A Whole New World: A Whole New Ceiling
Aside from having the groom still passed out from his bachelor’s party the night before and tearing your wedding gown while trying to walk in your heels, probably every girl’s wedding nightmare is having a sad, undressed up wedding reception hall. I don’t think anybody from the wedding party wants to step into a regularly lighted venue with decorations to the barest of minimum while they’re all made up, dressed up and ready to party.
This scenario brings to mind the big question of how to decorate your Orange County wedding venue, especially the ceiling. The ceiling is a vast expanse of possibilities that the most creative of minds can turn into absolutely anything given the right tools and ample budget to pull it off. Yes, when doing your wedding budget, keep in mind the extent of ceiling design that you need to make your venue look like a romantic paradise and make sure to factor in the cost with allowance for added trinkets to pull the entire look together.
There are some guidelines to remember when it comes to ceiling decorations, such as wedding paper lanterns. It is not an easy task and must always be done by professionals to avoid any damages to the facilities or a miscalculation on the materials to be used. Miscalculations cause time and money, both I’m pretty sure you’d always like to save on. Consult a professional Orange County wedding planner for wedding styling and try to compare their prices and offerings against each other to be able to make a wise and cost-effective decision. To get you started, here are a few things to look out for when it comes to ceiling décor.
1. Ceiling Height
How high or low is your venue’s ceiling? Wedding venues in Orange County with low ceilings, like 7 or 8 feet, usually don’t need as much ceiling décor as venues with high ones. You may still have drapes on your ceiling to cover unpleasant parts, like cracks, or sprinklers that cause a bit of an eyesore. However, mood lighting is the easier and cheaper way to go if you’re dealing with a low ceiling venue.
Venues with a high ceiling on the other hand, 8 feet and higher, are highly recommended to have drapes or ceiling décor to give the place a more intimate feel. Ceiling drapes are the more common option as it can easily enhance the mood of the place when paired with the right kind and color of lights.
For venues with an uneven ceiling, make sure to note the ceiling’s highest and lowest height measurement. This will help you and your designer determine the best placement and the length of fabric you need to cover up the important areas.
2. Hanging Points
Hanging points are the next most important question as the ease and difficulty of installation can have a great impact on the total cost of this endeavor. Whatever wedding venue in Orange County you choose, you must be in touch with their engineering or maintenance department to discuss the possible options for hanging of your cloth and other ceiling accents. Ask as well their available materials for the installation like hooks and ladders. For the hooks, you might need to bring your own or have a bulk of zip straps on hand to be able to secure your draping.
It is also great for your supplier to meet your contact person at the venue so they can be guided during setup. Some venues also require an internal evaluation of the supplier as they need to ensure their expertise in dealing with the facilities.
3. Fabric
Most designers go for gossamer fabric for a variety of reasons. Number one in their criteria is that it is fire retardant and that is a big advantage. While we all don’t wish for any mishaps, luck always favors the prepared. Gossamer is also lightweight and comes in a variety of colors. This synthetic fabric can easily be designed by painting, pleating or adding embellishments for a more thematic output.
Some designers go with voile sheer or poly pongee so that light can pass through more effectively. These fabrics make for great options if you want a constant play of lights in your venue to set a variety of moods depending on the program segment or the entertainment.
4. Ceiling Accents
Aside from drapes, designers and wedding coordinators comb through a variety of accents to establish the preferred theme of the couple. Elegant chandeliers for example add a sense of romance and royalty to the wedding venue, especially when set in the middle of the swags where light bounces off it. If you are on a tight budget, you can substitute this with beaded curtains scattered throughout specific points on the ceiling.
For rustic venues like grand farmhouses, colorful Chinese lanterns spell nothing less than fun and quirky at your reception. They are inexpensive, easy to use and install and come in various sizes. For those who want to take a little more time and add a little more creativity, intricate pompoms can be used or Japanese umbrellas in different designs, inverted and hung from the ceiling.
One of the most innovative ceiling accents so far are hanging centerpieces or mason jars with candles or flower arrangements. Instead of being placed on top of the table as expected, these designs are hung on a string, from one wall to another or from the ceiling. This is most recommended for a reception setup with rectangular tables instead of round ones.
Ceiling decoration is an intricate job that requires as much technical skill as it does creativity. It can take up a significant part of your budget, but will yield for you great results, come your wedding day and you and your guests get transported to a seemingly new place. You can always make needed substitutions to bring down your cost or you can look for Orange County wedding venues that need minimal styling.
If you do decide to design your venue’s ceiling, make sure to come to trusted professionals to do the job. As much as possible, if you are not technically-equipped for the job, don’t try to do it yourself to avoid unnecessary stress and to protect yourself from accidents. Be safe, be happy!
by Kerry Johnson – Follow Kerry on G+!
