How To Create The Perfect Urban Wedding

Urban weddings are all the rage for couples who want their nuptials to celebrate who they are as well as the city they live/love in. Far from being bland, an urban wedding allows couples to capitalise on industrial architecture, gritty streetscapes and handy transport networks, plus inject their personality through décor and photography. If this sounds right up your alley, you’ll love our tips on how to create the perfect urban wedding.

Add the personal touch

This is YOUR big day so naturally it should be all about you! Make your wedding a truly personalised experience by including the people, places and passions you share as a couple. This could be something as simple as naming your tables after significant landmarks in your city, streets you’ve lived on or bars and restaurants you’ve had dates in. (That last one will get the guests guessing!)

The place cards are another area you can inject personality – taking inspirations from things like boarding passes or vintage luggage tags works well for couples that love travel. Not everything has to be designed though, think about things you can bring from home to dress your tables with. Perhaps you already have a globe, vintage suitcase or family photos that will work wonders on the gift table.

Inject greenery

Just because you’re having an urban wedding doesn’t mean you have to go for a 100% industrial look. (Although we love the industrial chic look personally!) There are a million ways you can inject greenery into your venue – how big you go generally comes down to budget! If a wisteria-draped ceiling is a little too OTT think about using smaller plants like succulents on the table or vine wrapped through the napkins.

Get crafty

Weddings are an expensive business so the more you make the more you save. Lure your bridal party into helping by hosting DIY evenings – ply the team with food and wine as a thank you.

For those who aren’t crafty-inclined there are a wealth of suppliers on sites like Etsy who can whip up signage, cake toppers and stationery at a fraction of department store prices.

Don’t forget to shop the high street too – you can pick up items like candles and cushions for bargain prices at places like K Mart, H&M and Target.

Invest in a good photographer

The one thing you get to keep from your wedding (apart from the husband/wife!) is your photos. So much of the day can be a blur so making sure that it’s captured beautifully is crucial – these photos will shape how you remember your wedding for years to come. Browse wedding blogs to find a photographer whose style you love and then stalk their blog and social media sites to get a better feel for their work. Request to meet in person or via Skype before putting down any deposits, you’re going to be spending most of the best day of your life with this person so you want to make sure you gel with them.

Use the local neighbourhood for photos

Speaking of photography, think about ways you can use your urban location to create some truly unique photos. Discuss with your photographer ways you can incorporate the surroundings that go beyond the typical group shot outside the building. Perhaps there is a vantage point, graffitied wall or interesting window in the local neighbourhood that will make a creative photo? Scout around your venue too – the high ceilings, exposed steel and pale pink soft furnishings at Ovolo Woolloomooloo make great backdrops for photos!

Do away with traditions

Are you and your betrothed looking to do things a little bit differently? Capitalise on your urban wedding by doing away with stuffy traditions and having a wedding that’s sums up your relationship. There are so many elements of the wedding you can put your own spin on or do away with completely. Maybe the bride wants to wear black? Or you prefer your cake made from cheese? Apart from the legalities you can pretty much adapt your wedding any way you please.

Think about the guests needs

Let’s think about the guests for the minute. We know it’s YOUR big day but it’s often a big commitment (on their finances and time) for the guests too so it’s important to make sure they feel looked after. One of the things to consider for an urban wedding is how your guests will get there. Is there parking at the venue or do you need to arrange transfers or recommend public transport? Guests from out of town might need somewhere to stay the night so gather costings for hotel rooms and introduce solo friends to each other if they need someone to share with. And if you’ve got friends who like to party, make sure you have somewhere you can send them when they start asking about the after-party. You’ll probably be looking to chill out in peace in your suite by then! Check out Ovolo Woolloomoolooo waterfront wedding package in Sydney.