Washi Tape Wedding Ideas

Budget Wedding Decoration Ideas

Keeping your wedding budget in check is easier said than done. The last thing anyone wants is to skimp out on their big day but at the same time, getting hitched shouldn't dry your pockets. Every wedding is different and regardless of the budget, they are all beautiful occasions.

The wedding dress, venue, and catering are usually some of the high budget items but you'll quickly realise that aspects like the decorations can quickly add up. There are creative and elegant ways to decorate your wedding without having to break the bank. You can certainly DIY certain aspects but it's always a sound decision to let the experts handle the heavy lifting.

For starters, the editorial proves that you can use washi tape in various ways to spruce up your wedding venue. Inexpensive doesn't always mean bland or cheap-looking, and here are some budget wedding decoration ideas to explore.

Budget Wedding Decoration Ideas

A beautifully decorated wedding venue sets the scene for the love-filled affair. It does help to spruce up the reception space with the right elements but it all starts with locking down the right venue. Here are some ways that you can scale back on your wedding decoration budget while still amping up the venue.

Select a Fabulous Location

Saying "I do" at a breathtaking space gets half the work done. Beach locations, hillside venues, wineries, and gardens are some of the gorgeous settings that won't need much dressing up. By all means rent a Napa vineyard, if your budget allows it, but a country setting or small-town location will do the trick.

Settle for a Stress-free Theme

The love story is what counts and your wedding simply serves as the opening chapter to your happily ever after. Naturally, you might want to have a themed big day but it can easily inflate your wedding budget. The best compromise is to choose a rustic or vintage theme fused with modern elements. In most cases, it allows you to use repurposed and recycled decorations.

Illuminate the Space

Lighting up any space has the power to instantly up the romantic factor. Think about mirroring the sunset look and play around with lanterns, fairy lights, and battery-operated LED lights. The magic truly happens when working with an outdoor venue. Stringing up the fairy lights and suspending lanterns from trees.

Mason Jar Centrepieces

Mason jars create the most stunning upcycled decor pieces and regardless of your specific theme, they will fit right in as table centrepieces.  It's also one of the DIY projects a couple or their handy list of volunteers can personally take on.

Go for Budget Wedding Flowers

Wedding flowers are among the high-budget items that can easily set you back. If you simply must have plenty of blooms then buy wholesale flowers online. This option also means DIYing your floral arrangements but it will significantly reduce how much you spend on flowers.

Reuse the Ceremony Flowers

Instead of getting separate floral arrangements for the ceremony and reception, save money by using the same set. It might mean parting with a sum to have the blooms from one venue to another but it's often a nominal cost. The same applies to wedding bouquets which you can always repurpose as centrepieces for the reception tables.

Rent Instead of Buying Wedding Decor

Pay a visit to event rental stores and you'll likely find a majority of befitting wedding decor. There's also the option of buying secondhand pieces for the special items that you can't find at a rental store. If anything, you'll stumble on one-of-a-kind and truly special pieces from thrift stores or online resale platforms.

DIY What you Can

If you are hosting a small, intimate gathering, then you'll find it easier to DIY your wedding decorations. Overall, don't bite more than you can chew and only settle for the elements that you are confident enough to execute. On the other hand, if you start early enough and enlist the help of family and friends it can also be a fun process.

Other Creative Ways to Use Washi Tape As Part of your Wedding Decor

Washi tape is the perfect material for crafting and it equally serves as an ideal budget wedding accent. Here are other ways that you can use washi tape to beautify and spruce up budget wedding decorations.

Use washi tape to wrap boutonniere

Using washi tape instead of ribbons to secure the bottom of buttonholes offers more support and keeps the entire structure in place all day long. It's also the best option if you are using heavier add-ins, like wooden blooms, for your boutonnieres.

Spruce up your wedding centerpieces

Wrap centerpiece vases, decorative bottles, or mason jars with washi tape. A strip or two, in colours that coordinate with your theme, will do the trick. It helps to introduce patterns and playful prints to the tablescapes.

Personalised place cards

Washi tape strips are also fun additions to the place cards. They pop better against neutral-toned place cards and overall, add a bit of colour as well as fun elements to your wedding stationery.

Create backdrops using washi tape

From the dessert backdrop to photoshoot backdrops; washi tape presents a lot of possibilities when it comes to setting up focal points all around your reception area. Simply dress up walls using the colourful strips of tape, and best still, its flexibility allows you to come up with various patterns.

Customise wedding favours

If you are putting together your wedding gift bags, there's no better way to customise them than by incorporating strips of washi tape. The patterned tape is what you need to instantly upgrade an otherwise plain paper bag.

Use it to tape up seating charts and polaroid photos

Last but not least, washi tape is the best adhesive that you can use to tape up seating charts or to craft a photo wall. Use the patterned tape to adorn your reception photo booth with polaroid photos of you and your partner as well as your loved ones.

Washi Tape Wedding

My first experience with Washi tape was back when I did this Christmas card craft for the tragically uncrafty, and I love the stuff! A Washi tape wedding is a playful way to use soft colours and get crafty. We all know I’m not the DIY kind of ‘gal, so I did what all of us uncrafty ladies do and got someone else to create a DIY for me. Enter Polly – the DIY goddess: “Washi tape has been big in Japan since its creation a few years ago, but word has finally spread to the States and this versatile craft product is now everywhere! People love Washi tape because it’s simple to use and comes in every colour and pattern imaginable, which makes it a perfect fit for the DIY wedding crowd. I’ve shared a few easy projects and tips below that could be used for a bridal shower, wedding favours, or a colourful reception!”

Supplies needed:

-Washi tape (available at your local craft store or online)

-Scissors

-Glassware

-Tea lights

-Straws

-Toothpicks

Step 1: Experiment with your roll of Washi tape. Some people like the messy, ripped look that you get by, you guessed it, just ripping the tape with your hands. To create a cleaner look, use scissors to snip a straight edge.

Step 2: For glassware, take your piece of tape and place it gently on the glass, smoothing out any air bubbles. If you make a mistake, just pull the tape up and start again (this is one of the best things about Washi tape!) When the party’s over, the tape is easily removable.

Step 3: Take a plain tea light and wrap a length of Washi tape around it! Most Washi tapes are just about the same width as the candle, which makes this super-easy. You can layer different coloured tapes to match your wedding theme.

Step 4: To adorn your cupcakes and cocktails with tiny flags, wrap a few inches of washed tape around a toothpick, then stick the two sides together. Snip the edges to create a point, or any shape you like.

Step 5: Enjoy!

What do you think of a worse tape themed wedding? And aren’t these Washi tape crafts so easy and cute?! Seriously, take a stab at one and I promise you that Washi tape will be your new favourite obsession.

Credits: photo credits: washi tape drink flags and guest book via Martha Stewart Weddings, photographed by Yunhee Kim // color blocked maxi dress via Nordstrom // tube packaging from The Natural Wedding Company // washi tape gift boxes via Oh, Hello Friend // save the dates from Oh So Beautiful Paper // washi tape bunting on cake via 100 Layer Cake, photographed by Scott Clark.