Ask Margot: What's an inexpensive way to decorate my ceremony?

This is a question that I get A LOT.  And it's one that I don't mind answering repeatedly because of this:  The truth of the matter is that most ceremonies only last about 30 minutes, whereas the reception usually lasts upwards of 4 hours.  So dropping a boat load on your ceremony decor doesn't usually make a lot of sense for the budget-conscious bride.  That being the case, here are a few ideas to help make the most of your budget while still looking like money is no object...



1}  Make those flowers work double time!

Talk with your florist about ways to use the same flowers at both your ceremony and reception.  There are countless ways that this can be accomplished.  From using your bouquets as centerpieces (Make sure to spruce it up a bit though...you don't want it to look like you just stuck the bouquet in a spare vase you found lying around.), to taking the flower garland you used on your canopy and moving it to the escort card table, it's all about reusing everything you can.  This is not only budget-friendly, it's also eco-friendly, so we're looking at a win-win situation here!  But if you're going to go this route, make sure that your cocktail hour allows enough time to reasonably make a smooth transition for all the decor... Your florist will thank you!

The party's not over yet:  Move this ceremony decor to the reception site for double time beauty

Image courtesy of Ruffled Wedding Blog

2}  There's no need to gild the lily.

The best advice I can give, and probably my favorite advise to give, is let your venue space shine through.  Surely you chose your ceremony site for a reason.  Is it the beautiful garden space?  Is there a huge live oak to stand under?  Does it have breathtaking windows?  Let these features stand out and use any decoration you do choose to accentuate the space's already existing beauty.  And remember, sometimes less is actually more!

This venue's already existing botanical wall makes quite the statement without any further decoration.

Photo courtesy of 100 Layer Cake