Decorate the Bride and Groom Table

The bride and groom table, often called the sweetheart table, is a staple for wedding receptions. When it comes to decorating, you have many options. You can decorate the table itself with tablecloths, banners, and candles. Add some decorations to the chairs with things like ribbons and greenery. Decorate around the table as well. Set the table in front of an attractive backdrop, such as curtains, for a beautiful effect on the big day.

Steps

Decorating the Table

1. Choose an attractive tablecloth. The tablecloth should be the first thing you choose for the bride and groom table. Pick a tablecloth that fits with the color scheme and theme of your wedding.
   • If you have wedding colors, pick a tablecloth to match. For example, a baby blue tablecloth would be fitting if blue is one of your colors.
   • Think about your wedding's style. For a flashier wedding, try a glittery tablecloth. For a more traditional, elegant wedding, pick a solid-colored tablecloth with minimal embellishments.
2. Add greenery. Greenery can be a wonderful touch, especially for an outdoor reception. You can include potted plants or lines of ivy running down the table. Include a centerpiece that includes a lot of greens, such as flowers interspersed with large leaves and trails of ivy.
   • It can be fun to have ivy run up and down a table's legs.
   • If you have a lot of plants nearby the bride and groom table, some greenery on the table helps contribute to an outdoorsy theme.
3. Have your initials or names somewhere on the table. It's a good idea to have your names or initials somewhere on the bride and groom table. There are a lot of options for how to include your names and initials depending on your personal preferences.
   • You can purchase block letters at a craft store and paint and decorate them as you see fit. You can put the letters on either side of the table.
   • Try using a banner hung in front of the table to write your names or initials.
   • For a flashier, bolder look, have light up letters spelling out your names or initials set out on or in front of the table.
4. Drape a banner in front of the table. Most decoration stores and wedding boutiques sell banners. A banner hung in front of the table can be a nice touch. You can spell out a phrase like, "Just married" or a word like "love."
   • Banners come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. Make sure you choose a banner fitting with your wedding colors and themes. For a simpler wedding, for example, use a plain banner without a lot of embellishments.
5. Add candles. Candles can give your wedding table an elegant touch. You can have long-stemmed candles on either end of the table or have smaller, shorter candles running along the center of the table.
   • Attractive candle holders can be a nice touch. If you want to add some color to your table, for example, use colorful candleholders to do so.

Decorating the Chairs

1. Use colorful chairs. Chairs in and of themselves can be decorative if you opt for colorful chairs. Instead of using chairs in plain colors, or simple wooden chairs, opt for bright, colorful chairs. You can use wood chairs painted in bright shades or even something like lounge chairs for your bride and groom table.
   • Colorful chairs work particularly well if you have brighter wedding colors. You can use your chairs to add color to the reception.
2. Create letters with wires. You can use thin wires, like copper wires, to spell out words. You can write your names or initials or something like "Love" or "Just married." String your letter wires across the backs of your chairs for a nice, elegant touch.
   • If you want to decorate the wires further, you can add things like ribbons, flowers, or other decorations to the wire letters.
3. Add greenery. If you're going for a nature theme, use greenery on the backs of your chairs. String ivy up and down the chair legs, have a floral wreath draped across the chairs, or tie bouquets on either chair.
   • If you want to add color, do so with flowers. If one of your wedding colors is pink, for example, add pink roses to the chairs.
4. Tie on ribbons. Ribbons are easy to tie around the backs of chairs and add a touch of elegance. Lacy, attractive ribbons can be tied into bows and hung on chairs at the bride and groom table. If you want to incorporate color, add colorful ribbons to the table.
5. Hang painted wooden signs on the backs of the chairs. You can have painted wooden signs made for you through sites like Etsy. Small wooden signs with your names and initials can be a great addition to the bride and groom table. These work particularly well for more a more rustic, played down wedding.

Adding Decorations around the Table

1. Add lights behind the table. Lighting can add some decoration and color to the bride and groom table. If you're having a nighttime reception, lighting can be used to create a romantic dimly lit setting around the bride and groom table.
   • You can add string lights above the table, hanging them from a mantel or ceiling rafters. This adds decoration while providing a dimly lit romantic setting.
   • Try having two large lanterns standing on either side of the table. You can also hang lanterns from mantels or ceiling rafters.
2. Have curtains behind the table. Elegant curtains can be a nice touch for a classic or vintage theme. Try placing the bride and groom table in front of a window. Then, have lacy curtains hanging down in front of the window for a lovely wedding backdrop.
   • You can have the curtains reflect your wedding colors. If your wedding colors are red and gold, for example, have red and gold striped curtains in the background.
3. Hang up a wreath. If you want to add more greenery to the background, go for wreathes. Hang up wreathes decorated with colorful flowers, using your wedding colors, on the wall behind your table. For an added romantic effect, add wreathes in shapes like hearts.
4. Use letters. If you didn't add your initials or names to your chairs or table, hang up letters behind your bride and groom table. Use the wall just behind the table to nail up block letters spelling your names or initials. You can paint the letters in the appropriate colors for your reception.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Direct a Wedding
• Announce the Bridal Party at a Reception
• Be Married in a Catholic Church
• Plan a Wedding Reception
• Cater Your Own Wedding
• MC a Wedding
• Know Where to Sit at a Wedding
• Make a Wedding Toast
• Write a Groom's Speech
• Prepare a Candy Buffet for Your Wedding

Read more ...