This new normal, the big fat Indian wedding, has shifted from exotic locations to more intimate living room affairs. This wedding season, the home has become the centre of rituals and traditional feasts. Wedding ceremonies like sangeet, mehendi, and haldi, are celebrated with close friends and family at home. Which brings us to the question - is your home ready to host a wedding – classy, colourful, vibrant, and vibey?
Here are a few home styling tips and décor ideas to transform your simple home into the perfect shadi wala ghar!
1.Start by decluttering and shopping
To transform the look of your house, begin with the entrance. The foyer and the main door are the first entry points that create a huge visual impact on your guests. The décor must be inviting and personalized for Christmas. Here are 5 tips on how to spruce up your front entrance with festive accents to create the perfect entryway: 1. Frame the door with fairy lights, 2. Hang a wreath on your front door, 3. Fix a decorative wall shelf near the door and place mini Christmas trees on it, 4. Hang a stocking on your letterbox, and 5. Add a colourful Merry Christmas sign on the wall to welcome all.


Think theme
Themes are not just part of lavish outdoor weddings. They can be a part of home wedding functions too. So do not be afraid to recreate from a Mini-royal theme to a Moroccan theme in your home. You can go for live Nagada players and metal surais for a royal theme and Classic Moroccan copper hanging pendant lights and pottery to add a touch of Morroco. Get inspired and have different themes on different days.
And if that is not possible, try to incorporate themed corners in all the rooms. Themes add a touch of flamboyance to the festivities.
3. Decorate the entrance
On every auspicious day, traditionally, the entrance to the home is decorated with a toran made up of mango or Ashoka leaves and marigold flowers. But for a home that will host wedding functions, go bold with the entrance décor and beyond the single toran. Add an archway, decorative pendant hanging lights, and plenty of colourful rangolis. Make sure the entrance looks unique, is brightly lit, in line with the overall theme, and ultimately feels warm and welcoming.


4.Use the garden or outdoor space
Whether you are in an apartment or a villa, if there is any garden space or any outdoor space like a terrace that you can utilize for the wedding functions, design those areas to give the guests a feeling of space. Use the trees in the garden to create natural backdrops. Add plenty of fairy lights and fragrant flowers in the outdoor settings, especially for those late-night sangeets. Decorate open spaces by blending the theme with a touch of tradition for a magical and majestic look.
5. Add drama with drapes, curtains, and cushions
Forget the white net and instead add drama with drapes made from colourful printed Indian dupattas. Adorn the gate, the stairs, and the ceilings with bright cotton or silk drapes to create a luxurious feel. Ensure all the curtains in your home also match with the overall look of the grand occasion. Customize the cushions with a monogram or theme patterns to personalize the home décor.


6.Use Wall Art
Whether at the entrance, in your living room, dining room, or bedrooms, use wall décor to fill in empty walls. Decorative mirrors in different colours, textures, and shapes placed cleverly at the entrance and corridors are the best way to reflect the magic in the air. Wall art and even wallpaper can transform dull walls into designer walls.
7. Light it up
From diyas to LED curtains, a wedding home is always brightly lit up. Dress up the walls and trees with different lighting such as fairy lights, hanging votives, lanterns, and strings. You can also decorate the lobby with suspended bulbs to create that oh-so dreamy look. Go all out to add floating lights and candles at the entrance and on the dining tables. Let every room in the house and the outdoors be filled with dazzling lights to brighten up your Special.


8. Personalize every room
Personalize your wedding home décor from living to dining room and bedrooms to bathrooms. Go beyond just the theme. Think about customizing the table linen, menu cards, and return gifts. Add elements like photo booths, props, swings, Rajasthani printed umbrellas, or quirky signages for some fun. Also, bring out your silver thalis, treasured curios, tableware, and silk linen, for the occasion. Finally, create a homogenous look by controlling the colour palette for the perfect home wedding décor.
9. Pay attention to small details in the home
A wedding function at home, big or small, may have a mix of family and friends ranging from an eight-month-old to an eighty-year-old. Thus, it is necessary that you pay attention to small details like fresh linen on your bed for the baby or a recliner for your partner’s grandpa. Make a guest list beforehand and start by checking if there is sufficient seating arrangement in the living room/lawn/terrace and enough space on your dining table for a lavish buffet spread. Also, don’t forget social distancing and place plenty of sanitizers in every room. Styling a home for a wedding function means paying attention to small details.


10. Don’t forget the backdrop and the flooring
Prepare your home for the bride and groom photoshoot. The perfect Indian wedding pictures require a clearance of at least 6-8 feet in front of the backdrop. Also, cover any wooden or tiled flooring with carpets or rugs that match the backdrop. If you want to look regal in all your photos, remember to design both - the backdrop and the flooring.
We hope these tips were helpful, and you are now ready to create the most beautifully styled home for all your wedding functions this season. Start by confirming the dates, preparing a wedding budget, making a to-do list and you are on your way to the best wedding ideas, styles and themes for your shadi wala ghar.
It’s time for Band, Baaja, Baraat!