Suitcases and Trunks

What a lot of uses a suitcase can have at a wedding reception – from a seating plan display to guest favours, table decorations and photographic props. We have found a lovely selection of examples to show you, together with an introduction showing how you can DIY re-vamp a dusty old suitcase to make a boutique style suitcase to match your reception décor perfectly.

Wedding Seating plans

There are a variety of ways that you can transform a plain suitcase into an eye catching wedding seating plan:

Luggage tags
Have the suitcase standing on its side and open. Write your seating plan on luggage tags. Attach string from one side to the other and use clothes pegs to attach the tags to the string. Decorate with items that suit your wedding theme, for example fresh flowers for a garden wedding or vintage china cups for a garden tea party.

Escort cards
Arrange your escort cards in your open suitcase, and decorate in line with your wedding theme. Guests take the card with their name on, which tells them which table they are seated at.

Bunting
String bunting across an open suitcase, with the table plan written on the bunting flags. Decorate according to your wedding theme.

Re-vamping an old vintage suitcase

Why spend a fortune on an expensive boutique suitcase when you can create stylish and unique suitcases of your own using some dusty old vintage cases that have been lurking in the cupboards for decades? Here is an introduction to re-vamping your case to get you started:

Re-lining
Re-line the suitcase using some beautiful material to match your wedding theme. A fairly quick and easy method is to remove the original lining and stick your new lining in simply using glue, trimming the edges with a sharp knife or scissors. A slightly more detailed method is to cut fabric to fit the internal base of your suitcase, measure the sides and sew fabric together to make a fitted liner. Use a staple gun to attach your liner to the suitcase.

Re-Painting
The outside of a vintage suitcase can either be left as it is for a classic vintage look, or decorated to match your colour scheme. If you are painting it, you will need to clean it with soap and water to remove any grease and dirt, and cover any areas you do not want painted with masking tape. Then use a primer suitable for the material your suitcase is made from, followed by a coat or two of paint in your chosen colour. If you are crafty, you can also hand paint or use decoupage to add a little finishing touch to your suitcase.

Other uses for suitcases

Use suitcases to hold your wedding programmes, cards or gifts. Use bunting to make a vintage style sign for favours or programmes.

Favours
Larger suitcases could be used as receptacles for favours, or individual favours can be made from small plastic suitcases filled with sweets.

Table decoration
A suitcase can easily be used to hold a beautiful flower or candle arrangement. A small vintage suitcase would be perfect to hold menu cards, or to hold bottles of wine or other drinks at the table. Small suitcases in the centre of the table could be filled with fun photographs of the happy couple for guests to enjoy.

Other ideas
Suitcases could be used:

• as props for wedding photographs
• as inspiration for the wedding cake
• for adding to the décor at your wedding reception, for example using them instead of vases to hold flower arrangements or all piled up to make a ‘table’ for your wedding cake.

And remember, the joy of this ideas is that when your big day is finally over, a suitcase can become the perfect keepsake holder to ensure that the memories of your wedding are kept for ever.