"Shabby Chic" Wedding Reception Decorating

Can you see the door with the vinyl "N" inside the crystal?

Everyone who has been to a wedding reception at a church gym knows it is hard to make it look like anything besides a gym. When my daughter announced their engagement we knew at the time we had no choice but to do it in a church gym because my husband had been without a job for 19 months, otherwise I would of loved to do it at a beautiful building.

Some day I am going to own my own building-least that is my dream- but luckily since I already had been decorating weddings for a few years I had enough things to do her's. I also did a lot of thrift store shopping, and went to a lot of yard sales to go with her and I's Shabby Chic Theme.

Cake area~

I posted earlier the shabby chic table here I made for her wedding cake. This is how it turned out when everything was put together:

I already had the arbor and the lights. I used willow twigs on top with the lights, and hanged some crystals- I already had- down from the slats. (top picture is one of the crystals) I hung a chandelier I had too. I used an old suitcase that was spray painted and antiqued, and a white trivot. The cake was made by our sista Ana's- sister Mary (if you want her info and you live in UT email us and we will send you her way!)who made a wonderful cake! I had the designs made on edible images, and she put them on for us-turned out wonderful and exactly how we wanted it to.

The door behind it I found at a yard sale for cheap, and had my sister in law do my vinyl for me. (If you want vinyl done I would be happy to send you her way too!)

Center Backdrop~

For the center backdrop we decided to use the old doors I had again from yard sales (I even was able to get 100 year old doors for $1 each! So keep looking.) We bought some hinges from a local home store and hinged them together, I did not paint them, I wanted that roughed old look and they were all white already. I just added more vinyl that went with her peacock theme. The middle door used to have a window, so I used it to hang a flat chandelier to go with our other theme above it which was hanging chandeliers. I used an iron grate I have had forever suspended it with ribbon onto the basketball hoop, then hung the different chandeliers I have had with the ribbon too. We also hung lights and sheer organza fabric down, and around it to give it more of an elegant look.

Too bad you cannot hide the floor too but it turned out pretty good otherwise.


Eating tables~

For her tables we used the black and white damask (damask was used throughout too along with the peacock theme) table toppers, and the turquoise satin sashes that matched her colors. (colors were turquoise, green and a raspberry purple which were peacock colors she liked)

Centerpieces~

The centerpieces are milk vases and containers I found at thrift stores over the years, some I actually glued together to make something new. I also made the crystal candy dishes by gluing two type of dishes together. They are sitting on old metal trays I also collected from thrift stores. We added her flowers (fake rannuculus's) and we wanted feathers since they were part of her bouquet, but already made ones were expensive, so I grabbed a cheap feather boa at a craft store, cut it up and used green floral tape and wrapped it around floral wire. We finished off the look with small crystals and framed pictures of the couple, plus some other colored glass bottles that matched their colors. Each centerpiece was different on each table, but close to the same.

Gift & Sign in Table Area~

Going with the Shabby Chic look we used old tables that had been painted, and we used old screen doors that we strung ribbon on and attached some pictures of the couple. Also used some old louver doors that I put vinyl on, and hung some framed pictures with ribbon and tulle. We also added other props that fit the theme and had meaning to the couple. The bird cage was used for the cards people brought, and we hung lights around it all too.

We did a make a wish area where people wrote wishes for the Bride & Groom and we put them on an old door behind the sign in table

This is how the table and chairs look, it has a very warped table top but it was old and cheap when I found it and I love, love, love the look of it! (pic I took at home-didn't have a good shot of them at reception to show full effect)

I created her sign in book for cheap at Winkflash. I totally recommend them!

Food Area~

For the food we tried to keep with the theme, and brought in table top chandeliers with flicker lights (we used battery flicker lights throughout since you cannot use real candles in the building) we also used another old suitcase for height, and some other decor. I made some food signs also on my computer and printed them off and either put some on with tape or used table clips.

I made the bunting/banners out of scrapbook paper I had and added lettering on them to say "Eat, Drink & Be Married" using the black and white theme, then added some wrought iron backdrops I already had and added some framed pictures, lights and crystals.

For the drinks we used big glass jars, and again I made signs for them and taped them on. The background was an after thought because the wall behind was this bright red carpet piece that we wanted to hide, so we used some of my damask table toppers, and tulle, and other material I had, and use my coffee filter ball I had made too with a crystal bling.

Candy Shoppe~

My daughter wanted a candy bar area which is becoming popular now, so we used an old table for the main apothecary jars, and used smaller tables for the other areas we used for cookies, brownie bites and cupcakes. The colors of the candy matched her colors, we ordered them online from wholesale candy stores-the one fun one we did was the gummy army men which fits the groom. :) Again I made the signs for each on my computer and taped them on for the most part.

I also added more wrought iron behind it with lights and another banner I made that said "Love is Sweet".

Extra decorations throughout~

Her bouquet my niece made from the flowers and feathers we picked out-turned out fabulous!

One of the Boutonniers we made to save money

My boys looking their best

Sweet kiss

Thanks for letting me share my daughters wedding, and some fun decorating idea's.

Go have some fun today!