Vibrant Table
Catering & Events

Catering to the Senses

503.297.9635
Plan an Event
BLOG

Decor & Flowers to Complement Your Venue

Filed Under: Factual FAQs, Inspiring Ideas, Setting the Stage

We have a bride-to-be that doesn’t love her venue. Whereas she dreamed of a traditional romantic ballroom, her fiancée leaned toward industrial modern. He won (and more power to her for practicing compromise which sure comes in handy in any relationship!), so the bride has asked Vibrant Table to help her transform the event space into something closer to her vision. It’s her big day, and she deserves to have her dream wedding.
Before we even begin the rest of her decor, we’re draping the entire perimeter of the nearly 7,000 square foot ballroom to hide the raw brick walls. Then comes the rest, which includes ribbons, flower arrangements, and lighting. Don’t get us wrong, we pride ourselves on transformative event designs and LOVE these challenges, but weddings and events are expensive. If you have room in the budget, then great, but we find most hosts carefully monitor those dollars and cents.

work with the venue’s canvas

Assuming that the vast majority of our clients will find a venue that works for all parties involved, one of the best ways to optimize your budget is to choose floral and decor that enhances the provided canvas. Although tension between seemingly juxtaposed elements can become a dynamic part of your event decor, it generally takes more resources to make this tension work successfully. Complementing the venue, on the other hand, provides a cohesive backdrop with minimal effort.

Vibrant Table and Vibrant Flowers have prepared a few best practices to help you choose floral and decor that works with your selected venue, no matter the type of event.

*   *   *

Botanicals

Botanicals are an essential feature of any event. Organic elements add life to a space and help ground it. While weddings will generally include more florals, even corporate and non-profit clients will benefit from having some organic elements at their events.

ROMANTIC BALLROOM
Full arrangements of garden blooms work very well in the traditional ballroom and anything goes – white peonies and roses, cascading tropical orchids, or bright local blooms. Table centerpieces can be tall or low (but don’t block your guests’ view) and the containers be a wide range of styles and materials, i.e. gold candelabras, clustered glass pillars, or a single geometric vase. Corporate clients benefit from focusing their floral budgets on large arrangements to decorate important stations, such as the buffet or bar, and then choose simple table centerpieces with only a few flower types or even single floating blooms. Wedding clients can save by incorporating the same flowers used in the bridal bouquets to take advantage of bulk savings.

INDUSTRIAL MODERN
Is your venue modern-chic with exposed raw surfaces? Choose a floral container made of industrial materials. Think  wrought iron candelabras, brushed silver, or cement plinths. Sculptural botanicals like succulents, branches, or clustered single blooms complement the minimalist backdrop. In bridal bouquets, incorporate textural elements that surprise, like billy balls or pin cushion prodia. Consider using metallic ribbon to add a touch of raw element.

GARDENS & VINEYARDS
Floral arrangements can get lost in outdoor event spaces, so if you’re going to have them, it’s generally best to have few, but go big, and be selective about placement. If you need to section a special area, for example, consider potted trees or topiaries. For weddings, focus your efforts on the ceremony area. Flank the altar with two impressive arrangements (large blooms fill better), decorate the arch with hanging pomanders, and highlight the aisle with small arrangements and petals. An outdoor space can handle any theme from tropical paradise to country kitchen, but try to work with the landscape provided. If pink hydrangeas and peonies abound at your venue, then yellow sunflowers and gingham might not be the best choice.

Lighting

Lighting adds drama to your venue and focuses the eye. First, take advantage of natural light. Placing event areas where they will be sunlit reduces the need for additional lighting. Brides and grooms, if your photographer is familiar with the venue, consult them about best locations for the head table. Second, highlight the functional elements of your event  such as bars, food stations, entertainment, and dance floor. At outdoor venues, marking pathways to the restroom and parking lot is an important safety precaution at evening events. You can turn lighting on and off throughout the event to draw guests to where you want them – like moths to a candle! If there’s room in the budget, uplight walls, pillars, or interesting architectural elements to create height. Pale backgrounds can take any colored gel lighting and completely transform the feel of the room. For darker walls, color can get lost, making the white light the go-to option. If you’ve invested in beautiful floral, pinspotting arrangements on tables creates a jaw-dropping effect.

SELECTIVE DRAPING

Drapery turns positive spaces into negative. We’re not draping every single wall here, we’re carefully using drape to direct focus and optimize space. For weddings, drape is a classic way to frame the ceremony space. It also hides eyesores, such as an unattractive wall behind the head table or service areas at venues that don’t have extra space for your caterers. At corporate and nonprofit events, it can create VIP spaces, mark entryways, or close off-limit areas.

Your Turn

What are creative ways you’ve incorporated a venue’s qualities into your event decor or theme? Are you an event or wedding planner; what tricks do you have for bringing out a venue’s best attributes? Tell us in the comments below!

*   *   *

Shout Outs

As always, we are indebted to the photographers that share there work with us. They make us look good! These artists contributed to this blog:

You Might Also Like


 

Real Wedding: Lindsey & Joseph at The Treasury

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique

Lindsey and Joseph are obviously in love. To celebrate their nuptials, this Washington-based couple went classically modern, highlighting Northwest favorites for out of town guests. A color palette of ivory, seafoam, and splashes of pink is elegant but far from boring. Is there better venue than The Treasury Ballroom  to complement this classy yet contemporary couple?
The newlyweds selected a creative menu that focuses on local flavors. Offerings included an herb-seared salmon with roasted tomato and asiago butter sauce and potato-leek confit, Carlton Farm pork loin with apple chutney and sweet potato-wild rice cake, and three-cheese risotto cakes with fresh Oregon wild mushroom cream sauce. Our favorite part: ice cream sandwiches in place of a traditional wedding cake – platter passed on the dance floor!
Lindsey and Joseph also chose to modify the traditional garter toss. Instead of scrambling after lacy lady garments, all the single lads were called to the front and they had to take a shot. They also offered a  photobooth with a foot pedal, so guests could take photos of themselves. Lindsey and Joseph certainly know how to get the party going!
*   *   *

All images by Rachel Le Crone Photography

Shout Outs

An especially huge thank you to Rachel LeCrone for providing her photography and Nora Sheils of Bridal Bliss for sharing and confirming some of the details.

Photographer: Rachel LeCrone Photography
Planner: Bridal Bliss
Venue: Treasury Ballroom
Caterer: Vibrant Table Catering & Events
Florist: Geranium Lake Flowers
Entertainment: Swingline Cubs 
Photobooth:  Willamette Productions

Tell us

What outside-of-the-box elements did you have at your wedding?  Share it in the comments below!

You might also like

Buddhist Wedding Ideas & Rituals

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Inspiring Ideas

Inspired by a recent Wedding Network event at Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden, this post is the first of a series that will explore the wedding customs of various cultures and religions.

*   *   *
One of the first things I learned from Jacqueline Mandell, Portland wedding officiant and Buddhist meditation instructor, is that there is no such thing as a standard Buddhist wedding ceremony. Instead, she says, Buddhist symbols and elements are infused into the customs of whichever country the couple is from. Once the world’s largest religion, Buddhism is most commonly practiced in India, Cambodia, China, Tibet, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Laos, Burma, Sri Lanka, indonesia, Taiwan and Vietnam – covering a wide swathe of Asia rich in cultural diversity.
No matter the country of origin, Buddhists value qualities of love, wisdom, respect and follow a standard of ethics that nearly all religions support – do not lie, steal, cheat, etc. A Buddhist marriage ceremony often provides space for the newlyweds to meditate on transferring their Buddhist principles into their marriage, allowing for a more spiritual, mature union.
Jaqueline, who runs Pure Heart Sangha, finds that many of her clients are contemporary couples attracted to Buddhist philosophies, meditation or Asian cultures. others are practicing buddhists with different styles of meditation.
Having grown up in a somewhat-average American family, I personally know very little of Buddhism and was struck by the beauty, deep respect for family, and peacefulness that exudes from the five weddings showcased here.
*   *   *

Buddhist Values & ways to represent them in a wedding

As there are no pan-cultural Buddhist wedding traditions, the ways a particular couple express their Buddhist values are designated by their cultural influences. Look for symbolic elements throughout the ceremony, reception, and venue.

  • Love, Respect & Honor – altar with meaningful symbols and photos of loved ones or ancestors, meditation, victory banners,  tea ceremony
  • Positive Space & Blessings – incense, prayer flags
  • Non-Harming of Life – vegetarian menu, though not all Buddhists are vegetarians. Buddha ate whatever was offered, demonstrating gratefulness, another key value.
  • Generosity — abundance of food, donations to a charity
  • Transformation & Wisdom – lotus flowers, candles, prayer, meditation, bells or gong
  • Joy & Happiness – golden fish
  • Connectedness – red string, endless knot, white ceremonial scarf
  • Protection – Buddha statue, victory banners, parasols
  • Purity – water, white ceremonial scarf

More juicy Tid-Bits

  • Some Buddhist monks do not officiate weddings.
  • In Buddhism, the body is respected as a holy vessel with the head, being the highest point on the body, symbolizing enlightenment. For that reason, it is disrespectful to touch another person’s head or point the soles of your feet toward someone, including Buddha.
  • Expect an abundance of food. It would be seen as a negative omen if provisions were to run out. Leftovers are most commonly given to family members or donated to relief agencies.
  • In many Buddhist cultures, public displays of affection are viewed negatively, so the newlyweds may choose to forgo a kiss at the close of the wedding ceremony.
  • Couples may change clothes frequently, and you may see lots of rich fabrics such as silks, brocades, and fine cotton.
  • The traditional wedding colors vary depending on the country or culture.
    • Red, Crimson, & Gold – China
    • Saffron & Brown – Thailand, Burma, India, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam
    • Black & Gray – Japan & Korea
    • Red, Blue, Green, White & Yellow – Tibet
  • Common flowers are peonies, orchids, ikebana, roses, wisteria, and lotus

Share your Buddhist Wedding Experiences

Have you ever attended a Buddhist wedding? Did you include Buddhist elements at your own nuptials? Please share your experiences with future brides who may be looking for ideas in the comments below!

Shout Outs

Vibrant Table is indebted to the amazing photographers that so generously share their work. A special thank you to the photographers featured in this blog post – who spent precious time this busy wedding season searching for images we could share with you.

MOSCA PHOTO – Buddhist statue (VT modified for use in header), incense
SARA GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY – brown altar with family pictures on wall, bride in yellow dress handing tea to relative
EVRIM ICOZ PHOTOGRAPHY – tea pot with flowers, koi in Lan Su Chinese Garden lake with lotus, Lan Su waterfall with Chinese characters, altar with gong and incense
JAMIE BOSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHER – table with umbrellas (at Lan Su Chinese Garden), drum performers, fan with flowers, laughing Buddha placeholder, eternity sign
JESSICA WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY – Urban couple with red tea set

*   *   *

About Vibrant Table

best portland catererVibrant Table Catering & Events is an award-winning, catering and event production company in Portland, Oregon. We provide services in Portland, Salem, Vancouver, and surrounding areas. We offer a wide range of services including custom menus, event planning, event design, floral and decor.

Real Wedding: Oregon Garden Affair

Filed Under: Bridal Boutique, Soiree Spotlights

Loved this garden wedding by Life Candids Photography so much, we just had to share a few of our fave shots. Brenda and Doug’s big day also provides lots of cost-saving tips, proving you don’t necessarily have to sacrifice style with some budget-savvy planning.
*   *   *

Bren and Doug chose a relative’s beautiful garden as the setting for their nuptials, nixing the cost of renting a venue. CATERING NOTE: Expect some added cost for barbecues and other cooking necessities since a professional on-site kitchen is not available.

A naturally stunning backdrop, the garden also allowed them to save on extra decor.

Bren and Doug kept their guest count low. All around this is the most impactful way to reduce wedding costs. There are fewer rentals, fewer staff, fewer goody-bags, and less food.

Since there were more than a dozen children attending, Bren and Doug offered a kid’s buffet. Popular with the little ones because it’s loaded with things they love and costs much less than the Northwest-themed buffet served to the adults. A win-win!

Our fabulous florist, Page Winograd, says that limiting the types of flowers in your arrangements helps save precious dollars because it allows her to buy larger quantities. Gerbera daisies, roses, poppy pods, and lamb’s ear are used throughout the bridal bouquets, table centerpieces, and even the cake. (flowers by Vibrant Table, cake by La Joconde)

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have any cost-saving tips? Please share them in the comments below!

*   *   *

You might also like

About Us

Vibrant Table Catering & Events is an award-winning, full-service catering and event production company serving Portland, Salem, Vancouver, Hood River and surrounding areas.