and sheet cake distributed to your guests. Sheet does not mean lowered quality.  Plus, the sheet cake can be cut by any wedding staff, which will improve the flow of food throughout the night.  

Tying it in

As mentioned in the beginning, the event space you choose will be your foundation. We find that many brides waste endless hours touring places, only to find in the first few minutes that the event space will not work.

Choose an event space whose owners have invested in it.  This means more than upkeep of the space; check their social presence.  Find places that offer panoramic views of the spaces or virtual maps and tours on their website. These kind of features will let you see what the space really looks like, without wondering if the photographs were in someway manipulated to show off only the best parts.  

Have an idea of party size in mind and make sure with their virtual tour and maps that they have enough floor space and no awkward angles.

At the end of the day, two things matter when choosing an event space: finding a place that invests in their space, and finding a place that feels “right.” Call on that intuition.  

On behalf of the Virtual Compass team, we wish you and your partner the happiest of adventures.  

Please reach out at team@virtualcompassproductions.com if you find a space you’re interested in that lacks a virtual tour.  We’ll get their tour done for you, so you can save your time.