Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr
Opting for a destination wedding I was a bit worried it would feel like a resort wedding versus our wedding. I didn’t have much in the way of photography provided by Melia Varadero (a property we had never been to) so I didn’t have a clear vision of what we were working with. My solution was to bring decor items with us. They needed to be compact but have high impact. They should be light enough to travel with yet inexpensive enough to leave behind.
It just so happened that I was shopping for decorations in November. Turns out, Black Friday is a huge opportunity for brides to score steep discounts. Some items were reduced as much as 40% off with free shipping. I’d estimate we spent about $400-$500 on extra decor items which felt adequate. Here’s what we brought:
CHAIR SASHES
$2.95 USD for a 5-pack from chaircoverfactory.com
Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr
These pops of colour communicate your wedding’s theme, colour scheme and personality. Melia Varadero did not have the champagne-gold sashes I was after so I easily sourced them online.
LACE TABLE RUNNERS
$3.59 USD each, chaircoverfactory.com
Layering with lace table runners added texture and depth to the place settings.
PAPER PLACE
24 for $14 USD, BHLDN.com
These darling scallop-edge paper mats brought gold accents to the table top.
DECORATIVE PAPER FANS
10 for $20 USD, BHLDN.com
GLITTER + CONFETTI BALLOONS
8 for $18 USD, BHLDN.com
Sadly I didn’t get to use these because the resort did not have helium available. I’ve been saving them for another occasion!
TABLE NUMBERS
$1.45 each, zazzle.com
WEDDING WISDOM CARDS
$27 CAD for 50, weddingstar.com
Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr
We were able to customize these cards with our names for guests to leave us their wedding wishes and best marriage advice.
CUSTOMIZED MONOGRAM NAPKINS
$17.95 CAD for 100, weddingstar.com
Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr
I love monogrammed things and these napkins had a nice quality weight to them.
MAP GUEST BOOK
$52 USD, MilkNSugar Art, Etsy.com
Wild Whim Photography + Design by Wade Carr
We wanted our guests to sign a map rather than a guestbook which would sit untouched on our shelf. It took some initial encouragement but people eventually ‘defaced’ it with their warm wishes.
GOLD FOIL PAPER DOILIES
$14.88 USD for 24, OwlAndThistle, Etsy.com
I love these coasters for their texture and intricate pattern. Yet another way to bring your accent colour to the table top.
More Inspiration
(Items I did not buy but love)
PAPER TABLE RUNNER
$40 USD for 25′, BHLDN.com
CONFETTI PUSH-POP
$9.50 USD from ThimblePress.com
How fun is this confetti push-pop? Ultimately I couldn’t get over the USD to CAD exchange rate. Plus, at 10USD per pop it’s a brief glittery explosion relative to the expense. (But think of the photo op!)
The end result? Both our ceremony and reception certainly felt our own.
Read more about my Cuba destination wedding:
It’s OK to get Married in Cuba Just for the Havana Photo Shoot
DIY: Easy and Free Wedding Invitations, Destination Welcome Letters + Thank You Cards
My Melia Varadero Destination Wedding: the good, the bad & the ugly