All Things Wedding Seating

Colourful and pretty, bunting is all the fashion at the moment for all sorts of occasions. It is remarkably easy to make your own wedding bunting, in the perfect colour or style that you love. It has so many more uses than decoration as well – how about a bunting seating plan, a bunting guest book or quirky props for your romantic wedding photos.

How to make bunting

Paper bunting

Paper bunting is probably quicker than making fabric bunting, and lends itself to decorative ideas which require writing on the pennants, for example if you are using the bunting as a wedding seating plan, naming guest’s chairs at the reception or as a bunting guest book.

All you will need is:

• A selection of paper in your chosen colours. Many craft shops sell ‘scrapbooking’ paper which would give you a great selection to choose from
• Double sided sticky tape
• Ribbon – ideally the ribbon should be wider than your double sided sticky tape
• A guillotine or scissors and pencil

Use a template to make sure that all of your paper pennants are the same size. Arrange your paper triangles in the order in which you want them to appear on the bunting. Stick double sided tape along the top front edge of each pennant and use it to fix each pennant to the ribbon (the ribbon should go along the front of each pennant, hiding the double sided tape).

There you have it, quick and easy home made bunting!

Alternative methods:

• Use a hole punch to punch two holes along the top of each pennant and thread ribbon through
• Pin your paper pennants to some wide patterned ribbon or binding tape, and sew them on
• Use different sorts of paper or material – how about lacy white doilies, or colourful oilcloth (oilcloth is what wipeable tablecloths are made from)
• Why stop at triangles? Bunting made from paper hearts, flowers or any shape that takes your fancy would add a splash of colour and fun to your wedding décor

Fabric bunting

Whichever method you use, you will need a selection of coordinating fabrics – remnants are great. Look for material that is coloured on both sides if you are not hanging your bunting against a wall, or you will have to sew two triangles together to make a double sided triangle. You will also need a triangular template cut from card to ensure your pennants are all the same size.

Method 1 – No sewing needed…
Pin your card template to the fabric and use pinking shears to cut out as many triangular pennants as you need. Cutting the edges with pinking shears will stop the material fraying as much. Use an eyelet setting tool to make two eyelets in the top of each pennant. Thread ribbon through the eyelets and hey presto, you have made your own fabric bunting!

Method 2 – A little bit of sewing…
For the methods involving sewing, you will also need:

• Lengths of bias binding. You can get a variety of colours if you do not want white
• Thread
• Sewing machine (and someone who can use it!)

Cut out your pennants using pinking shears, as above. Sort the flags into the order you want them hanging in, and lay your binding tape flat on a table. Place your pennants evenly along the tape, about half way up. Fold over the tape to trap the pennant and pin. Using a straight stitch on your sewing machine, sew the flags to the binding tape, remembering to leave some tape at each end for hanging.

Method 3 – Lots of sewing…
For bunting that will last, you probably should consider making it from hemmed material triangles. Over time, paper bunting will tear and crease and un-hemmed material triangles may fray at the edges. Hemming your bunting triangles may take a bit longer but if you are handy with a sewing machine it should not be too much trouble.

Additionally, if want to hang your bunting so that both sides are on show and you have chosen one-sided material, you will need to sew two fabric triangles together to make a single double sided pennant.

Here are instructions for making hemmed fabric bunting.

Ideas for using your bunting

Of course, your bunting will look stunning hung around your reception hall or marquee. But why stop there?

Wedding seating plans

Have a look at our Pinterest board, where there are lots of fantastic examples of couples using bunting for their seating plans. I particularly like the bunting strung back and forth across a vintage picture frame, with table names and guests written on each pennant.

Paper bunting is ideal for a wedding seating plan, as you can easily write or print your table names and guests on the pennants before you cut them out.

Guest books

Make some bunting flags from pretty paper in assorted light colours, and place them on a table with an assortment of pens. Instead of circulating a guest book, ask the guests to write their wedding messages on a pennant. Collect them up and make your very own, unique wedding bunting that will bring back happy memories every time you see it!

Decoration

Have a look on our Pinterest board for some great ideas for using bunting to decorate everything from chairs and tables to marquees and wedding cakes! Bunting is also great as props for wedding photos – make some paper bunting spelling out L-O-V-E for the bride and groom to hold, or hang ‘Just married’ bunting above the happy couple.

Credits

Bunting images by County Marquees (the Bride made that bunting herself) and Wedding Paraphernalia were sourced via Flickr and used with permission under a Creative Commons License.

Change boring plain banquet chairs into stunning, coordinating and imaginative chairs, for the perfect stylish wedding. Discover how you can create your own chair décor using ribbons, sashes, flowers, signs or even a full chair cover – all to match perfectly with your colour scheme and wedding theme.

Sashes

Instead of a room full of plain chairs, tying simple sashes across each chair creates an instant splash of colour, style and coordination. Sashes can easily be made from strips of fabric, such as tulle, satin, organza or raffia. The simplest to use are probably materials which will not require hemming, such as organza or tulle.

Colours can be chosen specifically to coordinate with your wedding colour scheme – remember that you do not have to choose the same colour for every chair, but could use a range of harmonious colours to decorate your wedding chairs. You can also sew decorative ribbon or embellishments on to enhance your sashes – but remember that you will probably be making quite a few so factor in the amount of time it will require.

How to tie a sash

Tying a basic knot:
Line up the middle of the sash with the middle of the chair, and tie the sash in a tight knot. Hide the knot by rotating it until it is hidden with the organza sash itself, or by placing a flower or other decoration over it.

Tying a bow:
Tie a tight knot, as above. Continue to tie a bow, making two loops if the material is thick. When the bow is tied, spread the material on each loop out so that the bow is wider. If the bow loops flop, pull the ends to make the loops slightly smaller. It is possible to use wired material, which will add rigidity to your bows.

The video tutorial here shows how to make a very pretty double bow, using organza material and a contrasting ribbon.

Other options:
Tying the sash Obi style, making a rosette knot or tying the sash vertically .

Making your own fabric chair covers

To make your own fabric covers you will need to be able to use a sewing machine and plenty of time (or plenty of friends who also have sewing machines!).

Simple covers

Sew ‘pillowcase’ pattern slipcovers for the chair back, and add ribbon or an organza sash.

Full chair covers

Due to the amount of fabric required, and the time it would take to sew a number of full fabric chair covers, it would probably be a cheaper option to hire full fabric chair covers. However, remember that you do not have to cover all of the chairs at your reception, simply creating stunning covers for the bride and groom’s chair, or for the chairs at the top table would look amazing. If you are a keen seamstress and like a challenge, instructions for sewing your own full fabric chair covers can be found here.

DIY Chair back signs

Hanging decorative signs across the backs of chairs can be a great alternative to place cards and a fun way of letting your guests know where they are sitting. Print names onto card and hang from ribbons, or use mini chalkboards to write ‘Mr’ and ‘Mrs’ for the bride and groom.

The joy of chair back signs is that they can be designed to tie in with your wedding theme. For example, here are instructions for fabulous Art Deco ‘Mr’ and Mrs’ decorative chair signs, or for more ideas browse our Pinterest board.

Decorative hanging ribbons

Chairs that have a bar straight across the back of the chair are ideal for tying hanging ribbons – but be warned that they take just as long to remove after the event! Or use a coordinating ribbon with long tails to tie a simple flower posy to chairs.

Adding flowers to your chair decor

Chair-back posies can be used as a favour for guests, as well as a decorative accessory for your seating. If you use silk, dried or paper flowers instead of real ones, you can make posies or trailing garlands well ahead of time, and they can act as a lasting memory for the guests that take them home. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Sweetheart posy made from dried roses, ribbon and lace
• Raffia sash and orchid arrangements
• Silk petal garlands to hang across chair backs
• How to make fresh flower posies

Don’t forget that there are lots of examples of all sorts of chair décor on our Pinterest board, from ribbons and ruffles to mistletoe and origami flowers. Be inspired!

Cupcakes are very popular, and are a great alternative or addition to a traditional wedding cake. They are versatile in both colour and flavour, meaning that you can create a display that will complement your wedding colour scheme and guest’s tastes perfectly. They can also play a tasty part in your plans for your wedding tables – place a pretty little flag in your cupcakes, and you have ready made place cards for tables, or use these beautiful ‘cupcakes in a jar’ as delicious wedding favours.

So, how can you make your own wedding cupcakes? With some advance preparation, it is surprisingly easy!

Cupcake recipes

A good basic cupcake recipe can be found here. Simply put all the ingredients in a bowl, whisk, fill and cook your cupcakes for a really tasty result.

Alternatively, this recipe will create cupcakes with a lighter texture, as it requires you to mix ingredients separately, and then to fold in whisked egg whites for extra lightness. Note that the measurements are in the American ‘cup’ measurement – either use a set of measuring cups or check the conversion ratios into grams/ounces here.

Red Velvet cupcakes are very popular, with their rich red colour being perfect for a romantic touch to your cupcakes.

If you are looking for some more tasty adventures in the kitchen, have a look at this fantastic selection of delicious sounding cupcake flavours, ranging from lemon meringue and chocolate vanilla to coffee cream and strawberry.

It is probably a good idea to do a test run, making 12 or 24 cupcakes first to check that they taste as you would like (I am sure you will not be short of willing tasting volunteers!). Don’t over fill the cases – it is easier to ice a cake with a flatter top.

Storing cupcakes

When you have the recipe refined to your liking, then cupcakes can generally be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days, and the plainer ones will also freeze well in an airtight container, if necessary. It is generally best to ice your cupcakes as near to the Big Day as possible, and to store them in the fridge if you are using buttercream icing.

Decorating your cupcakes

There are two main ways of decorating your cupcakes – either with buttercream frosting, or with fondant icing. Have a look at our Pinterest wedding cupcake page to discover the huge range of possible decorations for your cupcakes.

Buttercream frosting

They joy of using buttercream icing is that you can choose the exact colour and flavouring. Here is a simple recipe that you can use to experiment with colour and flavours to find the perfect combination for your wedding cupcakes.

Piping buttercream

You will need a piping bag (either washable or disposable) and nozzles. There is a rather bewildering selection of nozzles on the market. Have a look at this pictorial example showing what effect different nozzles create.

This is a very good tutorial which demonstrates four different ways of icing your cupcakes. It is best to pipe icing straight from the fridge as it will have better definition than icing piped at room temperature. It takes a little time to get the hang of piping, but you can quickly achieve some stunning results with a little bit of practice.

Piped icing can be decorated with sugar sprinkles, decorations, glitter, coloured sugar balls, sugared flowers or even fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Fondant icing

You can buy ready-made fondant icing from most supermarkets to save making your own. To add colour to the icing, simply take a handful of the fondant icing, drip a couple of drops of food colouring on and knead the icing with your hands until the colouring is blended in.

Roll out your fondant icing using a board and rolling pin lightly dusted with icing sugar (to stop the icing from sticking). Using a circular cutter with the same diameter as your cakes, cut out as many icing circles as possible before re-kneading the icing and rolling out again.

Brush the cakes with some warmed apricot jam or a thin layer of butter icing to stick your icing circles on top.

You can then add decorations as you like – I particularly like these bride and groom cupcakes, or you could even get creative and make your own fondant icing roses to put on top.

Other options

Other options for icing your cakes include ganache, royal icing, poured fondant icing, melted chocolate, cream cheese frosting or a simple icing sugar and water mix.

Our Pinterest page has a huge collection of wedding cupcakes to inspire you. Whatever you choose, enjoy experimenting and creating your perfect wedding cupcakes!

We have talked in a previous article about origami, and the Japanese tradition that folding 1000 paper cranes will make your wedding dreams come true. We have looked for some fantastic guides, tutorials and ideas that may inspire you make your own origami wedding accessories.

What you will need

Origami paper in your chosen colour and design – you can either make all of your origami in one colour or maybe choose a selection of complementing colours to give added depth and variety to your origami decoration. The thinner the paper, the smaller the origami pieces you will be able to make. For an authentic look, consider buying some proper Japanese Origami Washi or Chiyogami paper, available from online stockists.

Every crease needs to be crisp – you can either run your fingernail or the end of a plastic ruler along it, or use a ‘bone folder’ tool to give a really crisp and neat finish.

The only other thing you will really need is a nice, flat surface to fold on and a little time – make sure you start your origami project well before the big day to avoid a huge rush at the last minute!

What can I make?

Flowers – Some simple flowers to fold include the lily, lotus, rose, daisy and tulip.

Butterflies – bring a breath of spring with a butterfly wedding theme, use different sizes of paper to make small and large butterflies.

Cranes – probably the most well-known origami wedding icon, folding 1000 cranes is said to bring good fortune to the happy couple. The video here shows how to make a simple origami crane.

Where to use your origami

Origami wedding seating plans

If you have made cranes, you could hang them in beautiful in vertical strings. This idea could be transferred to any other origami creation such as butterflies or flowers. This couple used their threaded cranes to create their unique origami wedding seating plan and here, simple cranes of different colours are used as a seating plan.

Place cards

Use your little origami creations to decorate your guest’s place cards at the table. There are some great ideas on our Pinterest board.

Table decorations

If you have the patience to make a few hundred simple triangle folds while you watch Eastenders, then you will be able to make this stunning modular origami swan as a table centrepiece. You can also arrange origami flowers in a similar way to fresh ones, using a little wire and oasis in a beautiful vase. This lovely centrepiece uses an origami box with matching flowers on the favours, a perfect finishing touch.

Favours

A traditional Masu box would make a lovely box for wedding favours. Lucky stars are said to represent your hopes and dreams – perfect for decorating favours. There are a lot more ideas to be found on our Pinterest board.

Other ideas

• Button holes for men, corsages for the ladies
• Use your origami flowers as hair decorations
• Use any small origami creations as coordinating cupcake toppers
• Decorate your wedding cake with symbolic cranes or beautiful flowers
• Make some humorous fortune teller games for the tables
• Origami bride and groom
• Napkin folding is an art in itself!

Chalkboards can add a beautiful element of vintage rustic charm or a quirky modern edge to your wedding. It is simple to make your own, and in any colour you want!

Where to use chalkboards?

• Make huge boards in vintage picture frames to show your wedding seating plan;
• Use small boards for table numbers or names, or for guest name cards;
• Make little chalk boards, wrapped with a little set of chalks and a wiping cloth as favours for the children at your reception;
• Use your home made chalkboard paint to decorate anything from wine glasses to candle holders, coasters to place mats;
• Use chalkboards as props in wedding photos.

Take a look at our pinterest page where we have pinned lots of great photo ideas to inspire you!

How to make a basic chalkboard

Use plywood for the board – you can get your local timber shop to cut it to the exact size required and it won’t cost the earth. Square or rectangular is the obvious choice, but you can choose any shape you want. You can get ready made chalkboard paint as spray paint or as quick dry liquid paint which will give you a durable and smooth finish to your chalkboard.

Make your own paint – in any colour!

The fantastic thing about chalk boards is that actually, you can make your own paint so that it matches your wedding colour scheme perfectly.

Choose or mix acrylic or emulsion paint (the tester pots are ideal) in the exact shade that you want to use for your chalkboard. Thoroughly mix 1 cup of the paint with 1 tablespoon of unsanded grout (buy this from your local DIY shop) and simply paint the mixture onto your boards. Here is a clear tutorial demonstrating the technique:

Write on your chalkboards

If you choose chalk to write on your boards, you can buy spray fixative at most craft or art shops, which will stop the chalk from smudging after you have finished your design.

However, you don’t have to stick to chalk, which can be dusty and prone to smudging. Liquid chalk pens, available in many colours, enable you to write with more precision and to colour coordinate. They come in lots of colours, are shower-proof and if you make a mistake you can erase it using window cleaner.

Save time

Save time by creating your own chalkboard wedding seating plan on the computer (using Toptableplanner, of course, to work out who is sitting where first!), and get it printed by a local printing firm. There are instructions and downloads available for a chalkboard texture and fonts.

Mount your chalkboards

The beauty of making your own chalkboards is that you can choose the mount to match the style of your wedding reception. If you have a large chalkboard to mount, how about a gorgeous shabby chic vintage frame, or add a modern touch to your chalk designs. Consider mounting small chalkboards on mini easels or mount them in a coordinating picture frame.

Other ideas

Once you’ve got the hang of your chalkboard paint, you don’t have to stick to painting flat wood. With a couple of coasts, you can paint things like wine glasses, candle holders, coasters and even bowls for your table centrepiece. This blog is great, showing how to make beautiful vases.

Go to our pinterest page for a lot more chalkboard ideas!

Escort cards are a modern slant on the traditional wedding seating plan. Each guest is presented with a card before they enter the dining hall, to let them know which table they will be seated at. Often, the cards are folded and placed alphabetically on a tray, but you can use this idea to add home-made style and elegance to your event, by making a beautiful escort card tree.

First, choose a container…

You need to look for a vase or pot that will not be difficult to balance when it has tall branches in it, so ideally they will be ceramic (heavier than plastic) and not too tall.

Remember, you can have more than one escort card tree. For a table top display, aim to hang about 20-30 cards per tree, with different sizes of tree to add variety. If you can find a big enough pot, and big enough branches, you could make a huge floor standing escort card tree, although you need to put some thought into the design so that guests can find their card easily.

Colour scheme

If you cannot find anything that matches your colour scheme, then simply buy some ceramic flower pots and either paint them or cover them in matching fabric. Decorate with coordinated ribbons, gems or embellishments.

Next, create your tree(s)…

Go for a long walk in the woods and pick up any interesting branches that you see on the ground, and take them home to dry out for a few days. Alternatively, many florists or pet shops will be able to sell you some branches. (Yes, it made me stop and think too – pet shops sell them because budgies and cockatiels sit on branches in their cages!)

If you want to paint the branches, then probably the easiest way is to use spray paint – but remember to do this in a well ventilated area on some old newspaper or sheets.

Purchase some ‘oasis‘ (florist’s foam) or Styrofoam, from a craft or florist’s shop. Cut a piece to fit snugly in each container that you are using, to about an inch below the top of the pot. Push the branches in, making sure that you choose your branches carefully to make sure that the cards will be evenly hung at a variety of levels. To cover the foam, simply put some tissue paper, organza material, moss or glass beads on top so that it doesn’t show.

Here is a useful video that shows how to mount a manzanita branch in a pot using styrofoam, glue and moss.

If you would like a real tree, visit your garden centre for a small ‘manzanita‘ tree, or olive tree. The happy couple can then take the tree home as a lasting memory of their wedding day.

Finally, hang your escort cards…

Have a look at our calligraphy article for tips on how you can write your own beautiful cards, or design your cards using a word processing package. Print them out on coordinating card, and punch a hole in each card to loop coordinating ribbon through.

If you have a lot of cards to hang, hang them alphabetically so that the guests will be able to find their cards easily.

Get creative

Add sparkle to your tree by hanging crystals from the branches, or create natural beauty with fresh flowers and leaves adorning your tree. If your wedding has a theme to it, use your tree to continue it through into your reception. For example, here is a beautiful example of a spring time cherry blossom escort card tree, and this is a lovely butterfly themed escort card tree. Have a look on our Pinterest board for more ideas ranging from simple autumn leaves to contemporary modern designs.

Image of escort card tree courtesy of Ashley Palmero via Flickr.

Five years ago today, we launched TopTablePlanner. Having spent six months planning and developing the site, it went live on 27th February 2007.

Since then, both the software and the website have seen numerous updates, including new designs and adding new features. Key features that have been added since launch include:

• Assigning meal options and RSVP status
• Printing place cards using a variety of compatible place card sheets
• Adding non-table objects such as dance floors and pillars

There have also been countless ‘behind the scenes’ updates and tweaks in an effort to make the software as easy to use as we possibly can, something which is very important to us.

When the site launched, TopTablePlanner was mostly being used to plan weddings in the UK and US. The tool is now used in 80 countries around the world, from Australia to Argentina, for events such as banquets, conferences and parties as well as, of course, weddings. From small events to those with high profile guests (including Royalty), we hope our site has been useful to all of our users.

Thanks very much to every single one of our customers, without which we wouldn’t be where we are today. We’re very much looking forward to the future and hope to play a small part in planning your next important event.

Thanks also to everyone who has given us valuable feedback over the last five years. We value every single comment, good or bad, and it’s a vital way of helping us to make the software even better than it already is!

Here’s to the next five years!

The beauty of wrapping your wedding favours is that you can choose paper or material that matches the colour of your seating plan perfectly. There are many different ways to wrap favours, and it doesn’t have to take you hours of fiddly work! Here are some simple and straightforward ideas that will help you bring style, colour coordination and that unique personal touch to your tables.

Wrapping boxes

If your favours are not boxed or a simple shape to wrap, then consider buying a little plain box to place each gift inside before you wrap it. This will save a lot of time and you can focus on ensuring that the wrapping coordinates beautifully with your table layout.

Your choices of paper are huge – think about tissue paper, flocked paper or eco friendly recycled paper. You could even print out your own wrapping paper, complete with the date and details of your wedding. Plain brown parcel paper can look incredibly stylish when finished with a beautiful coloured ribbon.

This video uses a larger box than you will use for favours, but shows very clearly how best to wrap a simple box shape using wrapping paper and double sided tape. Look at this article’s Pinterest board for a wealth of wrapping ideas in all sorts of colours and styles.

Using material

Remember that you do not have to just choose paper to wrap your favours – you could choose a pretty organza, soft cotton or rustic linen. The Japanese ‘Furoshki‘ method is a beautiful technique where the wrapping cloth is part of the gift and nothing is thrown away. This video demonstrates the pretty ‘orchid’ wrap which I think would be ideal for favours wrapped in light summer scarves. There are some lovely examples of this style of wrapping on the Pinterest board.

Ribbon

Ribbons come in many colours and styles, from organza to satin, and are another great tool for adding colour and a splash of style. This short tutorial demonstrates how to tie ribbons around gifts so that the bow lies flat on the box. Here is an example of three different styles of bow that you can choose from to decorate your favour box.

Other ideas

Decorate your tables with pretty home made wedding cones filled with the bride and groom’s favourite sweet treats. Simply cut a triangle shape from your chosen paper, roll into a cone shape and fasten with double sided tape or fast drying craft glue. If you are filling the cones with sweets, it may be worth lining the cone with baking paper to stop any oils or colours spreading onto the paper cone.

Cellophane wrap is a quick and easy option for wrapping favours. Rolls of cellophane wrap come in a wide variety of colours – simply cut out squares of wrap, place your favour in the centre, gather at the top and tie with ribbon. You can also buy gusseted cellophane bags which are even easier to use.

Novelty wrapping is ever such fun, but maybe more time consuming. Decorate your boxes with a cut out of a wedding dress and tuxedo, or wrap a tiny favour inside a home made pinwheel.

There really is no end to the possibilities for wrapping your wedding favours – it can be as simple or as complicated as you like. Whatever you choose, your guests will be thrilled with the thought and effort that you have put in to make their memories of your day so special.

No expensive florist’s bills, flowers that coordinate perfectly with your colour scheme and everlasting blooms to keep your wedding memories alive for years to come. All you will need is some tissue paper and time to be able to make your own stunning tissue paper flowers, and your table decorations will be the talk of the town.

You will need:
Floral wire
Floral tape (green, slightly stretchy tape)
Tissue paper and scissors

Single petal method

This is a fairly time intensive method, but gives some of the most realistic results. It is useful to have a reference picture of the flower you are trying to recreate.

First, cut a piece of floral wire long enough to be the central stamen of the flower, and use crepe paper to make the stamen. Cut out enough petals (refer to your picture for a rough outline shape) and slightly pleat each petal at the base before attaching it to the central stamen wire with tape.

Here are instructions and templates for a tulip, a peony, a lily and a rose.

Continuous petal method

This is a faster method for making flowers, particularly suited to making flowers such as carnations, daisies and dahlias. Make the stamen in the same way as the single petal flowers. Cut a strip of crepe paper in a continuous petal pattern. Attach the petals and shape them carefully.

Here are instructions and templates for spidermum, carnations, dahlias, and daisies.

Adding leaves

For either method, you can also create some simple leaves to add to the flower

Accordion fold method

This is also a faster method than the single petal method, ideal if you are planning to make a large number of flowers for garlands or arrangements.

Take several sheets of crepe paper, either of the same colour or complementing colours. The size of the pieces depends on how large you want the flower. Lay them on top of each other and simply make accordion fold them all the way across – as if you were making a paper fan. Take some wire, string or a pipe cleaner and tie it around the centre of the folded paper. Then pull up each piece of tissue paper, one by one, to create the flower.

Here is a simple tutorial:

Other ideas

• Add rhinestones to your flowers for a little sparkle.
• Don’t just stick to small flowers – think big and make some huge pom pom style flowers to decorate the venue with.
• Use your flower theme throughout the wedding, from tiny flowers on invitations, through to flower garlands at your wedding venue and flower centrepieces at your reception.
• Give your flowers to your guests as they leave as a lasting memento of your wedding.

Using your home made flowers to add style to your seating plan

Of course, home made flowers would make beautiful arrangements for tables. But you do not need to stop there! How about using them as:

• Place card holders
• Decorative flower garlands for tables
• Attached to twigs to make a decorative escort card tree
• Decorations for your venue
• To decorate favours or napkin rings

More ideas and inspiration

For lots of creative ideas and more tutorials, visit the Pinterest board we have created specifically for this article.

Known as ‘the art of beautiful writing’, learning enough calligraphy to create your own place cards, menus and even an entire wedding seating plan may not be as difficult as you first think. A little patience, practise and maybe the odd short cut here and there – your guests will be amazed by your incredible design abilities!

What do you need?

Print out some lined paper to practice on. Initially, write on the paper whilst practising. Later, either use the lined guide underneath your final piece of paper, so that it shows through, or copy it using a ruler and pencil which can be rubbed out when you have finished.

This short video explains clearly how to use guidelines for your calligraphy.

A calligraphy pen

There are a number of options:

• Calligraphy marker pens come in a variety of sizes (depending on how large you want to write) and are probably the easiest for beginners to use.
• Calligraphy dip ink pens give a much clearer thick/thin variation to your lettering, but can be harder to use.
• A scroll pen produces two lines, which gives a beautiful and stylish look to your calligraphy.
• Left handed writers can buy pens with the nib at the correct angle.
• For the purists among you, there is also the option of locating a suitable duck or turkey, and extracting a nice fat feather. Leave it in the sun to dry, then cut the tip at an angle with a pen knife.

If you are using a dip pen, you can choose from a huge variety of coloured inks, from jet black through to violet or gold. Calligraphy marker pens are also available in a range of colours.

Learning to hold a calligraphy pen

The trick with a calligraphy pen is to practice holding the nib at an angle where you can make a thick line with one stroke, and a thin line with a stroke in the opposite direction. Never write using the corner of the pen, and try to always write so that the pen strokes are towards you, not pushing away.

This short video shows you clearly what you should be aiming for.

Practising fonts

Before you embark on your place cards or seating plan, you will need to practise a simple calligraphy font in order to gain confidence and accuracy. Here is a very good web page outlining the pen strokes needed for the basic calligraphy alphabet. As you gain confidence, you may wish to choose a different font.

Continuing your learning

If you get hooked, and want to develop more skills, a fantastic series of short tutorial videos can be found here.

Quick and easy short cut!

OK, so you just have not got the time, patience or skill to learn calligraphy from scratch? Don’t worry, there is a quick and easy cheat (I mean short cut!).

As an example, lets say you want to create a set of place cards for your table layout. Using a word processing program, design your cards and names on the screen using a pretty copperplate or calligraphy style font.

The clever trick is to set the printing colour to be just one or two shades darker than your paper colour when printing. All you need to do is to go over the printed text in your chosen calligraphy pen and you will have your very own, hand made, personalised and beautifully written place cards.

There is an example of this trick in action here.

Extension activities

• Choose paper and ink that matches your colour scheme. White or silver on a deep colour background looks particularly stunning.
• Consider adding gold leaf to give an authentic gilding to your calligraphy.
• Use the pen nib to design decorative borders.

Inspiration

We have chosen a selection of wedding calligraphy ideas to inspire you on our very own Pinterest board.

Professional Calligraphers

Of course, if you think you’re not quite ready to do your own wedding stationery, there are plenty of professionals who can do it for you. Ask on wedding forums for recommendations or take a look at www.wedding-calligrapher.com. We can highly recommend both Claire and her work.

Note

All product links are purely for information only. There are a wide variety of stockists available for materials, and it is advisable to shop around to find the products that are the best price and style for you.