Backless Benches: Fainting Remedy

As you plan your wedding, you hope nothing will spoil the day; this is where backless benches enter the picture. I have seen a number of weddings where someone in the wedding party fainted during the ceremony.

The most recent time I saw this, a bridesmaid had been feeling sick a day or two before the wedding. Her weakness, compared with standing on the platform, caused her to collapse. Of course, a gasp went up, and the ceremony stalled. But these things happen often, even when the bridesmaids haven’t been sick. It gets a little warm, someone locks their knees, and bam.

You can provide backless benches for both sides of your wedding party in case someone should start to feel a little weak or dizzy. You can even use backless benches as part of your decoration. Place a bench on either side of the platform and decorate it with flowers or ribbons that match your wedding theme. Then if someone needs to sit, they can remove the flowers and find relief. The ceremony can continue, and you will save your friend from embarrassment. And if nothing happens, the audience won’t know the difference when you use the backless benches as props for your decoration.

The Teak Patio Set, a Prop for the Wedding

A teak patio set might be one of the most useful props for your wedding. I like furniture that serves more than one purpose. As my friends, family, and fiancé decorated for my wedding, one of our big challenges was finding an appropriate table to sit on the platform with us. One was too dark; another had a glass top that cast a glare in the wrong places.

Tables are a common prop in weddings these days. People use them for lighting unity candles, signing marriage vows, and other parts of the ceremony. It’s true that the table doesn’t attract a lot of attention, unless it’s the wrong table. Of course, we finally borrowed the right table, and the situation worked out.

Consider, however, if you buy a teak patio set before your wedding. You can use the table as a prop and, after the wedding, own a whole teak patio set for your home. Did I mention our trouble finding the right patio set for our new home that we moved into after our wedding? The size of our deck placed certain restrictions on what outdoor furniture we could use.

A basic teak patio set offers you options. You can either leave the table plain or decorate it to a more ornate appearance. Make it stand out or allow it to fade into the background until the proper time in your ceremony. Either way, a gorgeous teak patio set can enhance your wedding day and provide hours of enjoyment after the wedding has passed into several anniversaries.

Using a Canopy Swing Set as a Photo Prop

A canopy swing set could make a great prop for your wedding pictures. You don’t want all your photos to be the same—bride and groom standing by the arch with family and wedding party gathered around. Some of my favorite pictures from my wedding are the less traditional poses: my husband on his knee in a field with my hand in his, the two of us leaning against a pillar and seated with our nephew.

A canopy swing set also serves a functional role. My husband and I really wanted outdoor pictures, even though our ceremony took place inside. We had beautiful weather that day; in fact, the sun came out, and several of our pictures turned out with unattractive squinting eyes. A canopy swing set with the top properly positioned could provide some relief from a sunny day.

Check with your photographer about the possibility of using a canopy swing set as a photo prop. Let the photographer know that you are interested in less traditional poses. Ask what ideas he or she has for using the canopy swing set. Agree on some things ahead of time so you are not disappointed with the resulting images. You only get the chance once to capture this day. I know it’s worth the effort to get the right shots.

Making Your Own Wedding Arrangements with Planters

Make your own wedding arrangements in planters. After you’ve looked at picture after picture of wedding arrangements, sometimes they all come to look similar. Weddings tend to see the same things over and over again. Lots of silk flower and cut flower arrangements.

What if you made your own live arrangements? A little work gives you some different decorations, and when the wedding is over, you can always give these planters as nice gifts to your bridesmaids or other people who have helped you plan or decorate.

There are no rules when it comes to wedding arrangements. You can look for flowers that match your colors, or stick to greenery and add any color to the planters themselves. You can paint the planters, stencil designs on them, swath them in tulle and ribbon, or drape fabric around the planters. There are lots of ways to add color without agonizing over the flowers.

Arrange the plants first to see how you want them to appear in the planters. Often, the tallest plants look best in the center. Start planting in the center and work your way outward. Any plants with trailing vines or foliage should go on the outer edges of the planters. It’s not so hard to make your own wedding arrangements. Now, go find your perfect planters.

A Planter Set for the Rustic Wedding

A planter set provides a nice compromise for the rustic wedding. If you are planning a wedding with a more rustic theme, it can be hard to balance between the natural look and some of the more traditional wedding decorations.

Find a planter set of three, five, or seven planters. You may find a planter set that comes together, or you may find that you need to buy several coordinating planters individually. Look for a planter set that offers the same style in different heights. Because they’re the same style, they will look like they belong together, but the variety in height will add high visual interest. For the rustic wedding, search for a planter set in natural wood, such as cedar.

Use real potted plants or silk arrangements with your planter set. Group the containers together, perhaps by the guestbook, in a corner of the platform, or near the cake table. Wherever you decide to position it, the planter set will be an interesting decoration.

Especially if you leave natural cedar unfinished, it will provide a look consistent with the theme for your rustic wedding. However, if you prefer a finish, you might consider giving your planter set a distressed look. This is where you paint the furniture and then sand key areas to give it the appearance of gentle wear. A distressed planter set would also fit your rustic wedding theme.

Testing Wicker Furniture before the Wedding

Testing your wicker furniture before the wedding is a good idea if you want to avoid any embarrassing surprises on the special day. These things sound like common sense, but I know what it’s like to have your head going a hundred different ways as you plan your wedding. Take a deep breath, try not to think too hard, and test out your wicker furniture.

Run your fingers over the wicker. High-quality wicker should feel smooth and even, no big bumps or poking pieces. Check for any splinters or strands that have ripped loose from the weave of your wicker furniture.

Remember less visible areas, too. Look on the bottom to make sure that any supporting framework looks and feels solid. Check any screws or nails to ensure that they aren’t sticking out or half-installed. Also, make sure that you aren’t missing any screws or connectors that should be there.

So that’s not too hard. If anything looks out of place, take steps to correct it now. Then your wicker furniture should be in great shape by the time the wedding actually rolls around.

Wicker for the Wedding

When you decorate for a wedding, things such as flowers, tulle, bows, candles, and arbors are usually the first things to come to mind. Furniture doesn’t seem to receive as much attention, and in most cases, it will probably fade into the background. Unless it becomes a problem. To avoid embarrassing snags due to poor furniture, check over all purchased items before the wedding.

Wicker makes an excellent choice of furniture for outdoor weddings. So how do you distinguish good wicker from not-so-good?

If the piece isn’t too heavy, you might want to actually pick it up and give it a shake. Make sure everything feels solid, and you can’t hear any inappropriate rattling. Tug or press on each part of your wicker furniture, including arms, legs, backs, seats, connecting pieces, table tops. You want to ensure that no pieces feel loose or weak.

You can also perform similar tests by sitting in the chair or placing items on the table. This is a practical test run of the wicker furniture. The time to test is now, not when you bring out the cake or have ushers seating guests. Although wicker weave may have a little give when you place pressure on it, it shouldn’t sag a lot. You might consider a glass top for a table to provide a more stable base for drinks and food.

By inspecting the furniture and trying it out ahead of time, you can increase your chances that the wedding will go off without a hitch. Good luck.