Dream Reception

[taovandel]

I know when the proposal is coming, I know what the ring will look like, I know who will be in my wedding and who I''m going to invite.

I know almost everything about the wedding, songs, etc....

What I don''t know:

The theme of the reception. I just can''t figure out what colors I want! I come up with something and discuss it with FF who loves one idea, then 2 weeks later I throw him another idea and he gets upset thinking I''m being flaky!

My wedding will be on June 20, 2009 and it will be a formal evening wedding.

I keep going between 3 color schemes:

Red/Black with a bit of white thrown in. Hollywood theme. (FF favorite because we both love movies....I loved the idea but now I''m thinking the colors aren''t right for the summer)

Sage Green/Chocolate: My original idea....

Black/Green/White: I saw some pictures in The Knot magazine and thought it looked really clean, bright and elegant.

HELP!!!

How many different theme ideas have you gone through and how did you not drive your FF insane with the different changes?

 

[absolut_blonde]

For what it''s worth, my cousin married last summer (one of those 7/7/7 weddings) and their colours were red/black. I think it worked. I actually hadn''t thought twice about the colour scheme and season, til I saw your post.

That said, I think the black/green/white could be lovely too.

I think nearly any colour scheme can work with any season -- it''s all about the execution and the details. Given your theme, I would lean towards a primarily black and white theme with maybe one colour as an accent shade sparingly. I think black and white can be really glam and classy!

 

[JulieN]

Mine would be Bollywood...and, magically, the guests would know how to dance to bhangra and Hindi film music.

 

[Lauren8211]

I had a few ideas.

I was thinking chocolate/rose petal

or

Black, Charcoal, and splashes of pink around - but not too much pink (pink is my favorite color!)

I''m having a fall wedding (2010). I was trying to pick warm fall colors, but it''s hard to pigeonhole yourself like that. It''s really just best to do the ones you like, I''ve decided.

 

[Delster]

taovandel red/black/white could look very summery if you accent the flowers with just a smidge of pink maybe? I like that colour scheme a lot and if it's the one that means the most to you both...

As for me, I have no idea. I am reception-ideas-challenged. It's complicated by the fact that all the hotels here book up three YEARS in advance for weekends, and two YEARS for thursdays/mondays, unless you get a cancellation. And we don't have the means to do a marquee type thing (nowhere to put it, and the weather!). Oh well. We'll think of something.

BF rather likes the idea of having it in the dining hall of the place I did my professional degree. It's a famous building, and was designed by the same architect (Sir James Gandon) who designed the Four Courts, the Custom House, and the Parliament. The dining hall there is the only surviving interior designed by Gandon. You can see it here if you're interested.

ETA - just thought of something that may make that building familiar to some of you. The scenes in Becoming Jane where she is in London were filmed in and around that building. Some of the London interior shots were filmed there too, particularly the London hallway/stairwell scenes. Also the scene in Evelyn where the lawyers are preparing for trial - that was filmed in the library there (another out of this world beautiful interior).

 

[ladypirate]

Wow, Delster--that''s posh!

I have no idea what I want for a reception, except for awesome food and wine. I love dancing (swing especially!), but not many of our friends do, so I don''t know that I''ll get my druthers on that.

 

[Delster]

Date: 6/13/2008 11:07:35 AM
Author: ladypirate
Wow, Delster--that's posh!

I have no idea what I want for a reception, except for awesome food and wine. I love dancing (swing especially!), but not many of our friends do, so I don't know that I'll get my druthers on that.

Oooh me too!!!! Although I'm a total novice, I just love love love to swing and jive. It's easier for the girl - find a guy who knows what he's doing and just follow! Have you been doing it long? Do you take classes?

I'm with you on the good food and wine. Food and music would be my things. I'd love a swing band.



The venue is definitely posh but do you think it might be a bit stuffy though? I mean can you imagine people swing dancing in there? Then again, I have danced my b*tt off in that dining hall till the wee hours of the morning

I just worry that guests would be intimidated by the big posh lawyer venue. It's old hat to me but it's a bit of a mysterious place to most of our families...

Anyway if you're interested there are more photos here (this is the catering company they use). Go four rows down and three photos in to see it in its usual state in good lighting. Then this link shows the vestibule (with beautiful Portland flagstones and marble staircase) set up for a wedding. For functions they flood the exterior of the building in pink and purple uplighters, and do the same with the columns and recesses in the dining hall. There is a photo online somewhere but I can't for the life of me find it. I have photos from balls I was at but there are people in them all so I don't want to post them. Heck, if we used there I wouldn't need to think about my reception theme - it'd be decorated for me!!!

 

[sunnyd]

I was set on a red/black/ivory thing until I started realllly loving the Jim Hjelm ads. The pinks and purples and ivories look soooo good together!!!! But I still love the red. And it totally works for summer! I agree with Delster, just throw some pink in places and it''s lightened up! Looky!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/13/2008 11:22:51 AM
Author: Delster

Date: 6/13/2008 11:07:35 AM
Author: ladypirate
Wow, Delster--that's posh!

I have no idea what I want for a reception, except for awesome food and wine. I love dancing (swing especially!), but not many of our friends do, so I don't know that I'll get my druthers on that.

Oooh me too!!!! Although I'm a total novice, I just love love love to swing and jive. It's easier for the girl - find a guy who knows what he's doing and just follow! Have you been doing it long? Do you take classes?

I'm with you on the good food and wine. Food and music would be my things. I'd love a swing band.



The venue is definitely posh but do you think it might be a bit stuffy though? I mean can you imagine people swing dancing in there? Then again, I have danced my b*tt off in that dining hall till the wee hours of the morning

I just worry that guests would be intimidated by the big posh lawyer venue. It's old hat to me but it's a bit of a mysterious place to most of our families...

Anyway if you're interested there are more photos here (this is the catering company they use). Go four rows down and three photos in to see it in its usual state in good lighting. Then this link shows the vestibule (with beautiful Portland flagstones and marble staircase) set up for a wedding. For functions they flood the exterior of the building in pink and purple uplighters, and do the same with the columns and recesses in the dining hall. There is a photo online somewhere but I can't for the life of me find it. I have photos from balls I was at but there are people in them all so I don't want to post them. Heck, if we used there I wouldn't need to think about my reception theme - it'd be decorated for me!!!

I've been doing swing since I was a teenager--when I lived in Los Angeles, I used to go out to swing clubs 3-4 times a week! There isn't much of a scene in Santa Barbara, but I'm hoping to do more of it once we move. Kris took lessons a couple of times, but I think he's intimidated since he's still very much a beginner and I've been doing it so long.

Even if we don't have swing dancing, I hope there'll be some sort of dance floor. Kris and I were at a party last Saturday and he was boogie-ing down with me, so I'm hopeful! I love it when guys dance--it's one of my favorite things!

ETA: I think you're fine on the stuffiness factor--once a few people start dancing, everyone will, I'm sure. I'll go check out the other photos now!

ETA2: That is one gorgeous venue!

Now I want to come over and get married in Ireland!

 

[Delster]

Oh bring him back to lessons for sure!!! BF and I did six jive classes together and we missed three of those cos I was sick, and just those few classes were enough that at the last function we were at people were coming up telling him he''s a fantastic dancer. Tell him it''ll make women swoon!

We wouldn''t escape alive if we suggested a wedding without dancing - the dancing goes on from half nine to three a.m. at Irish weddings! And then everyone heads to the residents'' bar until about seven-ish...

There''s another problem with that venue - it has no accommodation, and no residents'' bar. And our families live nowhere near Dublin so they can''t travel up just for the day.

 

[Livinthedream]

Date: 6/13/2008 11:27:26 AM
Author: sunnyd
I was set on a red/black/ivory thing until I started realllly loving the Jim Hjelm ads. The pinks and purples and ivories look soooo good together!!!! But I still love the red. And it totally works for summer! I agree with Delster, just throw some pink in places and it''s lightened up! Looky!

Oh those purples and ivories are gorgeous together! And his dresses.. my God the dresses are amazing! The one in the pic is on my dream list! Nice pick!

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/13/2008 12:23:50 PM
Author: Delster
Oh bring him back to lessons for sure!!! BF and I did six jive classes together and we missed three of those cos I was sick, and just those few classes were enough that at the last function we were at people were coming up telling him he''s a fantastic dancer. Tell him it''ll make women swoon!

We wouldn''t escape alive if we suggested a wedding without dancing - the dancing goes on from half nine to three a.m. at Irish weddings! And then everyone heads to the residents'' bar until about seven-ish...

There''s another problem with that venue - it has no accommodation, and no residents'' bar. And our families live nowhere near Dublin so they can''t travel up just for the day.

Hee! Works for me! Sometimes I make him slow dance with me in the living room just because...but I''m a nerd like that.

 

[ladypirate]

OK, I have something to add to my dream reception: I want a photo booth! Those things are awesome.

 

[Delster]

Date: 6/13/2008 11:22:51 AM
Author: Delster

Anyway if you''re interested there are more photos here (this is the catering company they use). Go four rows down and three photos in to see it in its usual state in good lighting. Then this link shows the vestibule (with beautiful Portland flagstones and marble staircase) set up for a wedding. For functions they flood the exterior of the building in pink and purple uplighters, and do the same with the columns and recesses in the dining hall. There is a photo online somewhere but I can''t for the life of me find it. I have photos from balls I was at but there are people in them all so I don''t want to post them. Heck, if we used there I wouldn''t need to think about my reception theme - it''d be decorated for me!!!

I found it

taovandel did you come up with a colour scheme in the end?

And bump! for anyone else with fun reception ideas!