Guest Post: Wedding Styling 101 with Made You Look Events
Hello, my name is Matt Abel. I am the Creative Director, Wedding Planner and Stylist at Made You Look Events. I am also a buttonhole fixer, wedding psychiatrist, mother in law pleaser; fashion consultant, hugger and Wedding Day go to guy - though my best talents lie in the world of wedding planning and styling.
My team and I are proud to be the popular choice for Brisbane brides for exquisite Wedding Day Planning and Stylist services. I am delighted to share with you in this Q&A piece my specialist hits, tips, tricks and knowledge on all things wedding styling!
I do love talking about ways in which you can take your wedding from ordinary to extraordinary; after all, your Wedding Day should be as fabulous as you are. And speaking of fabulous, a wedding at Boulevard Gardens is just that! I work closely with the staff and the remarkable events team, who are all just as amazing as the venue itself.
I truly encourage you to pay a visit to discover all that their hidden oasis has to offer for your Wedding Day; including the breath taking open air ceremony space, a tranquil outdoor bar, and stunning function rooms available.
What guidance do you give to your couples who are having trouble deciding on their wedding theme?
Listen up gals, this is a common question and it saddens me to think that many brides feel that they must showcase a “theme” for their big day. Instead, my advice, and in fact a key element in my consultation process, is to ask the couple poignant questions relating to the both of them. And believe it or not these important answers tend to become the focus on the Wedding Day concept. For me as a wedding planner and stylist, I need to understand who these two people are together, and the culture they share in order to bring that special feel to their special day. Here’s how I do it:
I always love to hear my couples' story; the story of how they met and the circumstances surrounding it. Also I ask them to tell me about that very important first date, what they hold dear about their partner, and my favourite question regarding a humorous story about the two of them. The answers that come from these questions quite often hold the key to what I propose we share with their guests as their wedding concept. After all, their wedding day is about them together, so why not let their tale tell the story of the day!
Abracadabra! Now we have our starting point from which we draw inspiration for colour, texture, mood, focus, and feel, to create what will be a dream day that will be talked about long after the last of the confetti is thrown!
What are the top three décor items couples can use to add a “WOW” factor to their wedding styling?
I love this question! I believe in taking an everyday décor idea, and giving it life by adding that all important wow factor that is as exciting as it is memorable. The first of three ideas I want to share is my love for incorporating edible items into table centerpieces.
What a way to add a spot of difference that is totally unexpected and totally different! The Delish-a-torium by Made You Look Events is our sister business that showcases delightful sweet treats for weddings that are perfect for adding to guest table centerpieces. My favourite is our French Macaron pops - and by favourite I mean I consume way too many on a weekly basis! These tasty beauties can be nestled amongst your floral additions, and look so awesome too. These can be incorporated into high and low centerpieces and make for something truly stunning and unusual.
My next “wow” décor item brings something fantazmo to your reception room. Forget the outdated organza and satin sashes, step it up with feature chair coverings that will get them talking! Bring your theme and indeed the room to life with stunning chair caps, full and flowing covers, and textured trailing embellishments to name a few.
Lastly my number three pick for adding wedding-wow would have to be interactive décor! Immerse guests into the wedding experience with a ceremony water station featuring personalised labeled bottled water, displayed with your order of service programs, and the cutest cones filled with petals that guests will shower you with as you are announced husband and wife.
Cocktail hour need not feel left out either! Instead of a standard bar area that tends to become congested and noisy, why not ask us about changing typical styled bar area décor with our Roving Wine Angels? These stunning beauties can either appear at standard height or stilted for extra fun, as they wait on guests with bottles of wine and champagne, adding an air of elegance and a spot of difference. Because it’s all about the glam, right!
What is the biggest wedding styling trend currently? And how can couples infuse this trend to their wedding day?
Trends, as the name suggests, come and go. It’s these trends that are driven by social media platforms, industry opinions and of course celebrity support and product placement. What’s important for couples to remember is that in years to come when they are looking back through their wedding album to see that their day was heavily influenced by what was trending at the time can often leave a bad taste in their mouth.
It is great to be informed, and just as important to incorporate elements of what is current into your day, but my advice is to be selective in what you include and where it’s placed. Add just a touch of such elements, rather than full saturation. Oh and of course tons of glitter. Kidding!
For example, what’s hot right now is the Pantone colour 15-0343 “Greenery”, and it’s everywhere! If this rainforest-inspired tone is something you are loving, then by all means add it, but think carefully. Perhaps feature it in your bouquet and floral additions on guest tables in a more minimalistic setting, and leave it at that. Overdoing it with current trends will not do you any favours in the long term.
Is there a common mistake that couples make when it comes to their wedding styling?
Typically, I believe there are no mistakes when it comes to your personal desire for any given theme, era, mood, feel, or focus for your wedding day; however, blunders can easily be made, and the biggest mistake couples make when it comes to bringing all those key elements together is not engaging a stylist.
In all the areas where you can cut corners in the wedding budget, this is certainly not one of them. A wedding stylist is definitely worth having.
My job as a wedding planner and stylist is to ensure a bride’s dream is translated from an idea on paper, to the completed event space in visual splendour - this task is quite an undertaking. A good event stylist has the in-depth knowledge and experience required to seamlessly create your ceremony, reception, and cocktail hour spaces without the mishaps and mayhem that potentially would cost you more money to rectify if you were to attempt it with help from friends.
Always remember that is better to make a friend out of a wedding stylist, than a wedding stylist out of a friend!
What piece of advice do you always share with your clients?
The absolute most important thing to remember no matter what, is to have what you both want for your day and not what others persuade or even pressure you to have. This is so important!
When I engage my services with couples, my number one priority is to deliver this very notion; after all it’s your wedding day, not anyone else's. I find many brides under pressure to incorporate their parents' or even grandparents' wishes, simply because they have given money towards the cost of the big day. I remind them to mention to these people that as special as they may be, that they have had their beautiful day and now it’s your turn to have the same. It’s all about having your cake and eating it too!
A good way to achieve this is to be clever with your families instead of forgoing your wishes completely. My advice is why not make them feel important by assigning them a meaningful job on the day, or perhaps asking them to choose what they like from options you have already shortlisted. This way they feel included, and more importantly, that their monetary contribution is validated - which will certainly help in a smooth planning process.
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Want to know more about a Made You Look Events styled wedding at Boulevard Gardens?
Contact me today at matt@madeyoulookevents.com.au to book your complimentary consultation and let’s get you married!
A special thank you to Matt from Made You Look Events for this fantastic guest post on Wedding Styling 101!
Words and images by Matt Abel. Produced by Rachel Westbury.
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