The Complete Guide to Décor at Weddings Your Guide to Sculptures, Luges, Centerpieces, Parties, and All Things Ice Table Of Contents Why Choose Ice for Your Wedding? The short and long of it: it’s certainly not every day we see ice sculptures or structures. Even in , despite the cold weather, it’s a beautiful sight to see an intentionally crafted piece of art that gives off an aura the way ice does.

Naturally, ice also commands a sense of exclusivity and luxury to the atmosphere. This is because ice is associated with many different festive atmospheres: it could be about skating with friends and family; it could be the way the light reflects off the ice; or many other personal experiences or romantic scenes in movies and media.

Ice contributes to the sense of extravagance to any occasion. In fact, people believe so much in ice that there’s even an entire hotel composed of it. Make your once-in-a-lifetime event memorable, not only for yourself but for the guests and attendees. (For Pete’s sakes, Aunt May travelled halfway across the world to spend the next week with you!) Ice Has A Wow Factor While some may question the value of ice – especially given that they will inevitably melt – their wow factor ends up immortalized in photographs. Ice is a temporary luxury that marks a very special day, much like how the wedding hall and reception halls are temporarily yours and will never be the quite the same after. Given the prevalence of today’s technology and the ability to capture memories into wedding photographs through phone cameras or digital apps like Snapable, the beauty of your wedding can last forever.

Additionally, the ice can also serve as conversation starters – something we’ll delve into later on.

Ice can be used in a variety of ways: you can choose to craft enormous statement pieces that will leave your guests breathless, or you can choose more subtle ice accents that contribute to the overall atmosphere of the room and refract light or share messages with guests.

The possibilities for ice to be at your wedding are endless. Whether you choose to run with a winter theme or decide on a more general vibe, ice can come in the forms of centerpieces, pillars, vases, luges, sculptures, and all other types of décor. Ice also, naturally, serves as a great method for keeping beverages and refreshments cool and at appetizing temperatures.

Yet ice does not have to wait until the wedding day to make its appearance; there are also many ways for ice to make its debut at your engagement party or bridal shower.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com The Engagement Party While the wedding day is the main attraction, the engagement party is a fun precursor to the journey. The engagement party is thrown to celebrate a couple’s engagement, and as a warm-up for the guests to meet each other.

It’s important not to go too overboard with décor at your engagement party; the occasion is much less formal. With that said, engagement parties can also serve as an indication of how fun a wedding is going to be; that means not skimping on items that could stimulate conversation either. Your party will be held somewhere in the healthy middle ground. Platters Every party has to have refreshments, and this provides an opportunity for you to use the natural property of ice to your advantage: keeping food cool. Whether it’s seafood, fruit, , or drinks and other beverages, ice serves as a great alternative to traditional platters for aesthetics and function.

The ice platter can also house different types of food and sauces together.

One of the more interesting aspects of ice is its flexibility; it can be sculpted into the likeness of many objects. One example would be a clamshell, which typically houses pearls; this automatically adds an interesting touch to any food that’s housed inside it simply because whatever is inside a clamshell is usually highly valued and extremely rare. At best, people enjoy the food more; at worst, it is an interesting conversation starter and will bring your guests closer together before the wedding day.

Ice can also be shaped into interesting serving platters, such as one that takes the form of a wagon.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Here are some tips for pulling off an incredible engagement party, and how it can test the waters for your wedding ideas:

• While not going overboard with glamor and extravagance at the engagement party is important, it’s also important to start building the buzz about your wedding day.

• Give people a sneak peek of what they can expect: show them a smaller ice sculpture that will serve as a statement piece.

• While it creates buzz, you can also use this to test the reception of the guests to your ice sculpture: if they love it, great – if they’re not as fond of it, then you know not to build a larger version of it for your wedding ceremony.

Even the entrance to your engagement party can be a chance for you to start conversations with and amongst guests. Ice candle holders add to the natural vibe of the entrance way, while still illuminating the path with a festive flicker. They aren’t anything elaborate or obnoxious; rather, they can simply be placed on the ground and left there as you entertain your guests and flitter around the engagement party.

Engagement party décor varies according venue; an event at a nightclub would make great use of bottle holders and chillers, whereas as a house may require more subtle ice décor. Keep in mind that if you are hosting at your house, you will also have to take care of the cleanup – so make sure to prepare trays for the ice to melt into, and adjust the climate to lengthen the ice’s life as greatly as you can.

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Small Centerpiece

Ice Platter

Tiered Ice Platter

Clamshell Platter

Wagon Platter

Canoe Sculpture

Entrance Candles

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com The Bridal Shower The bridal shower is an age-old tradition featuring the women in your life, with you as the guest of honour. It’s a fun opportunity for your friends, family and co-workers to get to know each other.

The décor, dress code and refreshments of a bridal shower set the bar for sophistication leading up to the wedding. The elegance of a bridal shower makes it a perfect setting for breathtaking ice sculptures.

One of the first steps to planning a bridal shower is choosing a decorative theme. As the bridal shower is more formal than an engagement party, you have the freedom to feature extravagant ice sculptures and centerpieces that fit your theme.

Unlike bachelor/ette parties, décor for bridal showers is supposed to be classically feminine. Ice sculptures are delicate accent pieces that can stand alone or as part of another scheme. Vases are a beautiful way to display floral arrangements.

As your guest list is limited to women, feel free to make the décor as “girly” as you’d like. You don’t have to refrain from incorporating things like hearts, flowers and Paris into your decorations. A heart-shaped candle display makes a great conversation piece. The Importance of Presentation For refreshments, what you serve becomes less important than how you serve it. Presentation is everything. Wine and punch is served throughout the shower, and tea and coffee accompany desert. An ice punch bowl will also help to chill the punch.

Here are a couple of general guidelines to follow with presentation:

• Hors d’oeuvres and an assortment of cheese platters can be laid out on refreshment tables.

• The cake, on the other hand, must be presented and served to the guests. Ice makes for an elegant cake stand that will impress your guests.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com A little extra attention to detail can make for an unforgettable bridal shower. Smaller, personal touches – like custom-made ice cubes – will make the event not just classy, but classic.

For a unique alternative to ice cubes, ice balls are perfect for chilling ice wine or champagne.

At a bridal shower, your role is much more limited to socializing with the guests and opening gifts. Like the engagement party, bridal showers can be held at a venue or someone’s home. Ideally, you’d want the host to be one of your nearest and dearest – a woman who knows your tastes. If she does host it at her house, make sure she has trays for the ice and try to avoid doing all the work – it is your day to be pampered, after all.

Now that you’ve finally got the engagement party and the bridal shower off your chest, and you’re ready to prepare for the main feature: the wedding day. The wedding day, composing of the marriage ceremony, reception, and dinner, each call for different types of décor and open up different types of possibilities to entertain guests and share an unforgettable experience with them.

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Lovebirds on a Branch

Flared Ice Vase

Personalized Candles

Ice Bowl

Cake Platter

Custom Ice Cubes

Custom Ice Balls

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com The Wedding Ceremony There is not a drop of cloud in the sky. The limousine is waiting outside, the officiant is practicing his lines, and dress rehearsal went smoothly last night. The groomsmen and the bridesmaids are all on-time, and the birds are chirping outside. The ring bearer and flower girls are running around the field. The bells are ringing, the guests have started arriving, and you are thrilled.

It may not be as perfect as you originally envisioned, but there are few things in life like your marriage ceremony. The event itself is a reason for you, and all your guests, to celebrate an important, and extremely beautiful, transition point in your life and have a great time. While you want to enjoy it, you also want to share something people will remember for the rest of their lives.

The possibilities begin with the guestbook and the registration table; while the book itself may not be composed of ice (nor would that be a wise idea), the podium that the guestbook presents an opportunity for an ice composition. This makes an otherwise ordinary entrance unique and remarkable; it also means a potential opportunity to engrave items into the registry podium.

Candles are a common find at weddings, and generally contribute to the overall romance of the room. Encase your candles and accentuate their light with ice pillars; these pillars can sit on the steps leading to the outdoor entrance of your wedding hall, or can stand beside the aisles and pews of the actual chapel or hall. The Statement Pieces of the Venue There are few things that serve as a highlight of a marriage ceremony like ice centerpieces. As mentioned in the previous section, sculptures make for great centerpieces that can either be a large statement piece in the middle of a room, or can be smaller pieces placed throughout the room.

Sculptures can be melded with a platform base. This base can then have monograms or names inscribed into it, which makes for a unique customization.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com In the case you want to start your festivities early, an makes for a suitable addition to the lobby of a wedding hall. Similar to sculptures, monograms and letters can be etched into the front of the bar, and lighting can be adjusted to accentuate ice at the bar.

Sculptures featuring symbols, either of culture, heritage, or tradition, can be created to bring a special meaning to the wedding ceremony. For example, traditional Chinese history and tales highlight the dragon as representative of the Emperor and the phoenix of the feminine Empress.

In South Asian culture, Ganesh (or Ganesha) is one of the best-known deities. Rituals and ceremonies honor him as the Lord of Beginnings and Remover of Obstacles.

Should an entire sculpture not be to your taste, or should you wish to allocate a larger portion of your budget elsewhere, a silhouette of the symbol can be crafted for display. This also allows the image to be crafted to greater visual contrast and detail. It can also be replicated a few times and distributed throughout the ceremony for visual balance and emphasis on the symbol. Ice Picture Frames • You probably spent a ton of time writing those wedding invitations; whether it’s figuring out the traditions and etiquette, crafting the message, choosing between a calligrapher or a printer, or deciding who to invite, it can be a tedious process. And let’s be honest – how long would the guests have taken to admire it? Make the time spent on your wedding invitation more effective by choosing to display it proudly on your wedding day and framing it in ice. The ice also enables complementary romantic items such as roses or other flowers, or sentimental items such as old photographs, to be paired along with the invitation. Monograms • Monograms create the visual union of the wedding couple’s first two letters. Whether you designed your own monogram, or hired a designer to do so, the powerful sentimentality it represents makes it a perfect statement piece. Monograms can make for standard smaller decorations (i.e. for tables, etc.). If you choose to scale them up, they can also make for good statement pieces that resonate with guests. Ice Vases, Pillars, and Posts • Ice vases and pillars make for stunning centerpieces. They are also complimented by the details; for example, even ice posts (formally known as stanchions) holding the rope together can contribute greatly to the overall atmosphere of the wedding hall. Stanchions work well with pillar centerpieces because stanchions are essentially miniaturized ice pillars. In a winter-themed wedding, stanchions can also be reminiscent of an ice rink. Naturally, stanchions and posts serve a functional purpose of subtly keeping the crowd together and the party located in one physical location, which naturally makes for a more festive atmosphere.

Vases can also be miniaturized to decorate tables and other platforms with.

Conversely, it may not be the vase you want to be composed of ice; perhaps it’s the platform or pillar you want to be made out of ice. This makes arranging the flower base much easier, since the vase would be opaque and you would not need to consider the visuals of the flower stems.

If you want the best of both worlds, you can combine the ice vase with an ice pedestal. When supported by proper illumination, the vase is an extremely tasteful way to highlight the flower arrangement you spent so much time (and/or resources) deciding on.

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Registration Table

Ice Pillars for Candles

Ice Monogram with Pillar

Ice Bar (16 feet)

Dragon & Phoenix Sculptures

Ganesh Sculpture

Ganesh Silhouette

Monogram Silhouette

Ice Stanchions

Rectangular Ice Vase (Small)

Ice Pedestal

Ice Vase on Pedestal

Your wedding participants – including guests who have travelled from across the country or world to share this moment with you – deserve an experience they will not forget.

The marriage ceremony is likely something that you have dreamed about for more than just a few years (or at least given some serious thought to). There’s no reason your dreams can’t come true; make sure you spend wisely and invest in memories that can be shared experiences with your beloved, your family, and your friends. Decoration Ideas Decorations can be a difficult part of the wedding to nail down; ideally, they could all fit into an overarching visual theme while ensuring they still contribute to the overall vibe of the ceremony and make your party pop in the minds of your guests.

Conventional wisdom dictates that there are certain perfect traditional bringers of love, monogamy, and affection. These can make for standard pieces that more traditionally-minded guests will appreciate; this also earns you a bit of wiggle room to work with for the more forward-thinking alternative, personal, statement pieces that you may also want to try out at your wedding. Nature Swans are the natural animal that convey love and monogamy in culture; they are known in science to bond as socially monogamous pairs from as early as 20 months that end up lasting for many years (and in many cases, to their entire lives). The flexibility ice offers means that a perfectly pure-looking and detailed sculpture of a swan can be carved to your liking and size. It could also make sense to feature not just one swan, but a pair of swans (or potentially even with interlinking necks to form a heart), in the sculpture.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Although a slight departure from the conventional swan image, a sculpture of two birds also makes for a cute image. After all, birds of a feather also flock together. While it’s quite possible to pair two animals together for ice sculptures (i.e. deer), it can also be quite difficult to pull off for certain types of species even if they are your favorite (i.e. rhinoceros). Birds, in this case, are an extremely safe bet. Outdoors The grandeur and uniqueness ice is associated with means that ice sculptures make for excellent first impressions. Naturally, ice sculptures are a more sustainable idea when it comes to cooler climates; however, its effect is probably accentuated in a warmer area given that its rarity (or at least unusualness). Ice sculptures can be elevated with a non-ice pedestal or pillar. Alternatively, you could also treat your guests with an ice sculpture over 8-feet tall. Light Effects There are few things in life that can change an atmosphere like light can; the way light is displayed can even have an effect. This is why candleholders, and candelabra, receive much attention from interior decorators and on special occasions. Even the symbol of a candleholder itself is significant, but naturally outfitting the holder with candles can change the atmosphere of the room; for example, in a dimly lit section of the ceremony or reception/dining hall and a more romantic atmosphere, candelabra are an extremely relevant solution.

The beauty of a piece of decoration like a chest is its versatility; not only does it naturally serve as a display of value (since the meaning of chests is to store and hold prized, valuable, possessions), it can also double as unconventional storage for bottles of beverages or a platter of refreshments. Centrepieces While they hold the possibility of being a bit less traditional, customized sculpted ice pieces make for great displays of personality and can make your wedding truly one- of-a-kind. You can choose to select your favorite movie characters, cartoon couple, or any other meaningful symbol and share its message with the rest of your guests. Additionally, they can also be built in with a platter base in order for them to double as a fruit platter or a bottle chiller.

Fountains are common in all types of banquet halls and catered parties. Alas, your occasion is not just another party – it’s your wedding! Make your fountain different by crafting it with ice. It makes for a fantastic statement piece both inside and outside of the reception hall. If you’re on the fence about it, it’s also possible to create a smaller fountain and elevate it with a platform. Should you set up the cooling properly as well, the fountain will pay for itself in dividends.

The bride’s bouquet always goes soaring by the end of the night, so a suspended (almost floating) wedding bouquet is extremely relevant. Moreover, it also makes a great sentimental piece to place by the entrance of the wedding hall before the marriage ceremony.

The ice helps build the illusion of floating and suspension into anything, and it seems to work extremely well with flowers – whether it’s lilies, roses, or another type. Floating flowers can be scaled up to make for great décor; it can also be scaled down to make fantastic little centerpieces that rest on dining tables and throughout the reception and dining hall.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com An ice crystal makes for a more traditional ice sculpture and a suitable winter-themed statement piece. In addition to the ice composition contributing to the overall feel of the room, the crystal also conveys value given what it represents in real life (rarity, scarcity, beauty, etc.).

The spectrum for ice sculptures extends to the extremes of personalized uniqueness and tradition. It’s important to find a balance somewhere along that; which items will you choose to abide by traditions for, and where will you choose to innovate and differentiate? What statement pieces would you like to invest in, and which items would you prefer to scale down on?

The possibilities are endless, but that’s where the excitement and opportunity for building a great wedding are created. You can use these decoration ideas for both the wedding ceremony and the reception. The important thing is to keep the themes consistent. Now, let’s examine the details specific to the other half of your day – the reception.

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Swan Sculpture

Two Birds Sculpture

Heart Sculpture (Large)

Candelabra

Treasure Chest

Customized Ice Sculpture

Ice Fountain (Large)

Floating Bouquet (Medium)

Floating Flower (Small)

Individual Ice Crystal

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com

The Wedding Reception The reception is the perfect occasion for guests to mingle and truly begin the celebration of your union. While the occasion itself isn’t as formal or structured as dinner, it still provides a great opportunity for your guests to start socializing and getting to know each other. The reception is the natural precursor to the dinner, and thus, will also set the tone for it.

Refreshments (food and beverages) are the fuel that makes many occasions festive, and there’s no reason that a wedding reception would be an exception to that rule. Since this isn’t just another pre-party, it’s important that the method you present your refreshments in a way that sets it apart. You can choose to use ice-sculpted platters and sculptures to make sure the reception pops in your guests’ memories.

Summer weddings mean that many receptions can be held outside in the beautiful weather. The only challenge this presents is keeping food, like seafood and ice cream, at an appropriate cool temperature. Tableware An ice sculpted platter is a natural solution to serve seafood; in addition to wowing your guests, it also keeps the refreshments cool. This can be a great departure from the traditional tray filled with ice cubes, which doesn’t always look as appealing. (It also takes another item off your to-do list – which is to replace ice cubes and make sure that the water isn’t overflowing from the tray.)

If you want a more interesting display of seafood or other refreshments, give the tiered multi-level ice platter a try.

For those of you with a greater focus on functional, ice bowls can be reinforced with ice cubes in order to reinforce the coolness of the refreshments.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Ice presents the opportunity for an aesthetic that regular trays can’t offer; for example, you could potentially serve seafood or other refreshments on a flat ice surface. The challenge with doing this on a surface using traditional material (such as glass or plastic) is that they don’t keep the refreshments cool. Naturally, the ice is more than capable of keeping the refreshments at an appetizing temperature.

Depending on the size of your wedding party and guest list, you may want to introduce a larger-scale platter to serve seafood. The ice is flexible and can be tailored to the dimensions of your liking; in fact, the larger the ice, the greater the opportunities to transform what would have been an ordinary seafood platter into an eye-catching ice sculpture or monogram.

If you want to take the ice container for seafood to the next level, it’s also possible for you to create an entire table out of ice. This makes for a beautiful statement piece and plays exceptionally well with outdoor environments, given its translucence.

Seafood isn’t the only food that can be ruined at room temperature or outdoors; how many perfectly composed ice cream cones have fallen prey to the heat? Again, the ice serves as a natural vessel to holding this refreshment, and hopefully extending the ice cream cones’ lives.

Ice also makes for a great container of ice cream’s cousin, gelato. In this case, it clearly displays different colors and naturally keeps the gelato at a great temperature.

Cones and glasses with pointy tips can serve a second purpose; as they’re placed in an ice platter, they can resemble stalactites. This visual effect can trigger guest memories of exploration and excitement, which contribute to their experience.

The increasing popularity of sushi and sashimi also means it is finding its way into weddings. While these dishes don’t necessarily have to be consumed cold, and many prefer a sushi roll at a lower temperature as it minimizes the acquired fishy taste.

The visual and cooling benefits of ice platters also carry over to ice dishes. Additionally, ice dishes also provide the opportunity to embed relevant symbols or material inside, which makes for a unique experience.

This also presents an opportunity for you to inscribe something into the ice; it could indicate to guests what the refreshment is, but it could also be the names of the couple.

Similarly, there are few things on a warm summer day (or in a warm reception hall) than warm fruit; ice makes the perfect material to serve fruit with. Decor Regardless of whether the wedding reception is indoors or outdoors, there will be room for you to dazzle your guests with a glamorous ice sculpture. For example, you could hold up a beautiful arrangement of flowers with a large ice pillar and vase; if supported by suitable lighting conditions, this combination will contribute greatly to the atmosphere of the party.

A pagoda also makes for an attractive ice sculpture and centerpiece. While it is not as functional as a tiered ice platter would be, its focus on aesthetic means that many more intricate details and patterns can be etched into it.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Should you plan to serve your wedding cake at the reception, display it in style with an ice pillar and platter.

A centerpiece doesn’t necessarily have to be the only point of attention; many smaller touches can contribute to an extremely sophisticated general vibe at your reception. A moderately-sized block of ice can serve as a remarkable translucent waterfall that will sit comfortably on your table.

In addition to all these ideas for the reception itself, there’s another large aspect to receptions: the beverages. Not only does ice keep the drinks at a cool temperature, they also can be crafted and formed into luges or serving bars.

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Seafood Station (Individual)

Multi-level Ice Platter

Square Ice Bowls

Rectangular Flat Ice Platter

Seafood Station with Monogram

Ice Table (Medium)

Ice Cream Cone Platter

Ice Gelato Bar

Ice Stalactite Food Display

Sushi Platter

Square Ice Dish with Leaf Suspensions

Gelato Ice Chiller

Tiered Fruit Platter

Focal Pillar Ice Vase

Pagoda X

Ice Pillar Column

Double-sided Waterfall Pillar

Beverage Ideas Another natural catalyst for the festivities and social occasions are the beverages. Whether it comes to alcoholic drinks or simply thirst-quenchers and refreshments, the enjoyment of drinks have been scientifically proven to be affected by presentation. That means if you want to maximize the value your dollar can bring, focus on improving the way drinks are served, displayed, and consumed.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Bars A simple serving bar can be transformed into a focal point for the room – which serves not only a visual purpose, but also draws people to the liquid refreshments and could potentially accelerate the festivities. Unlike regular bars, ice bars can be customized to feature family crests, emblems, or wedding couple monograms.

Ice works just as well inside as it does outside; naturally, additions (such as bowls and platters) can be built into the surface of the bar to contain bottles and other types of liquids.

Another major advantage ice offers is its extreme flexibility; because it is so customizable, it can fit into many different types of themes. While the winter theme is extremely common amongst those choosing to use ice, there are bars that can feature inscriptions from a different era, such as the revolutionary Art Deco period.

Bars can be scaled up to your liking; for example, this bar was lengthened to a whopping 19 feet. It also features the first letter of the last names of the wedding couple.

In addition to the serving bar, ice makes for a great back bar; whether it’s to feature sculptures, the numerous types of drinks, or the names of the wedding couple, the back bar presents a surprising opportunity to display something meaningful.

The front of the bar can be customized extremely thoroughly as well; the translucence of the ice means that intricate designs, such as waterfalls, can be incorporated into the serving bar.

Naturally, ice is a great material for bottle holders as well. As you can see in this graphic, it particularly complements the transparent vodka bottles. Ice also comes in different textures; frosted glass can be used to inscribe monograms or meaningful words into the drink holder.

Individual bottle chillers are great touches that can bring out the best of premium beverages (such as liquor, champagne, wine, carbonated mineral water, etc.) or, alternatively, elevate regular beverages to the next level of sophistication.

Another option is a larger, lit, ice chiller for beverages. Additional pieces of ice can be used to keep drinks cool. The use of a blue light creates a distinct colder vibe as well, which enhances the guest’s experience.

Individual chillers make for an extremely unique memory in guests’ minds as well; for example, ice spheres create the image of bubbles and can hold individual bottles of beverages. They also make for a great visual effect. Luges Luges are a common ice creation; for the uninitiated, an ice luge is basically a tunnel through an ice block or sculpture that funnels liquids into a glass. The cooling properties of the ice, as well as the translucence (which allows guests to see the liquid make its journey into the glass) and the effect light has on the ice and the tunnel, makes for a unique touch to any part of the wedding.

Additionally, if the surface is flat enough, images, words, initials, patterns, and various other meaningful messages can be inscribed into the luge.

Luges are informal enough for it to be acceptable to incorporate personal hobbies and enjoyments as a concept. Whether it’s a sport, a favorite movie, or a mutually favorite television show character or couple, luges can be acceptably transformed to your wildest imaginations without seeming tacky.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com It doesn’t have to be one way or the other; chillers can be combined into one structure with luges for a much more holistic feel and for guests’ conveniences.

If your wedding is winter-themed, luges provide a great chance for the theme to be incorporated into the design of the luge.

Similarly, winter-themed bars are a very real possibility.

The entire winter theme, complete with proper lighting and atmospherics, can look absolutely stunning. Even the simple use of ice in a white room and blue lighting creates a powerful, subtle, theme.

Chillers aren’t necessarily just for bottles; they can just as easily hold flutes or shots glasses.

A more tactile experience for your guests: provide them with a drinking glass that is completely made of ice.

For a more elaborate hands-on and aesthetic venture, provide your guests with an ice goblet. It creates a more historical (and sophisticated) vibe into your beverages and refreshments.

The larger the ice bar, the greater the possibilities; there’s more surface area to build structures such as chillers and bottle holders on, and the lighting effects are exaggerated. This is where the rule of non-linear return kicks in: after a certain scale, the wow-factor of the bar can increase its impressiveness exponentially. A 19-foot bar may not be twice as big as a 10-foot bar, but you can bet your bottom dollar that it will draw more than twice the amount of comments and compliments than a 10- foot bar would have.

Ice bars don’t necessarily have to be enormous in order to be elaborate; here are some ideas you can use to make your bar stand out, no matter the size:

• Patterns and textures in ice can just as easily create an extremely classy vibe that a large statement centerpiece would. In this case, the simple vertical lines accented by the pink lights create an almost retro and old-school disco look.

• Similarly, diamonds and rhombuses could create a luxurious feel while not taking up too much space in a cozier reception hall or a more intimate party.

While it may seem like a small aspect of the entire ceremony, keeping the beverages flowing in a beautiful, and effective, manner is crucial to the atmosphere you’d like to cultivate at your wedding. It also provides new opportunities for you to decorate your experience with, while continuing to retain a level of function. Not only does ice serve the purpose of keeping drinks cool, it also looks great in natural light and when illuminated by bulbs, and it can proudly display patterns and monograms that are inscribed into it.

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Ice Bar (8 Feet)

Ice Bar (Large)

Ice Bar (Art Deco)

Ice Bar (19 Feet) + Back Bar

Ice Back Bar

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Waterfall Bar (8 Feet)

Horizontal Bottle Chiller + Candleholder

Vase + Bottle Chiller

Champagne Chiller

Bubble Bottle Chiller

Corkscrew Ice Luge Initials

Silhouette Ice Luge

Personalized Ice Luge (Small)

Luge + Bottle Chillers

Snowflake Luge

Snowflake Silhouette Ice Bar

Ice Bar Texture and Curtain Backdrop

Shot Glass Plater

Cosmo Martini Glass

Ice Goblets

U-shaped Ice Bar

Ice Bar Vertical Texture (18 Feet)

Dinner Ideas After the reception comes the most one of the most festive parts of the day: dinner. One of the best ways for your previously unconnected friends and family members to bond quickly and celebrate the evening is over a delicious meal. This is also the first meal that you will be hosting with your partner as a married couple, which means that this moment is exceptionally significant.

The beauty of ice is in its flexibility. Ice can encase paper or cardstock, which means that instead of just obligatorily lugging around their guest tags and seating arrangements, guests can become much more engaged both in visual and tactile senses.

Ice also enhances the space your wedding dinner is in, whether it is spacious or cozy.

Centerpieces can serve a social function: they provide an opportunity for unfamiliar guests to make small talk and introduce themselves. They also provide the opportunity for you to make your wedding dinner extremely memorable.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Even something as simple as a tray for your seafood or appetizers can contribute significantly to the overall décor of the room. For example, have a look at the ice pillar and platter; if you want it in the spotlight, position it near the center of the room (for example, a few feet away from the boundary of the dance floor). Alternatively, if you prefer that it play second to another centerpiece or in case you’re concerned about foot traffic, you could place the pillar on the periphery of the dining hall.

Function can come with form; separating a large hall into a reception area and a dining area can prove to be challenging. However, with all challenges come an opportunity – and this is no exception. Ice makes for the perfect substance when dividing rooms for similar reasons frosted glass do; it creates a translucent barrier that still allows the guests to see through it and experience the room in its entirety.

If you want your ice curtain to really shine, you can also choose to light it up. Such a huge body of ice presents the perfect opportunity for a different type of light (i.e. sky blue, turquoise, violet), and change the entire aura of the dining hall.

Flowers always make for great accents; however, by default flowers are not remarkable. The vases can be, though; this is why Ming Dynasty vases frequently sell for thousands of dollars.

Similarly, the vases you choose to support your decorative flowers can make for great pieces; have a look at the pillar and vase combination that make for a glamorous ambience. Ice Complements Ice doesn’t necessarily have to be a loud piece; in the case the venue already has a centerpiece of your liking, ice makes for great complements. If you’re looking for ideas, you could always start with smaller pieces. Table listings, numbers, and names, typically on boring cardstock or pieces of paper, can turn into beautiful statement pieces that rest on tables.

The ice shape also makes it possible to stylize and customize to the occasion. It can be shaped in the form of a heart or a swan, either of which are relevant to the occasion.

Similarly, there are many other smaller types of decorations that can subtly enhance the glamor of the dining experience.

It could be an ice sphere encasing a beautiful pair of red roses.

If your vision is to provide your guests with a more romantic or sophisticated atmosphere, you can choose to dim the entire hall a little and use candles to light up each table. You could then hold the candles with an ice candleholder; the translucence of the ice will make the candle’s flame even more beautiful and brilliant than it would be naked.

One way to distinguish family members and other honored guests would be to use a different type of piece at their table; the ice implicitly shows a subtle differentiation, which saves you from having to make an explicit statement. It also simultaneously acknowledges your appreciation for them and saves them from unwanted attention that an announcement could draw.

While many dining halls have round tables, long tables also provide a unique opportunity for larger ice statues. Instead of having a series of different, separate, pieces, one long ice piece holding candles and flowers offers a much cleaner, and organized, look. It also implicitly provides guests with a bit more private space as they eat, but remains low-sitting enough to not be an obstacle to socializing and chatting.

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com After dinner, before the dancing begins, your guests can enjoy the view of the decorative cake.

Alternatively, they’d probably prefer the real deal: the wedding cake. Everyone recognizes the power of presentation; after all, this is why their gifts are wrapped and they’re dressed to the nines for your wedding. Make sure your wedding cake, the final hurrah of your wedding, ends the day with a bang. One easy way to do this is to present your cake on a pillar. Dinnerware Additional desserts do not have to take a back seat to the wedding cake; they can also be served from an ice platter which would be, appropriately, illuminated by candles.

If you want to think bigger, you have the ability to create an entire ice table. The entire body of this serving table (i.e. surface, legs, base, etc.) is crafted purely using ice. This is the perfect medium to serve fruit, desserts, and various other post-dinner refreshments from.

You can also use a delightful glass bowl to serve up certain desserts, such as ice cream, pudding, or cake.

Ice allows all types of form factors; it also makes shapes like pyramids possible to incorporate into plates. This particular plate is supported by two levels of pyramids, and is perfect for serving cool desserts off of.

Patterns or objects like roses can be embedded into the ice for a much more intricate vibe. The devil truly is in the details.

Dinner and dessert have been served, and your guests absolutely cannot believe the day you’ve shared with them. It was a visual feast. They leave happy, stuffed, and slightly envious.

High Medium Low

Seafood Ice Platter

Spiral Ice Vase on Pedestal

Floor-to-Ceiling Ice Curtain Room Divider

Ice Curtain Room Divider

Ice Vase (Small)

Table Number Centerpiece

Table Number Stylized Heart Centerpiece

Floral Globe Centerpiece

Double Candle Pillar with Floral Centerpiece

Vase Centerpiece (Large)

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com High Medium Low Long Candles + Floral Oversized Centerpiece Decorative Square Ice Wedding Cake

Cake Ice Pillar

Dessert Chiller

12-foot Dessert Ice Table

Round Ice Bowl (Small)

Stacked Pyramid Dish

Red Rose Ice Bowl

Iceculture – Explore Ice iceculture.com Your wedding day is fast approaching. Whether you choose to ice out your wedding or simply use it to beautify certain parts, we appreciate your time in reading this text. We wish you a strong start to an exciting, new, chapter in your life.

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