Shakespeare in love

‘’The journey of a lifetime starts with the turn of a page.” Rachel Anders

If, as a couple, you both adore reading, then this month’s wedding décor trend is perfect for you. We are creating a wedding for book lovers. In an era where one cannot escape technology, the smell of a freshly printed magazine, the texture of paper or the charm of an old book still holds a magic power.

Our inspiration for a book-centric wedding is grounded in recycling, thrifting and repurposing – a lifestyle that we wholeheartedly support. As fellow book lovers, we encourage the use of old telephone books and perhaps old study material. (In defense of making art from old books, we side with recycler Candice from Refabdiaries who sees treasure in trash. She explains the lifecycle of books and why they end up in landfills on her blog page.)

Setting the tone

Design invitations that resemble book covers or bookmarks, incorporating your favourite book quotes or passages about love. If you are lucky enough to be the proud owner of an old-fashioned typewriter, then put it to good use to welcome your guests.

On arrival

Welcome your guests to the wedding reception with a larger-than-life seating plan consisting of individual books or a large free-standing book with calligraphy table seating.

Capture the moment with photo opportunities

If you are lucky enough to be able to set up a bridal photo shoot in an old-fashioned library, it is first prize. If not, then recreate a photo booth with a library wall backdrop for a beautiful setting for memorable photos.  Add books and book-related costumes as props for a fun way to channel the theme. We adore these book arches with folded pages and infused flower elements.

Wearable words

We love how this bride used folder paper elements to incorporate the theme into her bridal bouquet. Add subtle bookish elements to your outfit, like cufflinks made from tiny book covers or craft book pages into bouquets or boutonnieres. A bridal bouquet with paper elements is a wonderful keepsake that will last forever.

Candice from Refabdiaries has wonderful ideas for DIY jewellery words which can be found here.  And we love the wire-wrapped book page earrings found on Etsy:

Venue Décor

Book-lovers’ weddings have vintage written all over them and it is easy and fun to express your theme with venue décor and table centerpieces. Name your tables after literary figures, use a stack of vintage books as centerpieces, and add a bit of moss and old-fashioned silver for good measure.

We love the idea of a handmade tablecloth that consists of pages glued or stapled together. You can bet that you will find your guests trying to read your tablecloth at some stage of the wedding. Use paper scrolls to present your menu, add your book-themed favours to the setting or print vintage-looking A3 placemats with your favourite sayings or quotes. Even table numbers can take the form of old-fashioned books wrapped in hessian.

Fun food elements

Name signature cocktails after famous literary characters or books that hold sentimental value. We know that Ernest Hemingway loved a good dry Martini and Dorothy Parker a Whiskey Sours. Oscar Wilde was a bit more daring with Absinthe being his favourite drink. Research the favourite drink of famous writers and create a fun cocktail menu around this.

Let your wedding cake reflect your love of poetry and inscribe a few favourite phrases on the wedding cake.

Ask for Guest’s Favourite Books as Wedding Gifts

Instead of gifts, ask your guests to bring two books to your wedding. One that will go into a book exchange shelf or wall where guests can leave one and take one home. And another book as a wedding gift for you to read and keep, with a beautiful personalised inscription. This will create and instant library of unread books for you and your life partner to delve into when you are married. Since not all your wedding guests may be bookies, leave a large glass cookie jar on the book shelve for Exclusive Books vouchers.

Remember, the key is to infuse your love for books and reading throughout the day in a way that feels authentic and personal to both of you. It’ll be a beautiful celebration of your shared passion for literature and each other! See you on page 1 of your new life together!

 

Photos from Pinterest

 

She knows her Merlot from her Mojito, her hotel from her motel. From craft food to caviar, her innate curiosity about life and wanderlust provide inspiration for her blogs, articles and press releases about the travel, wedding and Spa industry. Over twenty years in the hotel marketing & PR arena with impressive hotel groups, from Dubai to Durbanville, has evolved into the pure enjoyment of freelance projects under the banner of About Branding.