How to Style Your Wedding Like a Pro – 8 Life Changing Styling Tips Every Bride Should Know
In today’s post I am looking at How to Style Your Wedding Like a Pro. I am going to share the industry secrets that I learned when studying styling myself, and am going to show you how to pull off the BEST looking wedding!
By the way – I have free Styling Checklist that you can use to help you put these tips into practice! Simple click the button below to get yourself a copy.
Knowing how to style an amazing display is the foundation on which you will create a breath-taking wedding.
I believe it is the one element that gives a wedding the ‘wow’ factor or not.
In fact, learning how to style properly has taught me how to:
- Plan my own wedding
- Style and decorate my own wedding (with the help of my friends)
- Style product like cards and invitations for my own business
- Create ‘mock up’ photos and flat lays for Instagram
- Styling other events like birthdays and engagement parties
- Decorating my own house
This is a skill that will not only help you with your wedding, but will come in handy time and time again in future.
But with all that said…styling is not as easy as throwing some decorations together and hoping it will look nice. Your decorations and ideas need guidelines and a strategy. So, in today’s post, I’m explaining from top to bottom How to Style Your Wedding Like a Pro.
Why is it so important to know how to style?
Here’s what styling can do for your wedding:
- Create stunning first impression
- Make your wedding look more expensive than it really is
- Make your wedding photos look even better
- Create consistency and a strong theme throughout the day
- Make your wedding stand out from any others
- Create a memorable displays that your guests will talk about in the years to come
For these reasons, I truly believe that knowing how to style is an essential ingredient for brides who want to create a stunning wedding – no matter what theme you have chosen.
So what makes some displays look amazing and others like a bunch of random items have been thrown together? How do you style groups of items anyway?
There are a few basic principles when it comes to styling, and I am going to share them with you today. If you have thought it is too hard, or too intimidating to try and pull off something that an event stylist would – think again – if you follow these principles you can and will create a stand-out display. Put these principles into practice for each of your ideas and you will style your wedding like a pro!
By the way – I have a super handy Styling Checklist that you can use to help you plan your wedding. Simply click the button below to download this awesome freebie.
1. Group with Odd Numbers Only
Despite what you may have been told as a teenager, being odd is actually a good thing! Groupings of odd numbers – and especially the numbers three – are always stronger than groupings items in even numbers. Think of the number three as your go-to number; it creates pure magic and will never let you down.
Why are odd numbers so visually interesting? Apartment therapy have written a great article about it here. Odd numbers create interest, tension and force your eyes to move around the grouping. You may not even be aware that your eyes are doing it, but that eye movement is crucial to creating visual interest. Visual interest will make your guests linger over a display, and also remember a display long after they have seen it.
So if you are grouping a few decorations together, always group them together in odd numbers.
2. The Pyramid Principle
If you group items into the shape of a pyramid (or triangle) then you will have a very effective grouping.
To create a pyramid grouping, you place the tallest item at the top of the display and let all the other elements “step down” in height from that point. The tallest item will create an eye-catching focal point that attracts the viewer’s attention. Their eye will then move to the other items that are lower in height.
For example, the top item might be a tall lantern followed by a shorted bunch of flowers in a vase, followed by a small candle. And here is another sneaky tip – never have several items that are very close but not exactly the same in height. You either want them all the same height, or all in varying heights.
To create a pyramid or triangle shape, you will need to use varying heights. If you’d like to read more about this, you can check out Visual Merchandising 101.
Here is an example of a Pyramid group with 7 items. The tallest item forms the top of of the pyramid and is the focal point. The rest of the items gradually get shorter, with the shortest ones on the bottom edges of the pyramid:
3. Colour
Did you know that colour is the one factor that makes the biggest difference?! The colours you choose can make or break your ideas.
How can something so simple make such a big difference? Colours actually affect the way people think and feel. They send a message to the viewer and they can dictate a mood or a ‘feel’. Shopventory have written a great article about it here if you’re interested.
- 1) Think about what colours are a natural/logical fit for your theme. For example, blues and turquoise colours work really well for beach themed weddings because they have a natural and relaxed feel – and they are also ocean based colours.
- 2) Less is more: Unless you are going for multi-coloured theme, only choose up to 3-5 colours. In general, the fewer colours the better. If you use too many colours it won’t have an impact and it could look a bit thrown together.
- 3) Don’t change your mind or alternate colours down the track. Your theme will look strong because of consistency. Don’t fall into the trap of adding extra colours here and there, thinking that it won’t make a difference. Consistency is a subtle art form, and trust me, it will make a huge difference. You don’t want to undo all the good work you have done so far.
- 4) Choose colours that are easy to source: Some colours are more common than others. If you pick an obscure colour it could be difficult to find enough items in that colour. Sometimes, choosing simple colours can be a stronger game plan. This will make your life a whole lot easier down the track when you’re shopping for decorations, and it will ensure that your colours stay consistent throughout.
4. Contrast
Contrast is using colours that ‘pop’ against each other – for example, using light colours with dark colours. It is a super easy way to make a simple idea stand out and look amazing. In the example below, white triangle shelves have been stacked on each other and placed in front of a dark wall. This makes the white triangles really eye catching and gives them ‘wow’ factor. If the white triangles had been placed in front of a pale background, they wouldn’t have had the same effect.
5. Use Something Unexpected
Using an unexpected prop can surprise your guests and will make your display memorable. A memorable display means that people will not only remember it long after your wedding has taken place, but they will keep talking about it because it was remarkable.
To use something unexpected you will need to think outside the box. How you can use common items in a different or extraordinary way? Or is there an amazing prop you can source that will tie in with your theme?
For example, let’s take a beach themed wedding. Rather than using normal candles, you could used sea shells instead. In this example, some of them have been spray painted gold too, creating a glamorous yet natural look.
This example shows a different take on a table number. They have rolled it up and put it inside a bottle creating a cute ‘message in a bottle’ idea! How simple and cheap is this, but isn’t it much more memorable than a standard table number?!
And finally here is an example of using a stand out prop – if you can source one. This couple used a real sail boat as a backdrop for their ceremony. I love this idea because it is super authentic to their theme, and you can’t beat a real boat. What a knock out idea!
6. Use Repetition
Repetition is a super easy and really clever trick. One item by itself looks ok, but lots of them together can look amazing. Repetition can turn an average item into a stand-out idea.
To pull off the technique you would choose an item (let’s just say a lantern for example), and you would then repeat it exactly the same way over and over. A lantern all by itself will look ok but nothing stand-out, but imagine an entrance to your reception that is lined with lanterns all in a row on each side of the walkway– it will look stunning and would make a great first impression to your reception. Here is another example of repetition below. In the image, identical glass vases with candles and petals line a walk way for guests. One of these vases on it’s own would look a bit average, but with several lined up together they create ‘wow’ factor.
PS – did you notice that the triangle shelving from before used repetition too?
7. Focal Point
We touched on this point earlier with focal points in your pyramid/triangle shape when grouping items together. Now we’re going to look at focal points in a broader focus. When you enter your wedding reception, where do you immediately look? What grabs your attention? If you don’t a have a focal point you will look anywhere and everywhere, and nothing in the room will stand out. Adding a focal point makes a stunning first impression when guest first walk in and blows them away. What does a focal point look like? It is anything that gets your attention right away and stands out from everything in the room. You can do this using:
- A fancy wall backdrop
- Display of florals hanging from the ceiling
- Lighting display hanging from the ceiling
- A large welcome sign or banner
In general, a focal point needs height to help it stand out so keep this in mind. A pretty picture on the floor is a cool idea, but it won’t make a stand out focal point when guest first enter the room.
Here are some examples of what a strong focal point can look like. In the first image, the tall and bold geometric backdrop catches your eye’s attention right away. In the second image, a floral suspended sign hangs over a table and makes for a central focal point in a large room.
8. Using Lighting
Lighting is often overlooked and forgotten, but it is the final touch that can make or break your amazing display. For instance, lighting is an important factor because it affects the overall ‘mood’ of your venue and can be used to highlight special areas or props.
If you are outdoors and have plenty of natural light then it won’t matter too much, but you will still need to think ahead for anything indoors or outdoors at night time. For instance here are some ideas of how you can use lighting to take your wedding to another level:
- Scatter tea light candles to transform your reception tables
- Place larger candles into lanterns and use near signage or walkways and entrances
- Wrap small fairy lights around hand rails, pillars or trees
- String large fairy lights or light bulbs across an outdoor venue or inside area that have a high ceiling
- Hire a spot light and shine it directly onto signs, wording or artworks to make them a feature focus
- Try back-lighting a display for a really cool effect
The Wrap Up on How to Style Your Wedding Like a Pro
So in conclusion if you can use all – or many – of these styling techniques in your displays then you will create a visually stunning wedding!
Therefore, in each display you create, ask yourself if you are using:
- Odd Numbers
- Pyramid/Triangle Groupings
- A Set Colour Scheme
- Contrast in your Colours
- Something Unexpected
- Repetition
- A Focal Point
- Feature Lighting
Alright my lovely Bride-to-Be friends, after reading all these info I am convinced that you will know how to style your wedding like a pro! I hope this post has helped you realize the major importance of knowing how to style, create amazing looking displays, and blow your guests away with your stunning wedding! If you place these practical tips and guidelines into practice, you will truly style your wedding like a pro.
Don’t forget to grab my free Styling Checklist to help you put these tips into practice!
Got questions? Leave a comment! Let’s chat.
