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We’ve taken you through important questions to figure out the kind of wedding you want and brought you lots of ideas for if you want your wedding to be a huge party or a laid-back, casual affair. This week, we have ideas for the couple that is looking to have an elegant and classic wedding.
As with any wedding design, your invitations will set the tone for the day. For this, stick to clean lines and a sophisticated, easy-to-follow layout for your save the dates and invitations. If you’re looking to take your stationery to the next level, consider working with a stationer to create a semi-customized or fully customized invitation suite for your wedding. Nothing says elegant quite like a wax seal! You could also hire a calligrapher to address your envelopes for an added personal touch.
You’ll want to indicate to your guests that your wedding will be a classier celebration, so add a note on your invitations about the dress code, such as black-tie or formal.
Cocktail Hour
As your guests move from the ceremony to cocktail hour, they should be met with passed hors d’oeuvres. High-quality and attentive service takes your guests’ experience to the next level, so chat with your caterer to ensure you’ll have enough servers throughout your reception. To avoid long lines at the bar, consider having some servers pass champagne or sparkling wine out to guests.
Having a live musician for cocktail hour can help add a sophisticated flair! Hire a harpist, pianist, strings trio or quartet, or guitarist to serenade guests while they enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks.
Reception
A classic wedding is truly found in the design of the day. Stick to a mild color palette using colors like whites or ivories, blush pink, and pops of gold. Greenery can certainly be used, but keep its use more contained and refined, rather than sprawling like in a garden-style design. For your centerpieces, your florist can create smaller, more rounded centerpieces using white flowers. Surround your centerpieces with stick, votive, or pillar candles, or floating candles for an added texture.
In terms of the layout for your reception, utilize round tables for your guests and have a sweetheart table for you and your partner. Chiavari chairs are a great upgrade option if you want to really tie together the elegant design. For your place settings, opt for simple China and a traditional setting of silverware and glassware. Depending on your venue, you could also cover your dance floor in white vinyl dance for a sleek look, or hang some white draping to elevate the elegance of the room. Many companies can additionally add you and your partners’ monogram to the dance floor.
If you’re planning to hire a calligrapher, have them handwrite your guests’ escort cards and design any signage that you’re incorporating into the day. Once guests find their seats, offer tableside wine service to keep guests’ drinks fresh. A plated dinner is your most classic option for dinner service, and you can customize this with as many courses as you desire.
For dessert, cut into a beautiful tiered cake with a simple, piped design. Whether you’ll have a band or DJ, ask them to play a variety of songs, from upbeat to slow dances, to ensure you encourage all the guests to dance at some point throughout the evening.
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