The key to setting up any successful wedding reception on time is to make everything as fool proof as possible. Even though you may have just been liaising with one venue representative chances are that most of the set up will be left to the floor staff to execute (unless you have hired us or someone to do this for you). Making everything as easy as possible for them will make their job quicker and will give you a better chance of having all your wedding decoration out the way you designed it. So here are some top tips when planning your wedding decorations for a successful set up. Hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator to execute your design is always a good idea. You can get in touch with us to find out more.
Check with your reception venue in advance about bump in
Ask your venue in advance about bump in. Many venues will run a lunch service. This is especially true for restaurants. The more amount of time they are able to offer you the better. However if there is a function prior to yours on the same day, this can put a lot of pressure on your bump in window, some offering as little as an hour. Be realistic about how much wedding decor you can set up in this amount of time. If you don’t want to alter the integrity of your wedding design, then consider hiring outside help to complete the set up for you.
Very sweet dessert station and required the collaboration of a florist, a signwriter, a baker and a stylist to set up! Image courtesy John Benavente Photography
Deliver Your Wedding Decor in Advance
Delivering everything in advance to your wedding reception will not only mean one less job for you to do on the day of the wedding, or even the day before. But it means that you can walk your venue representative through all the decorations you are dropping off. It also gives them a chance to go through things and ask any questions about what you are supplying (and anything that should be there that’s missing). Familiarisation of your wedding decoration can be critical to fast set up to minimise any surprises on the day. This especially applies for place cards and table plans as these often have the tendency to be dynamic. Some venues may be reluctant to have you drop off your wedding decor too early as storage may be scarce, but it’s something worth discussing with them in advance.
Our bride Rebecca had done some of her own handwork with these DIY lemonade jars. Image courtesy John Benavente Photography
Wedding Set Up and Wedding Checklists
I don’t know what I’d do without working off a checklist when we set up wedding decor for our clients. Usually there is so much going on during set up, especially if it’s a short bump in window. Floor staff are busy clearing the last event and setting tables, and there can be countless numbers of people moving in and out with equipment and materials. Your own wedding vendors are usually firing questions to you about what your client wants, and it’s very easy to become sidetracked. Provide a very brief and concise checklist for whoever is managing your set up. It’s a great resource and it should have enough information so that anyone can pick it up and double check that everything has been done according to the brief.
Such a gorgeous lemonade stand set up by one of our vendors – Sarah Jay and Co Image courtesy John Benavente Photography
Wedding Decor Surprises
It’s a horrible feeling opening a box of wedding decor from the client and pulling out mysterious looking objects that you have no idea about. It’s a great idea to include an inventory list in any box you supply to the venue and how they are to use it for set up.
Don’t Expect Too Much From Your Wedding Venue
Most wedding venues are happy to help you set up place cards, guest favours, table numbers and a seating chart. Remember the primary function of your venue is to offer a fabulous guest experience with their food and wine, and not to be worrying about flower arrangements, or the colour of your uplighting. If your wedding decor ideas go beyond these things, then it is always worthwhile exploring our set up and coordination service.
Striking welcome signage for Rebecca and Thang. Image courtesy John Benavente Photography
For more tips on DIY receptions you can find some more articles here:
- DIY Wedding Ideas for Reception Centrepieces
- DIY Like A Professional Wedding Planner
- Why You Need A Sydney or Melbourne Wedding Planner
- Stay Organised With Last Minute Wedding Jobs
- Top 5 Biggest Wedding Planning Mistakes
All venues will differ in the amount of help they are able to provide you with setting up your wedding decorations on the day. It all usually comes down to the amount of bump in time and the staff they have available. If your ideas extend beyond guest favours, tea lights and place cards then hiring a set up team or a wedding coordinator is a sensible choice. Remember quite often the amount of money that you are investing in your wedding decorations alone is substantial enough not to risk leaving the set up to your venue floor staff who may simply run out of time to help you with.
