When it comes to selecting a wedding venue, a communal space like an event hall may immediately appear to require minor renovations and an interior decorator simply to give it curb appeal. However, an event hall can also provide a blank canvas for creating the celebration of your wedding fantasies — without employing a construction crew for a full remodel.
From innovative lighting to strategic draperies, New York City's finest event planners and wedding experts share five ways to transform an event hall into your very own rustic vineyard, towering cathedral, or tropical respite for your wedding.
1. Romantic Accents
Xochitel Gonzalez of Aab Creates suggests disguising less visually appealing elements of the space with unique decorations. For example, Gonzalez explains, "for one couple who loved the outdoors and all things rustic, we took the trademark floor to ceiling windows of the venue and wrapped them in earthy wisteria branches, creating a fresh slant on the location's architectural feature as well as reinforcing a bit of who the couple was to their guests."
2. Lighting
"Lighting, lighting, lighting," says Tatiana Byron of 4PM Events. "It's the simplest and most cost effective way to make a room look pretty."
See more: Easy Ways to Personalize Your Wedding Menu
3. Drapes
"Drapes are a great way to hide away anything that's not pretty, but also to give a wedding look and feel", says Byron. "You can use drapes for the perimeter of the room, behind the stage, on the ceiling and to divide up or hide spaces you don't want to use or see."
4. Music
Tzo Ai Ang of Ang Weddings And Events touts music as one of the simplest ways to set the tone for your wedding and personalize an event space, stating, "Whether they are the summer's hits or older favourites, you want to keep it upbeat and energetic. Incorporating your culture into the music can make it really special. For an Indian wedding we planned, during cocktail hour we had a sitar, tabla and flute playing. As guests entered the ballroom for dinner, a beautiful piece 'Pari Mahal: Palace of the Fairies' was incorporated."
5. A Repeated Motif
Angie Nevarez of New York-based events company BATON suggests injecting personality into your event space by creating a repeated motif or emblem, like George and Amal Clooney's couple's crest. The event expert explains, "Take an element from your invitation and repeat it unexpected places such as on custom drink flags and cocktail napkins."