#Luxe
Wedding
If your heart is set on a luxury wedding but you’re unsure of where to begin planning, why not start with the venue? After all, it’s the location of the occasion that will influence everything from the event styling and the number of guests in attendance, to the type of gown you select. Pamela Hale speaks with Rebecca Heerings, the wedding and events sales executive at Rydges Southbank, about how selecting the right venue can help your dream wedding become a reality.
Image Credit: Corné & Lara Photography
In today’s day and age, social media reigns supreme, and with every wedding having its own hashtag and a multitude of images shared so publicly, hosting a truly luxurious occasion is something many couples aspire to when planning their wedding. Regardless of whether you’re interested in hosting a small and intimate affair, or your dream wedding is an extravagantly largescale event, the rise of the luxe wedding is influencing every aspect of wedding planning and design.
First Things First
When it comes to selecting a venue for your wedding, the options are endless. Heerings highlights the significance of these factors and how they can influence your wedding planning. “Start by looking at the key elements of your wedding – your ceremony and reception,” she advises. “Once you’ve booked these, the rest of the details tend to fall into place.”
First and foremost, where you intend to hold your ceremony will dictate your reception options, and whether you may require two separate locations. Heerings says there are certainly advantages to selecting a singular wedding venue. “The primary benefit of hosting a ceremony and reception at the same location is that you don’t have to work out what your guests will do between the two.” For example, if you select a hotel with wedding services as your venue, there would likely be bar and restaurant facilities for your guests to spend time in before attending the reception.
Similarly, venues with additional amenities such as these can also be an excellent reception option if you’re interested in the definitive opulence of a church wedding. A classic wedding venue is especially ideal if your heart is set on a traditional ceremony with hundreds of guests and a cathedral-length veil. With that said, many churches won’t contain the facilities necessary to host a truly luxurious post-ceremony celebration. As Heerings highlights, “a beautiful church, classic cars and a wedding reception fit for the royals” is what springs to mind when considering what a luxury wedding aesthetic entails, but achieving this may require more than one location.
The Thing About Themes
There are key styling elements that are worth focusing on to create an air of effortless opulence around your event regardless of where it’s being held.
When it comes to styling a luxurious event, one significant consideration is that ‘luxury’ needn’t be the only theme. Luxe weddings can easily adopt an additional theme, whether it be a rustic vineyard event, a glamourous vintage theme, or a modern minimalist affair by the coast. The way you choose to style your event and the attention that is paid to luxurious details will elevate the theme, creating the ultimate opulent occasion.
The ideal wedding location will also bring its own character. A stunning heritage-listed venue; for instance, lends itself to a vintage theme with the inclusion of moody florals and a myriad of candles. In comparison, a seaside locale that boasts spectacular panoramic ocean views would suit a crisp, clean colour palette featuring plenty of white. White florals with hints of greenery, white table settings, and crystal accessories with silver accents for candleholders, vases and glassware would create a sense of effortless elegance in such a space. Everything from colour palettes and gown styles to table settings and floral arrangements can be intertwined with the venue functioning as your central thematic influence.
You could also select a suitably un-themed venue, which has the power to operate as “a pure blank canvas”, Heerings says. “It allows you the opportunity to work with whatever colour, thematic or floral palette your heart desires.” When arranging your wedding venue’s theme, a carefully selected colour palette can make your event appear more extravagant, not only in person but when photographed too. “Deep, rich colours are key to creating an opulent theme for your wedding,” Heerings advises. “Colours such as burgundy, navy, deep greens, beige, gold and rose gold are the trending colours of 2019.”
Creating Cohesion
Selecting one venue that can host your event, from the pre-ceremony preparations right through to the reception, proves an excellent choice for an especially lavish occasion. Opting for a single location allows for cohesion to be achieved effortlessly, and will also resonate beautifully in your wedding photography and videography.
Heerings explains that there are some stylistic elements that are worth incorporating into your wedding, which couples may not always consider.
“I personally create the wedding menus and like to work with couples to ensure details such as these will reflect the style that they’re going with,” she says. “This can easily carry across to all of your wedding stationery including invites, seating charts, and place cards.”
Maintaining an overarching sense of cohesion is crucial to creating a seamless look of luxury. By coordinating elements such as florals, a sense of uniformity will be afforded to your event, resulting in an effortless sophistication. Factor in the cohesion of table arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres, to any decorations that may appear on your cake. Your styling can be further elevated by infusing the colour palette employed in your floral arrangements into other styling aspects, such as the groom’s pocket square, the table settings, or the wedding cake.
An Abundance Of Ambience
Successfully creating an atmosphere of opulence will be heavily dependent on setting the right mood; music and lighting are crucial factors that will impact the way your guests feel within the space. “Having overhanging lights such as chandeliers, candelabras as centrepieces, and candles throughout the venue will definitely make an impact and create a whimsical atmosphere,” Heerings says. Soft, romantic candlelight is an ideal addition to any style of wedding; not only will it imbue the space with warmth, but it will also result in particularly flattering photographs.
Likewise, there is a certain lavishness that comes with live music. Regardless of whether you select a string quartet or a live band, the presence of live performers and the quality of the music is well worth the expense, and has the potential to be equally as flexible as a DJ, with careful selection. Regardless of the format of the music you select, Heerings reiterates the significance of cohesion. “Make sure you hire a DJ or band that will suit your venue and theme,” she says.
While it’s all well and good to put together a beautiful-looking event, the experience of your big day is just as important. Ensure that the atmosphere is relaxed, the drinks are flowing, and the food is delicious; when it comes to creating a truly luxurious wedding, the little things make all the difference.