Right from the get-go, shapes are a part of your wedding and decision making. First comes the ring... Princess? Marquise? Emerald? What silhouette (a fancy word for shape really...) will your dress be? A-line? Mermaid? What shape(s) will your cake be? Round tiers, square tiers, or do you want to be adventurous and have each tier a different shape (yes, you can do that!)? There are more places than you realize where shapes can actually make a big difference, and what seems like a small decision may be a cost-effective way of making your wedding absolutely unique.
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| photo by Kathi Littwin Photography, program by Peak a Boo Design |
Invitations
Be gone, days of old. Square and Rectangular aren't your only options for stationary these days. Heck, some people don't even use paper for their Save-the-dates anymore (think... custom printed balloons...). Consider round invitations like seen here on Wedding Paper Divas!
Ceremony
How do you want your guests to see you when you're taking your vows? Do you want some guests to catch a glimpse of you when you walk down the aisle to never see you again and only know by cue to stand and cheer that's it's over (that's for all the little 5 foot nothing ladies out there...)? Or do you want the setting for this extremely intimate moment to be... intimate? Even with 150 guests or more you can achieve this. Think about setting your chairs in a circle completely around you so that you have friends and family surrounding you from every direction - this also allows more people to access those VIP front row seats and reduces the amount of rows deep you have to go to squeeze in every last 2nd cousin, work friend, and all your parents pals from the old country.
Tables
Did you know that you don't have to have 5 or 6 foot round tables for your reception? No lies. Square tables with two people on each side (leave enough space for 2 feet per person) have the same effect, but are completely original and seat the same amount of people. Another option is to opt out of separate tables and have long family style tables, with that being said you can position the tables in a "U" shape (there's that word again....), and have your dance floor in the middle. This option creates a warm, family environment and no one feels like they're at the "extras and work friends" table way in the back, because everyone has a front row seat for the dance floor.
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| From top left: Photo by Q Weddings, Tinywater Photography, Design by Artisan Events, Last photo by Reign 7 Photography |
Now that you've decided what you're using as a table, think about what goes on top! Charger plates, centerpieces, table signs... make it your own and think outside the box (pun very much intended).
Cake
As I previously mentioned, your cake is where you can really express your individuality (x2), and play with shapes. My personal favourite at the moment is tiers of different heights such as below. That's only one option - think about a hexagon shape for all your tiers, or a large square base with smaller round tiers on top. If you like the idea of small desserts opposed to one large cake, think about small individual square cakes opposed to the typical cupcake.
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| Cake by Cake Crumbs |
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| Photo by Lisa Hubbard |
