Borrowing Wedding Decor: A Smart And Cost-Effective Solution

Planning a wedding can be expensive, so it's a great idea to borrow decorations to cut costs. The something borrowed tradition is a great excuse to reach out to friends and family for help, and you can also rent decorations from online event rental companies. Borrowing decorations is a sustainable and cost-effective way to make your wedding unique and special.

Vases and jars

Centrepieces and Table Decorations

Centrepieces can be expensive, so borrowing vases or jars from friends and family is a great way to save money. Send out an email to your loved ones asking to borrow vases, glasses, or mason jars. You can also look for vintage or antique vases and jars at thrift stores or online marketplaces.

When choosing vases and jars for your centrepieces, consider the overall theme and colour palette of your wedding. For a country rustic theme, opt for mason jars or clear glass vases with a simple arrangement of flowers. If you're going for an uptown chic vibe, try crystal vases or mercury glass vases with more elaborate floral arrangements. You can even mix and match different sizes and styles of vases and jars to create a unique and eclectic look.

Bridal Bouquet

Add a special touch to your bridal bouquet by incorporating vases or jars. For a modern twist, wrap a piece of fabric from your mother's or grandmother's wedding dress around the stem of your bouquet. You can also attach a borrowed brooch or hair accessory to the bouquet for a unique and sentimental detail.

Something Borrowed

The "something borrowed" tradition is a fun way to honour someone special in your life. If you know someone with a collection of antique vases or jars, consider borrowing a few pieces to use as centrepieces or table decorations. You can also ask to borrow a vase or jar from a happily married couple, as it is believed to bring good luck and happiness to your own marriage.

Other Ideas

• Use vases or jars as candle holders. Fill them with sand or pebbles and place a candle on top for a simple and elegant centrepiece.
• Hang vases or jars from a tree or archway for a unique decoration at your ceremony or reception.
• Fill vases or jars with flowers or greenery and use them to line the aisle or decorate the wedding arch.
• Create a cohesive look by using the same vases or jars throughout your wedding, from the ceremony to the reception.

Remember to have a plan in place for returning any borrowed items and take extra care to ensure they don't get lost or damaged during the wedding festivities.

Centrepiece decor

The centrepiece is a focal point for the tables at your wedding reception and an important component of your wedding decor. Here are some ideas for centrepiece decor:

• Flowers: Flowers are a traditional and elegant choice for centrepieces. You can choose a single type of flower or mix multiple varieties with greenery.
• Candles: Candles add warmth and ambience to your tablescape. You can use candle holders, lanterns, or floating candles.
• Vases: Vases can be filled with flowers or other decorative elements. Glass, metal, or ceramic vases can be chosen to match your wedding theme.
• Plants: Potted plants or foliage can be used as centrepieces. Succulents, eucalyptus, ferns, and ivy are popular choices.
• Edible centrepieces: Combine treats with your centrepiece, such as desserts, fruits, or cheese displays.
• Alternative centrepieces: For a unique twist, consider using vintage books, empty wine bottles, or decorative planters.

When choosing your centrepiece decor, consider your wedding theme, venue, and budget. You can also mix and match different elements to create a personalised look. Here are some specific centrepiece ideas to inspire you:

• DIY Birdcage Centrepiece: Fill a pretty white birdcage with baby's breath and fairy lights for a winter wedding.
• Glass Vases Centrepiece: Arrange white tulips and parrot tulips in glass cylinder vases, finished with Israeli ruscus and a ceramic bird.
• Flowers in Bottles Centrepiece: Fill clear glass bottles of different sizes and shapes with your favourite flowers.
• Urn Centrepiece: Create a tall vase or urn filled with lisianthus, astilbe, Queen Anne's lace, spray roses, seeded eucalyptus, and sedum.
• Books and Flowers Centrepiece: Stack vintage books and top them with a bouquet of dusty purple spray roses, anemones, and seeded eucalyptus.
• Glittered Tealight Holder Centrepiece: Spray glass tealight holders with adhesive and gold glitter for a delicate and coordinated look.
• Rustic Glam Centrepiece: Use white and grey glass goblets, white bottles, and spindle candles filled with spray roses, white lilac, ranunculus, and sedum.
• Woodland Nests and Trees Centrepiece: Use artificial birch trees and nest wreaths, decorated with candles, roses, and gold accents.
• Ice and Fire Centrepiece: Fill clear containers with faux ice and candles for a romantic atmosphere.
• Autumn Bottles Decor: Use glass bottles filled with faux flowers, tall candles, wooden roses, and mini white pumpkins with dried flowers.
• Wooden Slices Centrepiece: Place simple wooden slices at varying heights on the tables, topped with pillar candles or small bouquets of wildflowers.
• Decorative Planters Centrepiece: Fill planters with flowers such as spray roses, sunflowers, craspedia, and sedum. Include miniature metal pails or decorative pitchers for a unique touch.
• Glass Bottles in a Metal Basket Centrepiece: Gather small bouquets of flowers in clear glass bottles or jars and display them in an iron holder.
• Jars in a Wire Basket Centrepiece: Arrange vintage-style mason jars filled with seasonal flowers in a wire holder.
• Ornate Cake Stand Centrepiece: Arrange peach-coloured tulips and white lilac stems on an ornate cake stand for a stylish and simple centrepiece.

These ideas can be adapted to suit your personal style and colour scheme. With a bit of creativity, you can create centrepieces that will wow your guests and make your wedding truly unique.

Cake stands

Wedding decorations can be expensive, and many items are only used once, so borrowing some of the items you need for your wedding can help you cut costs. Here are some ideas for borrowing cake stands for your wedding:

Friends and Family

You could borrow a cake stand from a friend or family member. This is a great way to save money, and it can also be a special way to include someone in your wedding who may not be able to attend in person.

Wedding Cake Designers

Some wedding cake designers offer wedding cake stands for hire as part of their packages. This can be a convenient option if you don't want to deal with the hassle of finding and transporting a cake stand yourself.

Online Retailers

If you're looking for a budget-friendly option, you can find a variety of affordable cake stands online at retailers like Amazon. You can choose from a range of materials, colours, and styles to match your wedding theme.

Venues and Vendors

Your wedding venue or other vendors may have cake stands available for you to use. It's worth asking about this, as it can save you the trouble and expense of sourcing a cake stand yourself.

Creative Alternatives

If you're feeling creative, you can make your own cake stand or use an alternative item as a stand. For example, you could use a wooden crate, a vintage suitcase, a tree stump, or even a piece of furniture like a stool or side table.

Something Borrowed

If you're following the "something borrowed" tradition, a cake stand can be a great way to include this in your wedding. It's said that borrowing an item from a happily married friend or relative will bring good fortune and happiness to your marriage.

Remember to have a plan in place for returning any borrowed items, and consider adding stickers or tape with the owner's name to each item to ensure they don't get lost during the clean-up.

Tablecloths

If you're looking for a more convenient and stress-free option, consider renting tablecloths. Several companies offer tablecloth rental services, providing a wide range of colours, fabrics, and sizes to choose from. Premier Table Linens, for example, offers a national table linen rental program with free shipping and returns. Their linens arrive pressed and ready to use, and you can rent them for as long as you need. ASAP Linen is another option, offering 44 unique and trendy colours to match your wedding theme. They also provide linen napkin rentals to complete your tablescape.

When renting tablecloths, it's essential to first determine the size and shape of your tables. For instance, if you have standard 29-inch height tables, you'll need different-sized tablecloths than for 42-inch height cocktail tables. Round tables typically require larger tablecloths than square or rectangular tables to achieve a full drop.

Whether you borrow or rent your tablecloths, a stylish tablescape is achievable with careful planning and coordination.

Bridesmaid dresses

Planning a wedding can be an expensive and time-consuming affair, so it's no surprise that many brides are now looking at ways to borrow, rent or save on certain items. One way to do this is to allow your bridesmaids to borrow their dresses, which can be a great way to save money for both you and your bridesmaids. Here are some ideas for how to go about it:

Choose a Colour Scheme

Firstly, decide on a colour scheme for your wedding. This will help guide your bridesmaids in their search for potential dresses to borrow. You could choose a few complementary colours that your bridesmaids can mix and match, or go for a single colour and let your bridesmaids pick different shades and styles.

Source the Dresses

Once you have a colour scheme in mind, it's time to start sourcing the dresses. Ask your bridesmaids to reach out to their friends and family to see if anyone has a dress they can borrow. They can also try online platforms like Facebook Marketplace or apps like Lendable to find dresses to borrow. Another option is to rent dresses from a fashion rental website like Rent the Runway. This can be a more affordable option than buying new dresses, and you won't have to worry about dry cleaning or preserving the dresses after the wedding.

Try Before You Buy

Before committing to any borrowed dresses, it's important to try them on first to ensure they fit well and flatter your bridesmaids' figures. Many companies, like Azazie and Revelry, offer at-home try-on programs where you can order samples to try on before making a decision. This is a great way to ensure that your bridesmaids feel comfortable and confident on your big day.

Mix and Match

One way to make borrowing bridesmaid dresses easier is to embrace a mix-and-match aesthetic. This means that each bridesmaid can wear a slightly different style of dress, as long as they are in the same colour family. This takes the pressure off finding multiple dresses in the same style and size, and it can create a beautiful, eclectic look for your wedding party.

Consider Comfort

Your bridesmaids will be wearing these dresses for an entire day (and night!), so it's important to choose styles that are comfortable and flattering. Look for dresses with stretchy fabrics, adjustable straps, and breathable materials like chiffon or satin. You want your bridesmaids to feel confident and happy, so make sure they have a say in the dress selection process.

Add Accessories

If you want to add a little something extra to your bridesmaids' looks, consider borrowing some accessories. You could ask a friend to lend a statement necklace or earrings that will complement the dresses. You could also borrow hair accessories like pins, headpieces, or clips to add a touch of sparkle.

Frequently asked questions