Wedding Décor: When to Customize and When to Refrain

By Alyssa Brown

Contributing Writer

Choose a slide

And when to do a little bit of both.

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Prioritize Before You Customize

It's easy to get caught up in the world of customizing, monogramming, and opting for the premium option when you're planning a wedding, but the last thing you want to do is go over budget on something that's low on your priority totem pole. Deciding what elements of the wedding are most important to you will help determine when to splurge and when to save.
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Splurge: Dinner Napkins

Adding festive napkins to your table scape can add a pop of color or pattern. If you'd like to pick and choose from a variety of beautiful napkins, La Tavola offers a selection that can be rented and shipped all over the world. If you'd prefer something custom or handmade that can be repurposed as thank you gifts after the wedding, consider a trip to your local fabric shop. If you decide to turn vintage fabrics into dinner napkins, be sure to have them linen backed so they're soft on the inside.
Photography: Erin Kunkel

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Splurge: Custom Invitations

If you're anywhere near as stationery obsessed as we are, designing custom invitations could easily be your main splurge. This invitation suite from Wylie West Creative sets the tone for a weekend that's sure to be full of adventure.
Photography: Courtesy of Rifle Paper

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Save: Save-the-Dates

While you may splurge on custom designed invitations, you can still order from a stock printer online for save-the-dates. Paperless Post is a great resource for online or printed save-the-dates and their designer collaborations have produced beautiful options that allow room for some personalization.
Photography: Bryce Covey Photography

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Splurge: Ceremony Backdrop

If you're lucky enough to be getting married in a setting with a beautiful view, take full advantage of that natural backdrop! And if you fall in the category of not-so-beautiful backdrops, this is a great opportunity to chat with your florist about creative, customized ideas for your unique space. The couple that got married in this forested area covered the structure behind their chuppah in ferns to give the space some interest that felt inline with the natural surroundings.
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Photography: JBM Photography

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Save: Ceremony Seating

When it comes to chairs, lots of venues have completely tragic options—plastic folding chairs, green microfiber meeting chairs, 1970s desk chairs. We've seen it all. Rather than break the bank on renting the top-of-the-line chairs that can cost around $15 each, opt for the most budget-friendly wood chair option. If you're having a wedding of less than 50 guests and the ceremony will be less than twenty minutes, standing room only or picnic blankets outside are great alternatives. Depending on the venue's layout and rules, you should be able to rent one set of chairs that gets used for both ceremony and dinner if the staff can move them from one location to the next quickly and without disturbing guests.
Photography: Jose Villa

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Splurge: Getaway Car

Admittedly, we're suckers for the little details that make a wedding unique and memorable. A grand exit is the last moment of the wedding guests will remember seeing your happy faces, so have fun with it! Attaching signage and greenery to the getaway car doesn't have to be a big splurge to make a big splash.