3 Wedding Design Elements that ALWAYS Make or Break the Whole Look
- Becca Tuttle
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- Jun 11
- 4 min read
As wedding planners, when we get into the weeds of the overall wedding design with our Partial Planning and Full Planning couples, we tend to find ourselves leaning heavily into the idea that there are key elements that will ALWAYS make or break the whole look.
That no matter how much attention to detail, professional expertise, or - to be real - money you put into the rest, if these key elements are not locked in and heavily prioritized, it could be a true recipe for disaster.
On the flip side? If you’re unable to spend a full $100k on the design of your wedding, going for the best of the best and the highest of upgrades in ALL areas, BUT you heavily prioritize these key elements, your design will still look like a million bucks for a much more affordable overall cost.
Ok, ok, we know what you’re here for, and you’re likely thinking “So… WHAT are the design elements that will make or break my wedding vibe??”
There are 3 wedding design elements we always guide our couples to prioritize. Let’s get into it, in no particular order…
WEDDING DESIGN ELEMENT #1: LINENS
Yep. As some of our lovely grooms love to repeat back to us when we say this… “You mean like the tablecloth?” HA. Yes, sir, the “table cloth”. The way a linen falls, the texture, the color choice based on where it’s going and the other colors that are surrounding it (including the ground and walls or open space around it), the lighting (are you inside or outside?) ALL impacts the entire room. The entire ambiance. The entire mood.
You can also take your linens to the next level with an upgraded napkin as well!
In an article we were featured in on Redfin recently, 17 Home Bridal Shower Ideas, Kate (our Director of Events & Senior Lead Planner) mentions that linens can not only impact the design visually, but also impact the overall guest experience.
PROTIP: Please, for the love of everything, ALWAYS get linens that hit the ground. Sincerely, all wedding vendors everywhere (with love).
WEDDING DESIGN ELEMENT #2: CHAIRS
So this one always confuses people. It's just a chair, right? Yes, but you literally have the MOST of these visible at one glance than you do of anything else in the entire wedding. 50 guests? You have 50 chairs immediately in your eyesight the second you walk into the ceremony and the dinner area. 150 guests? 200? It just goes up and becomes even more of a focal point.
Don’t skip over this without thinking it all through. If you’re not liking the one chair that you see on the website or included at the venue, but it's cheap or already paid for, so you’re finding yourself convincing yourself it’ll be fine… just imagine seeing 150 of those. It’s not going to get better.
Trust us. This one is worth a bigger slice of the budget pie!
WEDDING DESIGN ELEMENT #3: FLORALS
Without a doubt, you yourself have set the table for guests to come over, only to look at it thinking
“hmmm something is missing…”. To then have the brilliant idea to go cut some roses from the garden or run to snag a bouquet at Trader Joe's, pop them in a vase to add the perfectly necessary pop of color…
Flowers are happy visuals. They immediately make you feel like the final touch is CHEF’S KISS. Without them, or with florals that are not well thought out, or DIY’ed and now shriveling up or scattered in a not-cute, mismatched kinda way, everything feels kinda… womp womp.
At almost every wedding, we can finally let out the breath we’ve been holding during all of the setup once those gorgeous, professionally designed, sourced, and arranged blooms are placed so that the look comes together.
We know florals can be one of the biggest sticker shock moments of the entire wedding planning process when it comes to your wedding budget. We get it. But that price is for a reason. It’s for: sourcing, experience, processing, prep-work, labor, the actual flowers, cold storage and care, installation, arrangement, etc. We actually break this all down in our FREE GUIDE: Costly Mistakes to AVOID when Planning Your Wedding. If you don’t have it already, this resource is insanely helpful in knowing what mistakes to avoid AT ALL COSTS!
BIGGEST TAKE AWAY: together with your wedding planner, hit these 3 design elements FIRST when working through actual orders associated with your wedding design. They don’t necessarily have to be your highest ticket items, although florals will likely be. However, they should be considered first before overspending in other areas that won’t give you the same “bang for your buck,” so to speak.
Looking for more ways to save money when it comes to planning your wedding?
Whether you’re looking for ways to avoid costly mistakes, prioritize your budget for what matters to YOU, or are looking for more budget-friendly tips from a wedding planner, these resources are for you!
We’ve helped couples save HUNDREDS of dollars by allocating their budget on what matters most to them. If you’re considering working with a wedding planner, we’d love to hop on a call and learn more about your wedding and how we can best support you. 🫶🏼
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