How your wedding styling and aesthetics have the power to create an atmosphere
Confetti Sweethearts in Lincolnshire is one of the wedding businesses I added to our directory in January. As I always do, I had a peek at Rea’s About page and blog – and I adore the way she writes. It feels so important right now to be sharing ideas around meaningful weddings, so Rea’s article about what makes weddings memorable for guests really struck a chord with me. The link between aesthetics and atmosphere is beautifully explained by this wonderful lady, whose expertise in styling beautiful wedding tables shines through everything she shares. This insightful article written especially for English Wedding explains just why wedding styling is so key to creating an appropriate atmosphere for every part of a couple’s day.
How to make intentional wedding styling choices to set the mood for your day
As a wedding stylist & stationer I have worked with many couples to help them style their space and at the start of the design process the questions I always ask them without fail are, ‘How do they want their wedding to feel?’ and ‘How do they want their guests to feel?’
I need to know what kind of atmosphere they are day dreaming about, because when you have a really good idea of the atmosphere, all the design choices are not only easier to make, they can be made on purpose. They can be really intentional, so that they can achieve the dream vibe they’re after.
The visual aesthetics will do a lot of the heavy lifting for them, because this is what will help set the mood. From the colours that fill the space, right down to how the menus are styled on the place settings.
Design aesthetics as a super power for wedding business owners
It’s actually very similar for wedding suppliers, when they are creating any visual content for their business, such as branding, graphics, photos, videos, digital guides, styled shoots, and so on.
Once you know how you want couples to feel when they find you online or meet you at a wedding event, you can apply visual design aesthetics to attract them to you, and make them feel like you’re the only option for them, because they are naturally visually drawn to your work immediately.
Your visuals are doing so much work for you, they are literally pulling the right couples towards you like a magnet.
I remember being at a wedding fair once and a bride literally passed a line of suppliers before me, making a bee line for my stall. She told me she had to come straight over, because my stall colours appealed to her and made her feel excited to see more. That’s a real life Marvel super power in action that we all need to have, proper Magneto stuff!
Be intentional about your wedding vibe, and styling decisions will follow naturally
Whether you’re deciding on a shade of colour or you’re choosing decorations that suit a particular style, they will all end up creating a vibe. Carefully considering the atmosphere at the start will help guide your choices and save you a ton of time in the long run.
It helps couples choose wedding suppliers and different elements that actually align with their mood, which ultimately helps them achieve the exact atmosphere they’re after.
It’s much harder when they don’t know how they want their day to feel, as there’s very little to base their decisions on. So these questions are always good to lead with when having consultations with couples, as it leads to better outcomes on both sides.
Switch up the atmosphere for different aspects of your wedding day
It’s important to say that you don’t have to have the same atmosphere all the way through the day. You might want the ceremony part to feel intimate and personal and your wedding reception to be more high energy. I encourage this approach, because it allows couples to express all sides of their relationship that they want to share and show the different sides of their personalities and values they hold, with their guests, as they weave their way through their day, choosing the perfect aesthetics that will create the appropriate atmosphere for each area, based on how they want that moment to feel.
For suppliers, you want to think about the emotions you want your couples to feel, because all the visual content you create is supporting their decision. So all your colour choices, fonts, graphics & photos need to be creating the right feelings for them, so that they feel comfortable that you are the right choice.
How to create an atmosphere through wedding styling
There are many ways you can create an atmosphere for the wedding day, such as with the flow of your events, the type of music that is played, how you both enter the reception, how the food is served, how you welcome your guests to their seat and so on. These are all things that will help set a tone, as guests will be reacting to them as they unfold in front of their eyes.
Much of this happens with the visual aesthetics, the wedding design has the power to set the tone for you, from the moment your guests arrive. So the shades of colours you choose, the personal touches you include, the fabrics you select, and the style of decorations you place on the tables, will all be part of helping create your overall atmosphere.
If the goal for the day is to feel dreamy & elegant, the decorations and colours selected will need to be soft with a delicate light touch.
If you want to create a fun atmosphere then choosing a colourful palette and bold decor will help you achieve this vibe.
The same goes for suppliers, your design aesthetics not only shape your identity – they shape the couples’ experience. All your colours & imagery will be creating an emotional connection and if the couple love your vibe they will be more likely to want to work with you.
Why is wedding design & atmosphere important?
It’s important to couples how the space is styled because it’s a visual representation of both of them. Feeling at ease and comfortable is what most couples really desire and care about, they want their wedding design to feel and look like them, so that they can fully embrace being themselves on the day.
Styling and aesthetics add depth and meaning for a relaxed wedding
Of course couples want it to look beautiful, but I have noticed they feel even more excited about styling their space once I’ve helped them connect the dots between them and their aesthetics, because it adds the depth and meaning behind it.
It adds a different layer that you don’t achieve if you forget to add the story. It could be anyone’s day. This is where aesthetics go to the next level.
I love helping couples add in snippets of their relationship – this could be with a table plan design that adds their proposal story into the mix. They may want to name their tables after shared interests they have to help tell their story. I love helping them add their personalities into their design with turning quotes they say into memorable signage.
This all provides the guests clues of what the couple are all about and creates that all important mood we want them to feel.
Using colour and tone to create your wedding vibe
It also really matters what tones of colours you select, as this creates an instant feeling in the space, for example choosing pastel shades, can add a calm and relaxing vibe while vibrant colours will add a party atmosphere. Choosing colours that align with your personalities will make you feel yourselves and also make perfect sense to your guests, and in return they will react and feel the way you want them to.
The biggest compliment I aim for, is when my couples’ guests say to them afterwards ‘It was so you’. That’s why I think it’s so important at the start of the process to really get to know the couples, feeling their vibe, so that I can weave this into their aesthetics.
Choosing colour and tone for your wedding business branding
The same goes for wedding suppliers: we all want beautiful styled images to show off our work for our websites and for our social media content. The minute you hone in on your own signature style and add your story with a distinct design aesthetic, you start naturally attracting those dream couples that you really want to work with, creating a recognisable presence.
It not only makes it easier for them to find you, it also makes it a no brainer when it comes to booking you, because you already align with their vision, based on the aesthetics. You’ve created a vibe they want to be part of.
When you have a clear understanding of which couples you want to work with, you can shape your visuals to entice them into your world.
So when it comes to your portfolio and creating visuals with styled shoots, you always want to make sure it will appeal to your dream couples, so the hard work you put in is totally worth the effort.
Once I started taking this approach myself, I started getting those dream enquiries, so my advice is to not under estimate the power of your visuals, because they really do perform for you.
The power of wedding design aesthetics to help your dream couples find you
Recently, a couple chose me over other competition, because they saw the vibe they were looking for through my visuals. I was the perfect choice for them, and equally they were my ideal couple.
My aesthetics is what helped them make a decision, because they saw what they needed to see through my branding and portfolio.
They knew straight away they were in the right place for what they wanted, before I even spoke to them! Again, that magnetic super power is working away! So this proves we need to show them through the design aesthetics that we are their perfect match.
Leaving a lasting impression
When guests reminisce about a wedding day they attended, they tend to tap into how they felt at the time. If they talk about the speeches, it might be because they felt emotional hearing what was said.
They might recall the experience of the wedding breakfast because they felt comfortable and relaxed at the table and maybe even a little spoiled by the food options they got to explore.
They may even tell people about the wedding favours you gifted, because of how much thought had gone into them and how personal they were, which in return made them feel special and welcomed.
People don’t always remember everything that happened at a wedding, but the one thing they do remember is how they felt on the day. So if you put your time, energy & budget into creating an unforgettable atmosphere, your guests will remember that feeling forever.
I hope it comes across how much I love talking about design and how it has the power to create an memorable atmosphere. I love helping people create thoughtful, story led design whether that is with my wedding table styling work or bespoke wedding stationery products.
If you are interested in hearing more from me, I have an email list you can join here. It’s full of table styling inspiration & tips, all to help you celebrate special occasions and make memories around the table, whether that’s for an outdoor wedding, an intimate engagement party or an elegant bridal shower that you’re planning.
Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed my insights!
Rea from Confetti Sweethearts x
Thoughtful, story-led design based in Lincolnshire https://confettisweethearts.com
0 Comments