Wedding decoration ideas for tables, ceremony and venue
Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Lysela
Start with the venue and two or three colours, then put the decoration where guests spend the most time: at the tables, at the ceremony and by the entrance. The rest can stay simple. What costs the most is rarely the flowers. It is getting everything in place in the right order and knowing who does what. Here are wedding decoration ideas to start from: what to choose, what to make yourselves and what to hire, a timeline for the set-up and a message for the friends who help.
Try it yourself, no account neededWedding decoration ideas: start with the venue and the colours
Look at the room first
A light room with white walls takes more colour than one with patterned wallpaper or dark wood. Ask the venue what it already has: candle holders, vases, tablecloths and chairs. What you do not have to buy, you do not have to carry.
Pick two or three colours
Stick to them everywhere, from the tables to the signs. It looks considered even when each piece is simple. More on finding your look is in the guide to wedding themes.
Ask about the rules
Open flames, confetti, nails in the walls and tape on wooden surfaces are not allowed everywhere. A church usually has its own rules for flowers and decoration at the altar. Ask the parish or the venue before you buy anything.
Decorate for the season
What grows when you marry is cheapest and looks best. A garden wedding needs almost nothing, and in a garden the decoration is already in place.
Where does wedding decoration matter most?
Put the money and the time where guests look. Start with what shows in the photos and what guests sit in front of.
| Place | What works | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance | A welcome sign, a wreath or a simple bouquet by the door. | It is the first thing guests see. One sign goes a long way. |
| Ceremony | Flowers at the altar or arch, and something along the aisle if you like. | In a church, ask the parish what is allowed. Outdoors, think about the wind. |
| Tables | Flowers or greenery, candles, tablecloths and place cards. | Keep it low, so guests can see each other across the table. |
| Cake table | A clean cloth, the cake as the centrepiece and a few flowers. | Put it where the light is good, since many guests will want a photo. |
| Dance floor | Fairy lights or lanterns around the edge. | Decorate the edges so the floor itself stays clear for dancing. |
| Bar and toilets | A small bouquet or a sign. | Small touches in places nobody expects make the evening feel considered. |
Wedding table decoration
Cloth or runner
A long runner in your colour on a bare wooden table costs less than tablecloths and often looks better. Cloths suit tables that do not match or are worn.
Flowers and greenery
A few small vases down the table fill more than one large centrepiece. Branches, eucalyptus and grasses in bottles work as well as cut flowers.
Candles
Candles in glass or lanterns give atmosphere without taking up space. Check that the venue allows open flames, otherwise battery candles do the job.
Place cards and menus
They are part of the decoration. Guests read them as they sit down, so keep them in the same colour and style as the rest. How to seat your guests is in the seating plan guide, and menus are covered in the menu card guide.
Wedding decorations: DIY, hire or florist
Cheap wedding decorations are mostly about choosing the right thing to save on. Spend where it shows and keep the rest simple. A line for decoration belongs in your wedding budget.
| Option | Suits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Make it yourselves | Paper flowers, branches, wreaths, signs and bottles of greenery. DIY wedding decorations can be made months ahead. | Count the hours. Make one of each first, then decide how many you can manage. |
| Hire | Tablecloths, candle holders, vases, arches, lanterns and chair covers. Things you use for one day. | Book early, and ask what happens if something breaks and when it must be returned. |
| Florist | Bridal bouquet, altar flowers and table arrangements when you want fresh flowers without tying them yourselves. | Tell them your colours, the venue, the number of tables and your budget, and you will get suggestions that fit. |
| Buy | What you can use again or give away afterwards, such as lanterns and vases. | Only buy what you already know the place for. |
A timeline for the set-up, and who does what
The weeks before
Order or hire, gather everything in one place and label the boxes by area: entrance, tables, cake table.
The day before
If the venue lets you in, set up what can stand overnight. Fresh flowers arrive as late as possible.
The wedding day
Give a few friends one area each, with a list. Then you do not need to be there, and nobody asks you where the vase goes.
After the party
Agree in advance who takes it down, who returns what was hired and what stays behind. It saves you a morning. The rest of the day is in the wedding day timeline.
Hi, thank you for helping. We meet at [venue] at [time] on [day]. You take [the entrance and the welcome sign], you take [the tables], you take [the cake table and the bar]. Photos of how we want it and a list are in the box marked with your area. Ask [name] if anything is unclear, so we are not disturbed. Thank you, [name] and [name]
Hi, we are getting married with you on [date]. We would like to set up the decoration on [day and time]. May we use [candles, nails or tape, fairy lights]? What do you have in vases, candle holders and tablecloths? Thank you, [name]
Signs and place cards in the same look
Decoration looks most considered when the signs, the place cards and the wedding website share the same colours. Plus includes a print studio where you make place cards, menus, a welcome sign, a seating chart, a programme and a songbook in one look, with a thin frame and a sprig in your colours. You print at home or send a file to a print shop. On the example sites you can see how colour and style hold together on a wedding website.
Welcome to our day [name] and [name] [date]
Signs and place cards in the same look as your website
With Lysela, you pick a ready-made design for the wedding website with its own colours and fonts in every tier. From Plus (1,795 SEK) you print matching place cards, menus, a welcome sign and a seating chart in the print studio. The place cards fill in with your guests and tables from the RSVPs, and you can download the QR code to the site as PNG and SVG.
You pay once, SEK 795, SEK 1,795 or SEK 4,900 including VAT, and the site stays up for 12 months.
What usually goes on a wedding website, and what one costs, is in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
How do you decorate a wedding without it getting expensive?
Pick two or three colours, put the decoration at the tables, the ceremony and the entrance, and use what the venue already has. Branches and greenery from a garden replace costly flowers.
What can you decorate a church with?
The parish decides. Ask what applies to flowers at the altar, along the aisle and to candles before you buy anything. Many churches have rules of their own.
Should you hire or buy wedding decorations?
Hire what you only use for one day, such as tablecloths, arches and candle holders. Buy what you can use again or give away, such as lanterns and vases.
Who sets up the wedding decoration?
Usually the two of you with a few friends, the day before or that morning. Give each person an area with a list and photos, so you do not have to direct it yourselves.