Getting everything you need to decorate your wedding can feel overwhelming. Download our free wedding decor checklist to ensure you have every item you need!
Planning any event is a lot of work. Planning a wedding is on a totally different level. We’re talking about the Olympics of event planning. (Go team!) That’s why you need a wedding decor checklist.
With that in mind, it’s no wonder certain elements inevitably get missed or forgotten. Now, is it really going to matter if you don’t have a sign labeling your guestbook table? Or if you forget convenience items for the bathrooms? Absolutely not. But having a wedding décor checklist can help eliminate these oopsies on the wedding day, making your life easier.
And that’s what we are all about here at The Budget Savvy Bride: helping our brides save money AND assisting them in making the process as painless as possible.
Below you will find a detailed checklist listing every decorative element you can possibly think of. Of course, don’t feel obligated in any way to have all of these items on your big day. But we figured it would be better to have an exhaustive list than to forget something especially important.
One quick tip: consider printing out two lists. One for checking off an item when you have it sourced/made/found and another for when you set up at your venue(s).
Without further adieu…..
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Gone are the days of hastily made wedding signs on poster board. The same goes for your guests wondering where to go or when something starts. Now, beautifully made signs and labels have become super popular and incredibly beneficial to weddings. And they lend a level of personality, which isn’t always easy to do with flowers or other decor.
Etsy is by far our favorite source for signs, labels, and printables. What’s great about Etsy is you can find an artist to create a finished product for you, or you can have them printed using places like Vistaprint, Walgreens, or even your own home printer, to create your signage.
What’s even cooler is how many free printable downloads you can find online. As an example, our Printables section is pretty darn fabulous. Alternatively, Pinterest is chock-full of wedding signs and printables, many for free.
We’re also a big proponent of using Cricut (or other cutting devices) to personalize your decor. Something as plain as a chalkboard purchased from Michaels or a piece of scrap wood can look beautiful with a bit of Cricut-ing. Check out some of the Cricut projects we’ve created in the past.
Lastly, labels can be easily created and printed via your home computer and printer. I personally recommend the brand Avery for labels and this fantabulous all-in-one Canon inkjet printer for your home printing needs.
One important thing to remember: signs can be inexpensive and easy to make, but these little touches can really make an impact on your big day!
Here’s our list of some potential signs, labels, and printables you may need for your wedding, depending on your venue and setup:
I think we can all agree that in the past, flowers were the most popular way to decorate for weddings. As for today…. nothing has changed. Flowers almost always have a part in a couple’s wedding.
Remember that these flowers don’t have to be fresh, real, or realistic looking. If your budget is tight, you may want to seek out wedding floral alternatives for more cost-friendly options. Several of our couples from our previous Real Weddings features have made bouquets and other decor out of book pages, fabric, buttons, or even brooches. Still, the fact remains: flowers tend to be an integral part of getting married.
We’ve developed an extensive list of floral pieces one could use in a wedding. Remember that this wedding decor checklist is meant to be super thorough and exhaustive, and you most likely will not include every item on these lists – nor are you meant to! Prepare to start crossing off items on the list, even before you start sourcing your flowers. Our goal is not to miss a single thing that a bride could want on her big day. You choose the items that feel right and good to you, and ditch the rest!
Lastly, remember to peruse our flower tutorials and informational articles. You will find valuable information on saving big on blooms, not to mention step-by-step instructions to do it yourself if you’re up to the challenge!
Here’s a list of possible floral decor items you may choose to incorporate into your big day:
Interestingly enough, the most important part of most people’s wedding – the ceremony – often requires the least amount of decor. At least with regards to our wedding decor checklist. Still, there are some very integral pieces that you will not want to forget.
You may spend thousands on your ceremony, or just a few hundred bucks. Regardless, you’ll want to make sure you have everything you want and need for this incredibly special experience.
We covered a few ceremony items already in the signage and floral sections, but here are some other items you may want to include in your ceremony decor.
In my opinion, the reception is typically where you will spend the most money, time, and effort. Putting together a meal, entertainment, desserts, and favors takes considerable foresight and detailed planning.
Receptions are as unique as you are. You may only have ten guests and be foregoing a meal all together. On the flip side, you may have 200 guests and serve a 3-course dinner followed by dancing and a band. But there is still a list of items that everyone needs to consider for their wedding reception. These include:
Planning a wedding can be super overwhelming. We hope that this wedding decor checklist proves beneficial and helps to relieve some of this anxiety. Remember: this is supposed to be fun! There will never be a time more personal and focused on you than the day you get married. So enjoy the process, my dears.
We have some additional resources to help you make that happen. Please be sure to comment if you think we missed something or if you found great deals at a particular merchant we didn’t list. Also, be sure to browse our Wedding Resources page for more info about our favorite retailers for wedding items!
