{"id":35581,"date":"2015-02-18T03:49:21","date_gmt":"2015-02-17T16:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/the-power-of-paper-from-pom-poms-to-parasols\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T03:49:46","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T16:49:46","slug":"the-power-of-paper-from-pom-poms-to-parasols","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/the-power-of-paper-from-pom-poms-to-parasols\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of paper: From pom poms to parasols…"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Beautiful wedding stationery has shown us time and time again that paper can be anything you want it to be. Bright and vibrant, muted and elegant, tied to a theme or bursting with personality.<\/p>\n

It’s a great canvas on which to build a signature look. And not just when it comes to invitations. In fact paper decorations<\/em> are increasingly finding favour as a vibrant way to add personality to a shower, ceremony or reception.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a trend welcomed by Kathryn Porritt, founder of online party supply store Pink Frosting and author of The Party Book.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can blend in with every mood, theme or colour scheme and are the ultimate way to add impact without breaking the bank,\u201d says Kathryn, who is also an experienced party planner.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some pointers to what\u2019s on trend with paper decorations, and how to use them.<\/p>\n

Floral garlands<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Beautiful flower garlands can help to turn an otherwise ordinary piece of furniture or wall space into a dramatic showstopper. They look wonderful draped across the backs of chairs, running down the centre of tables in a lush-looking centrepiece or even dangling from the ceiling. Best of all, unlike some real flowers, a paper creation will look just as stunning at the end of the day as it does for the start. Use them in place of – or alongside – fabric or paper bunting for added visual effect. Other shapes of garland to consider include beautiful circles or tassels.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em> <\/strong>Create a beautiful backdrop for an outdoor ceremony by stringing paper garlands between two vintage ladders.<\/p>\n

Pom poms<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once the preserve of cheerleaders, pom poms \u2013 as well as paper honeycomb balls – are increasingly coming into their own, as designs both simple and intricate enhance a theme or style. With a host of modern hues available, the balls\u2019 versatility is unmatched, from blush pink perfectly suited to a shabby chic celebration to stark black, white and red to enhance an art deco theme. You could create roof tableaus by hanging them from a ladder positioned above the head table, use them to decorate a candy bar or even string a selection at varying heights in a corner to create a stunning photo backdrop.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em> <\/strong>Hang them on the outside of chairs at the ceremony to create a defined aisle marker.<\/p>\n

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Flowers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Paper flowers are having a massive moment when it comes to wedding decorations, capitalising on their blend of the pretty and practical, the durable and stylish. Available in all shapes, sizes and colours \u2013 with oversized blooms being particularly popular – they\u2019re perfect for ceremonies, pre-dinner drinks, receptions \u2026 even the wedding cars. You could fashion them into bridesmaids\u2019 bouquets, use them to line the aisle, put them into service as placecard holders, showcase them in vases artfully positioned in every corner of the room or just scatter them here and there to add a wonderful touch of floral whimsy.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em><\/strong> Attach a paper flower to the top of a small box to create the perfect container for a wedding favour.<\/p>\n

Program fans<\/strong><\/h2>\n

These are the ultimate showcase of divine double duty. Not only are they gorgeous looking, they\u2019re also extremely practical. Firstly, they\u2019re a great way to help your guests stay cool in a climate that can range from the humid to the hot in the space of an hour. Also, with careful design and editing, they can further serve as the ceremony program, covering everything from the order of service to the names of the attendants in an eye-catching style that will encourage friends and family to hold on to them as wonderful souvenirs.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em> Distribute the fans in beautiful baskets set on either side of the entrance to the ceremony so they help define the doorway. Alternatively, you could make a younger relative feel special by charging them with the responsibility of handing them out as guests arrive.<\/p>\n

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Feathers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Feathers are already known for bringing a bohemian note to such items as bridal hairpieces, buttonholes and bouquets. And when it comes to decorating, they offer an equally wonderful counterpoint and compliment to flowers, linens and more. With embossed and printed shapes, their usage is bound solely by imagination, so weave them into centrepieces, tie them together to create garlands for the backs of chairs or use them to add a little wow factor to a napkin ring.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em> Use feathers, tiny pegs and a piece of twine to create a fresh and vibrant take on bunting.<\/p>\n

Lanterns<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The bride said let there be light. And so there was, with a gentle glow emanating from lanterns strewn inside and out to illuminate a wonderful celebration. With styles ranging from accordion and bubble to garland and strings, modern lanterns offer both polish and performance. They can be used to illuminate paths between different venues at a wedding reception, cast light over the first dance between the bride and groom, serve a purely functional purpose in an outdoor chill space or add interest when hung from the ceiling as part of a design aesthetic that adds beauty wherever guests look. Just note that these days, the lanterns use LED lights, solar power or electricity to shine, rather than actual candles.<\/p>\n

Idea with impact:<\/em> <\/strong>If you\u2019re getting married outdoors, hang them from nearby trees, along with small bells on ribbons. Not only will they look and sound beautiful, they\u2019ll also create a natural photo booth or meeting spot.<\/p>\n

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Other great ideas<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Paper chains<\/em> \u2013 bright and bold addition that would be perfect to help mark out a children\u2019s area.<\/p>\n

Plain paper fans<\/em> \u2013 chic and stylish way to help beat the heat.<\/p>\n

Paper parasols<\/em> \u2013 great way to shield the sun, but also a wonderful photo prop, especially when held \u2013 or twirled \u2013 by members of the bridal party.<\/p>\n

Paper wheel fans<\/em> \u2013 designed to inject a pop of colour, whether positioned on a tree or wall, hanging alone or grouped together for an eye-catching display.<\/p>\n

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Kathryn, whose expert team undertakes scouting missions to Asia, Europe and the Americas several times a year, says on top of the above favourites, the most popular kinds of paper decorations at the moment are tassel garlands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re absolutely massive,\u201d she says. And incredibly versatile to boot, with standard colour combinations ranging from \u2018blushing\u2019 and \u2018poolside\u2019 to \u2018tropical rainbow\u2019, covering the spectrum from pastels to neon brights.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ones coming out now with metallics are also particularly beautiful,\u201d Kathryn says. \u201cWe\u2019re talking gorgeous gilded tassels, soft pinks and rose gold .. simply stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n

This variety in hue and design helps to bring a real softness to a room, working to define anything from a cake table to the back of a chair or even the ceiling above a dancefloor.<\/p>\n

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It also showcases paper decorations as the ultimate compliment to a hands-on approach, with couples who are decorating venues themselves \u2013 or opting for a little DIY – able to execute their design vision without a celebrity budget and without having to undertake a massive craft campaign.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really can use paper decorations everywhere,\u201d says Kathryn. Not only does the range and quality continue to evolve, they can also be transferred between the ceremony and reception \u2013 or even saved from the bridal shower to re-use. \u201cThey really do go with everything and are incredibly durable,” she says.<\/p>\n

To meet demand, Pink Frosting will introduce a couple of Australian-exclusive ranges mid year. Kathryn can\u2019t wait to introduce them to Aussie couples.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s beautiful stuff for summer weddings, so stay tuned,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s available now is great and what\u2019s still to come is even better.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13885,"template":"","au_article_tag":[333,54,488,28,319,336,123,39,194,252,47,83],"class_list":["post-35581","au-article","type-au-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","au_article_category-newly-engaged","au_article_tag-advice","au_article_tag-bridesmaids","au_article_tag-decorations","au_article_tag-flowers","au_article_tag-fun-stuff-2","au_article_tag-ideas","au_article_tag-reception","au_article_tag-wedding","au_article_tag-wedding-ceremony","au_article_tag-wedding-decorations","au_article_tag-wedding-ideas","au_article_tag-wedding-planning"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/35581"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/au-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au-article\/35581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"au_article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/au_article_tag?post=35581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}