When my now husband and I were planning our wedding in Ireland in 2011 we choose a 4 Star Limerick hotel in Ireland that we knew would be an excellent reception venue because of its reputation for fab food, excellent service, and amazing rooms for our guests. The only downfall was that the reception room had a very corporate feel to it, it didn’t create that WOW feeling that we wanted for our guests and it did not reflect us a couple.Therefore we decided that we would customize our Irish wedding venue and turn our wedding reception into a celebration of us both through using effective but inexpensive décor.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the thought of customizing your wedding venue. It does not have to break the bank – all you need is a Pinterest account, a few creative ideas and some helpful bridesmaids. Here are some quick and helpful ideas of what to do with a list of what is available from Irish Stores and local irish suppliers.

Draping Material – It amazing the effect that fabric with hanging tea lights can create. If there are some parts of your venue that you wish to cover or if you wish to create a backdrop for your top table. Draping can create that dreamy effect that is perfect for an Irish wedding reception. Your local Irish Guiney Store is great for low cost material and Penneys is perfect for sourcing tea lights.

Candles and Lanterns– Candles are amazing – they wont break the bank and when put inside a glass vase or lantern they create the most amazing centre pieces – There are great bargains to be had on the Irish High Street at the moment with Penneys and Dunnes Stores  offering a great selection of candles, vases and lanterns at the moment.

      


Show Off and Be Proud
Creating a Lounge area – We created a lounge area at our wedding and it was very effective. We draped some material with lighting to create a dreamy background we purchased patterned cushions in the January sales so to style the area. I thought this was one of the best spaces at our reception. It lifted what was once a very drab seating area of our reception area and gave it a feeling of intimacy while also creating that wow factor.

Photo Frames – Photo frames can be used for many things. Frames in my local Kilkenny Dunnes Stores at the moment would be perfect for parents wedding photos on your cake table. Frames currently in Penneys would be fabulous for a unique table plan.

Tablecloths – Tablecloths are essential and not just for the main tables – most rooms have cocktail tables by the bar. Drape these in affordable linen tablecloths that touch the floor and tie the middle with fabric to create a fab silhouette. Again I have seen allot of fab fabric in my local Kilkenny Guiney Store. Maybe add a candle or two on top to finish the design.

Up lighting – These have a great effect on a room and add a fab atmosphere to most venues. The majority of hotels have them – so don’t be afraid to ask but if you need to source additional lighting then local DJ’s usually have such items such as DJ Solutions in Kilkenny, Ireland . They provide fabulous additions for a wedding venue along with large wedding signs such as Love and Just Married.

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Flowers – Flowers can be quite expensive so if you do want to add that bit of colour maybe source some fabulous fake or silk flowers that you can use after your wedding day. Dunnes Stores have some fabulous arrangements perfect for centrepieces