Download Seating Chart
A Wedding Day is in the Details
What sets your downtown Columbus wedding apart is not in the big stuff – it’s the nitty gritty details. Lucky for you, details are what we notice most and take pride in making perfect.
Whether it’s the special card holder your best friend made for you, or the special song you want to have played for you and your siblings to dance to, we know that these wedding details are what matter most and we will do our part to ensure that everything is perfect so your day is exactly how you envisioned it. Here’s a list of some wedding-day details to think about to help set your day apart and personalize your wedding.
The Guest Book
Why: It takes more than setting out a couple of pens to make a guest book enticing enough to get all your guests to sign in. The trick is to show off your creativity in an inviting way.
How to do it: Try fun custom corn hole boards and have your guests sign them. Seal them up after the wedding and you’ll have a wedding guest book that you’ll use for years after. If you are religious, have friends and family highlight a Bible verse for you. Or get your videographer involved and go for a live guest book reel by having each of your guests express all of their sentiments on camera.
Seating Chart
Why: When the seating is assigned ahead of time, you save guests the pressure of searching for a seat at the wedding reception. You also guarantee that your guests of honor (grandparents and close relatives) get a quiet spot while your rowdy friends from college sit closest to the dance floor.
How to do it: Escort cards are extremely easy to personalize and an excellent way to bring in your wedding day colors — from a rustic place card held on by clothespins on and old door, to calligraphed seating cards set atop a textured linen to apples tagged with each guest’s name, we can make sure that these are set up perfectly at The Grand Event Center for your Columbus wedding. Other ways to display escort cards: Post them on a board covered in color-coordinated ribbon, or incorporate them into your cocktail hour using personalized stirrers tagged with guests’ names.
The Entrance
Why: No matter where you wed, first impressions are essential. A personalized entryway will make your site more welcoming and help guests feel at home almost immediately.
How to do it: For a ballroom, have your florist create an escort card table arrangement with plenty of height so it’s the first thing guests see. A rustic affair calls for tons of lanterns lining the pathways or chalk board directional signs.
Game Plan for the Kids (Or Kids at Heart)
Why: Even if you love children, you won’t want them disrupting the ceremony or reception. Have a plan to keep little ones at their best.
How to do it: At the wedding ceremony, have an usher hand out coloring books and crayons. At mealtime, seat little ones with their parents so they’ll be in top form while eating. If lots of kids will be attending, setting up a nearby room with games, craft supplies, and DVDs guarantees that they’ll have a good time during the reception (as will their eternally grateful parents). Work with your wedding venue to plan out where the kids table should be.
Wedding Favors
Why: Favors aren’t a necessity, but if you’re looking for a cute gift your guests can go home with (that they’ll actually use), personalized glasses are it.
How to do it: Place a customized glass with your wedding date or monogram at everyone’s seat at the reception or have a favor table with glasses lined up for your guests to grab once the party is over. Your guests will appreciate the added touch!
Bar and Dessert Bar Decor
Why: Let’s face it: The bar is a spot where most of your guests will probably spend a significant amount of time, which is precisely why it’s a great place to add a burst of color, which will boost the look of the room.
How to do it: Consider printing your signature cocktail recipe right on your coasters or beverage napkins. Also, think about giving the bar itself a facelift: Ask your wedding event planner to use backlighting to create a stunning centerpiece for the room.
The Cake Table
Why: The cake table is often a main focal point of the wedding reception space where many of your guests will congregate to take pictures. Keep in mind that an inadequately decorated display table can make or break your photos.
How to do it: Create the perfect setting for your cake by keeping décor low to the table so you don’t detract from your main dessert. Consider using a monogrammed table linen in a complementary color. Or have your florist sprinkle small flowers in your wedding hues, such as bells of Ireland or freesias. To give it the royal treatment, set your cake or cupcakes on a riser in our grand ballroom.
Find out how our wedding planners can help you create the perfect day and make it personalized in the details! Find out more!