Significance

• Typical wedding decorations and accessories include streamers, flowers and balloons. Given the time of year, the decorations could vary in colors to tie in with the season. A fall wedding may include a fall bouquet on the church pews or as the centerpieces at the reception. A winter wedding may use poinsettias to fall in line with the holidays and a spring wedding could use pastel-colored flowers such as lilies and lilacs. Streamers and balloons should also follow a similar color scheme. Many times the decorations will symbolize the culture, religion or ethnicity of the couple being married.
  
  

Benefits

• Wedding decorations and accessories help set the mood of the event. Wedding accessories can also entertain the guests. Some weddings have small games for each table or involve the audience by using bells to signal kissing. Others have cameras to capture the evening. Some award the audience with a raffle at the reception or ceremony.
  
  

Warning

• Wedding decorations and accessories can be pricey and sources of stress if not controlled. A wedding should start with a very simple design and purpose for the decorations and accessories. There should also be an agreement on the budget for these items. The way in which decorations and accessories will be selected should also be discussed so that neither the bride or groom can make choices without the other person's consent. Keep costs low as there are many other expenses on the wedding day.
  
  

Time Frame

• The time frame for selecting the accessories and decorations should end at least a three months before the actual event. Allow for up to six months if out-of-season flower arrangements need to be special ordered. As for decorating of the church, streamers, flowers and other items should be put in place the night before and reviewed about an hour before the ceremony to make sure nothing has fallen or lost its placing. Items at the reception site should be in place that morning.
  
  

Usefulness

• Wedding decorations and accessories are useful during the events. However, streamers, balloons, flowers and other items can become a hassle after the celebration and parties. Many relatives in attendance, however, would gladly take some of the leftover items as souvenirs. The bride and groom should also consider drying out any flowers and saving any accessories for a future scrapbook.
  
  

Considerations

• When considering wedding decorations and accessories, make sure to have the bride and groom's consent. It becomes very easy for whomever is doing the planning to make decisions without the input of other people. Also consider the size of the church and reception hall before decoration and accessory planning to avoid over-buying. Consider how decorations and accessories will be hung, placed and displayed as some churches may have walls not suitable for tape or nails.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Experts suggest decorations and accessories be selected at least six months in advance. They also suggest homemade decorations to save costs and add sentimentality to the ceremony and reception. Accessories also can be purchased in bulk or from dollar stores that carry numerous wedding related accessories (e.g., bells, gift boxes, bows and bubbles).