One of my favorite themes for a wedding or other special event (from a dinner party, to an engagement party to a gala extravaganza) is one inspired by the romantic city Venice, Italy. The home of canals, gondolas, bridges, darling colorful homes and shops with shutters and planter boxes, the world-famous Carnivale, breathtaking architecture and monuments, the Bellini cocktail, tiramisu, and beautiful Venetian glass can serve as inspiration for a spectacular event.You can use any color scheme for this theme. For a very Venetian feel, you may want to use vivid jewel tones – any combination of red, hot pink, orange, yellow, green and of course an array of blues (royal, aqua, and sea foam). Colorful flowers and vines arranged in Venetian glass vases make great centerpieces. Or, you can find gondola pottery (I’ve seen several on Ebay) as bases for your arrangements – on guest tables, banquet tables and throughout your venue.
For a really dramatic effect, you can rent actual gondolas from various companies to use as props at your event. Other design elements might include striped dock poles; water features; ornate sculptures, urns, fountains and columns; wrought iron; patterns, designs or scenery based on Piazza San Marco, St. Mark’s Basilica, or Doge’s Palace; gothic elements; angels, lions, crosses, leaves, swirls, etc.
You can find several vendors online who sell Venetian themed invitations and save-the-date notices. One that I especially love is the one pictured above called “Gondola Newlyweds” by Mari Versailles; while it seems to no longer be available, it serves for inspiration. You can also make your own invitation using design paper with a Venetian motif, some velum on which to print your wedding information, and some ribbon and a gondola or Venetian glass charm or bead.
Part two in this series will be posted soon. It will feature several more ideas for a Venetian Theme/Motif (including menu ideas, favors, and more) as well as related resources and links.
No comments:
Post a Comment