Literary-themed decor?

ginnybinny17 · October 2016

Since we finally landed on our venue (a library), we're thinking of incorporating literary decor into our reception/ceremony.

I did a bit of googling around found a couple really neat ideas I liked -- a ceremony arch made out of books, centerpieces at tables that incorporate books, and literary-themed tables rather than table numbers (e.g., tables named after literary couples, or tables named after our favorite books, etc).

Any other ideas that come to your minds? We were noodling the idea of doing books (those ones you can get for kinda cheap at old bookstores that are fabric-bound? or just old books?) with a ribbon wrapped around them as favors, but I don't know -- that might be a pain for folks to take with them, so I'm probably not gonna end up doing that.

But! Wanted to pick the brain of this board for any other cool literary-themed ideas you guys have or have seen.

JaxInBlue · October 2016

I think not doing books as favors is a good idea. It could be time consuming, if not downright difficult, to figure out which books to give - do you try to find a book specific to each guest? Do you go after a certain mix of genres or titles? It might be better - depending on your crowd and what would be appreciated - to do something like an edible favor (book shaped cookie?) - or book-related like a tea mix or coffee, perhaps with a bookmark-style thank you card.

Depending on the decor around you, I think the goal would be not to over-do the book/literary theme. A few subtle elements might work better - for example, paper flowers made from pages of books you and FI like, or the table cards you described.

If there are already a lot of books on display around your space, I'd think about whether or not books as part of the centerpieces give look and feel you want. If actual books would be too much or look to busy, you might consider placemats that replicate open books or framing passages from books you like instead of the whole book.

charlotte989875 · October 2016

My friend (who is an English professor) had literary decor. They did books as centerpieces/table numbers. The escort cards were printed book marks with your name then the name of the book at your table.

They also had a typewriter for the guest book so people could type out notes to them.

I advise against books as favors. I love books, both H and I read a ton, but we don't want to cart random books back from a wedding (especially if we're flying) and we didn't get to choose the book.

SP29 · October 2016

I agree that books as favours is not the best idea. Not everyone loves books. DH and I LOVE books- but you wouldn't know which books we already do and do not have.

I agree that if you're already in a library, keep it subtle.

Something really awesome that I saw (on Pinterest, of course), though I imagine it'd be a ton of work or expensive, is a bride had her bouquet made of out paper flowers that were cut out from books.

I went to a couples wedding shower once where the theme was Beauty and the Beast. They had long rectangular tables for the guests. The hosts used individual book pages glued together in different orientations in a long string that was used as a table runner. Looked good! Even if you have round tables you could do something similar, but glue them together in a circular shape for the centre of the table and then sit a vase of flowers or candle on top.

kahluakoala · October 2016

Have you seen ecoflowers.com? They have these gorgeous wooden and paper flowers and some of them are book pages. You could do this as a bouquet!

kahluakoala · October 2016

Sorry - I think it's "ecoflower.com" - something like this:

https://www.ecoflower.com/pages/weddings

They have book pages as filler

ginnybinny17 · October 2016

SP29 said:

I agree that books as favours is not the best idea. Not everyone loves books. DH and I LOVE books- but you wouldn't know which books we already do and do not have.

I agree that if you're already in a library, keep it subtle.

Something really awesome that I saw (on Pinterest, of course), though I imagine it'd be a ton of work or expensive, is a bride had her bouquet made of out paper flowers that were cut out from books.

I went to a couples wedding shower once where the theme was Beauty and the Beast. They had long rectangular tables for the guests. The hosts used individual book pages glued together in different orientations in a long string that was used as a table runner. Looked good! Even if you have round tables you could do something similar, but glue them together in a circular shape for the centre of the table and then sit a vase of flowers or candle on top.

I LOVE the table runner idea for the individual book pages! Thank you!

We're in a library, but the main reception area is in this big hall (it's the Providence Public Library) where there aren't books everywhere. The books will mostly be in the ceremony space (and we're gonna go around taking our wedding pictures in the book aisles).

And I love the bouquet idea! I just googled it and found some incredible ones on Etsy made out of your choice of books -- and one of the choices she offered was Harry Potter. They're expensive but -- book bouquets!

Thanks for the rad ideas!

ginnybinny17 · October 2016

KahluaKoala said:

Sorry - I think it's "ecoflower.com" - something like this:

https://www.ecoflower.com/pages/weddings

They have book pages as filler

These are lovely - thank you!

ginnybinny17 · October 2016

Sounds like books as favors is definitely a no-go! Thanks, all.

LadyCatherineDB · October 2016

If you have book titles as table names, I also recommend including table numbers. As a guest, it is much easier to find table 5 (usually between 4 and 6) than table Mansfield Park, which could be anywhere in the room.

Decor made of cut-out book pages makes me sad. I do not view the destruction of a perfectly good book as a demonstration of a couple's appreciation for books and reading.

Jen4948 · October 2016

LadyCatherineDB said:

If you have book titles as table names, I also recommend including table numbers. As a guest, it is much easier to find table 5 (usually between 4 and 6) than table Mansfield Park, which could be anywhere in the room.

Decor made of cut-out book pages makes me sad. I do not view the destruction of a perfectly good book as a demonstration of a couple's appreciation for books and reading.

I agree. I think using a group of books stacked up for a centerpiece is reasonable for a theme, but don't destroy books for decor or give them as favors.

But you could use poster-size or larger pictures of book covers as wall decorations or perhaps as tablecloths.

londinium215 · October 2016

Flowers for my wedding party were made from book pages (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages), and I loved it - I still have my bouquet, sitting in a vase on our dining room table.

I agree that having table numbers are easier for guests than book titles, do you have a favourite book as a couple that maybe has chapter titles? You can name tables Chapter 1: [title], etc - or get large books and open them to the chapter number of the table. You can do escort cards that look like DDc cards or something like that, too.

I've also seen a book called Tequila Mockingbird that has literary-themed cocktails, maybe you can do drinks with names that relate to books, too?

If you're set on doing favours, what about bookmarks?

glasgowtolondon · October 2016

Agree with jen and ladycatherine - don't tear up books for your decor. Books shouldn't be wasted like that. That is a trend I really wish would die in a fire. There are plenty of ways to utilise a literary theme without cutting up books:

- stacks of books in centrepieces
- table names from your favourite books / authors / characters
- Have cocktails and call them after literary hero(ine)s
- table plans and/or invitations that look like classic book covers.
- literary passages as readings.
- theme your cake like alice in wonderland or harry potter, whatever floats your boat.

I mean, thats a lot right there and no books had to suffer at all!

bleve0821 · October 2016

glasgowtolondon said:

Agree with jen and ladycatherine - don't tear up books for your decor. Books shouldn't be wasted like that. That is a trend I really wish would die in a fire. There are plenty of ways to utilise a literary theme without cutting up books:

- stacks of books in centrepieces
- table names from your favourite books / authors / characters
- Have cocktails and call them after literary hero(ine)s
- table plans and/or invitations that look like classic book covers.
- literary passages as readings.
- theme your cake like alice in wonderland or harry potter, whatever floats your boat.

I mean, thats a lot right there and no books had to suffer at all!

I hate it, too. So much. It breaks my heart and scares me as much as Fahrenheit 451 did as a kid, that this is where society is heading.

I added some of my favorite passages from literature to the backs of the escort cards.

geebee908 · October 2016

I'm not a fan of the destruction of good books either, but if the book was in bad shape and destined for recycling, I'd be okay with that as the book is being reused and is no longer readable.

geebee908 · October 2016

double post

MobKaz · October 2016

londinium215 said:

Flowers for my wedding party were made from book pages (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages), and I loved it - I still have my bouquet, sitting in a vase on our dining room table.

I agree that having table numbers are easier for guests than book titles, do you have a favourite book as a couple that maybe has chapter titles? You can name tables Chapter 1: [title], etc - or get large books and open them to the chapter number of the table. You can do escort cards that look like DDc cards or something like that, too.

I've also seen a book called Tequila Mockingbird that has literary-themed cocktails, maybe you can do drinks with names that relate to books, too?

If you're set on doing favours, what about bookmarks?

You could even set up your escort cards in such a way as to have them "perform" double duty as escort card and favor. They can be laminated and/or have some type of tie/tassel threaded through the top. I have also seen cookie cutters in the shape of books, so you could still have an edible favor.

SaintPaulGal · October 2016

I have seriously mixed feelings about the use of books as decor where the books have to be destroyed. On the one hand, I love and respect books and I think it is sad to "kill" them. But on the other hand, I have worked and volunteered at places where people donate books they no longer want. There will never, every be enough new homes for all the Reader's Digest Condensed Books anthologies out there or a million titles that no one will every buy even for a dime. It hurts my heart a little to say it because books can be such an emotional, talismanic subject, but so many of those "undesirable" volumes wind up in the recycle bin. I would much rather see them become flowers or bookmarks or table runners than just be ground up into the next round of pulp.

ahoywedding · October 2016

What about using magazine pages for some of the ideas that may require tearing up books? A friend of mine got married & she punched hearts out of book pages for the flower girl to throw and used them in a few other ways (can't remember anymore), but all you really need there is enough text in the same place. You can find old magazines a million places, and they're kind of "destined" to be discarded.

ETA: I think she also made paper flowers out of book pages for some of the decor, and made a bunting as well. All things you could do with a magazine.

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