Decorating Your Own Reception?

humrk · November 2012

Hi everyone!
I am having a DIY wedding, but I've been wondering just one thing:
When am I going to have the time to decorate my venue?

We're having it in a barn so we need to decorate it ourselves. I can't find very much info on this topic when google searching, so I thought I'd bring it here. Anyone else run into this problem?

JaneAustensGhost · November 2012

Can you do most of it the night before? Or in the morning before the wedding? If a DOC is in your budget, I'd hire one just so you wouldn't have to worry about this.

MrsGandthebeag · November 2012

You will have to ask your venue when you can set up. At our venue, the people there set everything up. But, we had to bring all our stuff two days before.

humrk · November 2012

I know the venue won't be setting anything up because its a fair buidling. I was thinking of maybe renting it the day before also or doing everything in the morning and having a later ceremony. Eek.

Annas2013 · November 2012

We're setting them up the night before, right after the rehearsal dinner. My mom, sister, and I will decorate. Along with one of my mom's friends who wants to help with everything she possibly can. And maybe my FI's mom. As for cleaning up, my mom volunteered herself and my sister to help. I'm going to suggest paying people to do it, so that they don't have a ton of work.

ncwenze · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_decorating-your-own-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:8c6b0b49-b1f4-4975-a0fb-e7e6eeca52d9Post:d73d8d36-7c2b-4f6d-b851-bc9e74d9dd9b">Decorating Your Own Reception?</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi everyone! I am having a DIY wedding, but I've been wondering just one thing: When am I going to have the time to decorate my venue? We're having it in a barn so we need to decorate it ourselves. I can't find very much info on this topic when google searching, so I thought I'd bring it here. Anyone else run into this problem?
Posted by humrk[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>This is one of the things that stresses me out the most! Our venue is very strict about not letting us in before our allotted time, so we paid for an extra hour on the front. I'm hiring an acquaintance to act as our DOC to help set things up. Im hoping between the caterer, the DOC, and close family/friends that are not in the bridal party we will be able to get everything ready in about an hour</div>

QueerFemme · November 2012

We hired a DOC and also hired two friends of friends to do the set up. And unless you only have a few things to set up, it WILL take more than a couple of hours. We didn't even have that much stuff, and it took a LONG time.

Doing it the night before is great if it is enclosed and can be locked. But, if not, I suggest hiring a few people for the morning of and giving them a VERY detailed floor plan and list of what goes where.

MountainBro · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_decorating-your-own-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:8c6b0b49-b1f4-4975-a0fb-e7e6eeca52d9Post:d73d8d36-7c2b-4f6d-b851-bc9e74d9dd9b">Decorating Your Own Reception?</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi everyone! I am having a DIY wedding, but I've been wondering just one thing: When am I going to have the time to decorate my venue? We're having it in a barn so we need to decorate it ourselves. I can't find very much info on this topic when google searching, so I thought I'd bring it here. Anyone else run into this problem?
Posted by humrk[/QUOTE]

<div>You'll usually have to have all the work done beforehand. I can tell you from experience that most venues won't provide you more than 24 hours ahead of time to prepare, and sometimes it has to be done the day of, so you'll have even less time. Depending on whether they've booked out the day before your reception, you might be able to get in earlier. Presumably, this barn isn't having wedding every day of the week, so you may be able to have a lot more time to get ready. That could be your saving grace.</div>

QueerFemme · November 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_decorating-your-own-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:5Discussion:8c6b0b49-b1f4-4975-a0fb-e7e6eeca52d9Post:ff49765e-126f-4645-b5b5-b4b8dabd1123">Re: Decorating Your Own Reception?</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Decorating Your Own Reception? : This times a million. All we had to do was put up one arch, move some tables (already set up) and chairs, put on some table cloths, and toss the centerpieces up. It ended up taking just over 3 hours.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

This is almost exactly what we had to do. Set up the arch, move 5 tables, set up the tables for the caterer, and put on tablecloths and set up the spots for the cake, etc. Set up the chairs for the ceremony and put down the aisle runner. We hardly had any decor, just some placemats for each table where the centerpieces were going to go when the florist arrived.

We had the three people we hired, plus about 6 or so friends that came to help set things up. They got there at 8:30, and most didn't leave until about noon, and the three we hired stayed until the ceremony started at 3pm. It takes MUCH longer than you think it will.

nafallon · November 2012

This was one of my big worries for my daughter's wedding. Luckily we were able to get in the afternoom before the wedding and set up, but it still took about 6 of us all afternoon and early evening to decorate (we did do a lot of decorating). The venue had the tables and chairs set up and the tablecloths on. It takes MUCH longer than you expect and there is so many other last minute things to do. Because of the experiece, I am actually going to try starting a business for DIY brides where I would go in and meet the vendors at the reception site and set up the decorations, etc. I would strongly suggest that if you can afford it you try to hire someone to set up your site....it is just too stressfull to take on yourself. If there is a vocational school near you, you might be able to hire some of their catering students to take care of this for you. Surprisingly taking things down did not take all that long as the wedding party all helped out.

humrk · November 2012

It looks like we will be able to get in the night before to decorate!

Decorating Your Own Reception?

Re: Decorating Your Own Reception?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards