of Balloon Inspiration & DIY Decorations for Weddings | Capitol Romance ~ Practical & Local DC Area Weddings

For whatever reason, there were only a few things about my own wedding that I had my heart set on:

A non-hotel reception hall as the venue
Some sort of cheap vintage dress, not a gown
No veil
Paper Lanterns

I really have no idea why, but I had my heart set on using paper lanterns for the reception tent. I saw a TON of other couples use the lanterns and then I found a picture where the lanterns were made into something of a ‘paper lantern chandelier‘. I was sold. I NEEDED a paper lantern chandelier.

The problem?

The tent company wanted to charge me over $2,000 for their paper lantern package. I had already bought 30+ assorted lanterns on the cheap, all I needed was someone to hang them. I just couldn’t justify spending that much money for lantern hanging. This was another one of those curve balls that not using a florist threw into my decor planning and execution.

In the end, I finally found a company in DC (the amazing Elegance & Simplicity) to hang my lanterns (after my parents convinced me that I was insane to attempt to hang them myself the night before the wedding). Although I was thrilled with how they came out, it still ending up costing us more than I had planned.

So, the point of my paper lantern back story? To lead into my suggestion that balloons are a simpler & cheaper DIY decoration that give a similar feel to paper lanterns, but without the hassle or cost for hanging.

I found some great balloon wedding decoration inspiration (even our very own guest blogger, Wendy of Weswen Design, used balloons for her reception and they were gorgeous!). Let us know if you used balloons for your DIY wedding decorations, we would love to share some pics!

Wendy’s balloon decor