Ugly (Reception) Room

Choosing a reception venue is one of the first things brides do after getting engaged. Venues are often chosen (understandably) for reasons other than the room’s aesthetic. These reasons could be the beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains, the to-die-for rack of lamb dinner selection, or the 50% discount because Aunt Barb owns the venue. For the brides that chose their venues not for the room’s aesthetics, now face the daunting task of making it perfect and pretty. Here are some suggestions on how this can be achieved:

1. Work with it - Take a close look at the reception room including the wall colors and carpet. Most of the time, the wall and carpet colors can be incorporated into your wedding color scheme. The colors don’t have to match exactly. The colors can be similar (using different shades of the same color) or complementary (two opposite colors that work together). See the first picture!

2. Enhance the positives – If the wall color is blah but the room has a high ceiling, enhance the ceiling. This can be done with beautiful ceiling draping or paper lanterns. Ideally, you want to draw your guest’s eyes up to the ceiling.

3. Create a focal point – The focal point is usually the head table, you can enhance the head table with a beautiful backdrop, florals, or different structures, like pillars. Alternatively, you can also create another focal point like a picture area or a band area. The Wedding Decorators did an awesome job by creating a Moroccan theme picture area. Once guests see this picture area, they will overlook the room’s not-so-pretty elements. See the second picture!

4. Light it up – There is a reason why candles are often associated with romance, it creates a mood. Lighting is an amazing thing! The use of lighting can create a mood and diminish flaws in a room. Lighting should not be seen as a splurge anymore, it might be a necessity for some (ugly) reception rooms!

5. Cover it up – If there is absolutely nothing that can be done about the walls, cover it up with fabric drapes. This will change the room significantly and give it a soft and romantic look. Fellow WPIC wedding planner, Terra Law at Inspired Occasions suggested fabric draping for one of her clients. The look was absolutely breathtaking! See the last picture!