Super styling summer venues
You want your wedding to stand out. It would be even nicer if it was the most incredible wedding that your guests had ever been to and would remember forever. Slightly obsessive? Maybe. But absolutely natural. Best Venues has had a thought about this dilemma, talked to some brides and styling guru, Penny Miller, and is here to help…
Tis the season to be jolly!
I'm not speaking about the "deck the halls" "fat man in red suit" kind of jolly. I'm talking about the really happy, long-days, beaches-and-fun kind of jolly. Summer is a time synonymous with vibrant colours, flowers, sand, water, gardens and champagne. So when you are in the process of picking your venue have a think about all of the things that make summer special, and play to their strengths:
A la plage - Beach- and water- side venues are spectacular in summer - especially for late afternoon-going-into-early-evening receptions.
After the sun has finished its daily 12-1pm fry-up, the days and evenings become pleasantly balmy. Water-side locations are gifted with a pleasant breeze,
the ability to wow overseas visitors and a magic perfectly suited to weddings. Some of the most popular wedding venues (as decreed by
Best Venues'bridal readers) are
Bathers Pavilion,
Qualia and
Waterfront Venues.
Au natural - After the initial bloom of spring, plants come into their own in summer. This means that venues with sweeping views of the
Australian flora are a nice fit for the season.
Venues with golf courses offer mounds of lightly-curving plains and trees to admire. Function rooms with terrace areas and balconies
onto the Australian bush, such as
Botanical Gardens Restaurant, Boulevard Gardens and Nathania Springs are equally desirable.
Alfresco - The typical Australian summer evening is warm. Very warm. In fact it is perfect cocktail dress weather. Outside areas also come with the added benefit of the pleasant summer breezes. Cocktails and canapés, whether as an introduction to your night, or a less-formal style of reception seemed destined to meet with an alfresco setting. Venues with great alfresco areas include
Banjo Patterson Cottage Restaurant,
Carrick Hill and
Campaspe Country House Hotel and Restaurant.
All fun aside, however there are some practical aspects to consider when planning for a summer wedding. Click here for more…
Super styling - summer essentials
Once you've picked your venue you still need to dress it up. Best Venues had a chat with wedding styling and decorating guru and manager of Rocket Event Services., Penny Miller.
Q1.What themes are particularly suited to summertime?
A flowered, covered, tea party. A Bollywood theme is also great with all of its colour. "The Beach" theme can always be reinvented every year with a touch of something different. Fairy lit balcony cocktail parties are also always fun in summer - very intimate but casual and fun.
Q2. What colours are particularly suited to summertime?
Bright coloured themes are usually fun for this time of year. "Apple" (a light green) is making a comeback this year and looks great with other green colours or white. Coral is also on its way back - use this with chocolate and get the wow factor. Soft latte, soft cream and all lovely pinks look great mixed together.
Q3. What kind of summer-suited theme would you suggest for:
a) A water-side or beach-side venue?
Chocolate and coral theme - chocolate chair covers with coral-coloured sashes. Coral-coloured table runners with lots of tea-light candles and chocolate-coloured serviettes. The flowers should be soft - don't block your view with an extremely large table centre.
b) A grand ballroom?
Soft latte and cream. Cream chair covers with latte sashes. Latte table overlays, cream serviettes, candelabras with soft, romantic, flower arrangements.
c) An intimate restaurant space?
Chocolate and soft pink - chocolate chair covers with soft pink sashes. Chocolate satin table cloths, chocolate serviettes with pink ribbons, pink and cream flowers in small rose-bowl vases.
d) An alfresco space?
Bright colours to bring it all together. Lots of outdoor palms, to warm the outdoor space, white table linen, apple-coloured overlays with green and white serviettes, large vases filled with bright coloured flowers and hanging white Chinese landers with bright-coloured bulbs.
Penny Miller is the manager of Rocket Event Services (RES) - an event services company with more than a decade of experience in the wedding industry. RES styles hundreds of weddings every year and has decorated the majority of Sydney wedding and function venues. For more information visit www.rocketevents.com.au..
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