A Dazzling Arabian Night’s Wedding Soiree to Remember
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Transporting your wedding party guests to a different place and time is always an exciting adventure! And few are as tantalizingly challenging as putting together a celebration straight out of the “Arabian Nights.” There are so many magical details that can be brought to the scene that, while it may be exciting, it could also feel quite intimidating.
That’s the reason we can’t wait to share this slide show with you! In it, we present ideas for a Middle Eastern-inspired reception—complete from the welcome display, to the table settings, to the food and drinks, to a lounge area. If we had three genie wishes for this, they would be: to inspire you, to challenge you, and to encourage you to re-create such an event yourself! Note: this is part II of an Arabian Night’s bridal shower theme.
Your Party Checklist:
- Set the magical mood of the occasion from the moment guests arrive, with an exotically-decorated welcome table and a “wishing scroll.“
- Create a golden aura for the reception tables—beginning with the table linens, to the china and glassware, to the candle accents, to the guest favors.
- On separate side tables, offer guests Middle Eastern appetizers—from nuts and dried fruits to traditional dishes called meze—as well as wines in decorative serving containers.
- If your reception is in a private home or hotel function room, prepare a harem-inspired lounge area for lingering guests—complete with oversized throw pillows and Persian rugs.
- Throughout the reception, keep piping hot mint tea on hand in authentic tea service sets (ornate silver tea pots and gold-etched tea glasses). And don’t forget to serve some fine Arabica coffee for your guests to enjoy through the wee hours of the party!
Our Featured Party!
How fabulous is the Middle Eastern-inspired decor at this real wedding held in Leicester City, U.K.—found on Rose Parsons’ wedding photography blog? The couple took full advantage of the ornate and exotic decorations to play up the theme—Moroccan lanterns, colored votive holders, even a Casablanca mini poster. While jewel-toned fabrics dressed up the tables, the place settings, and the chairs. Like being transported to a different world!
You ladies do Moroccan themes pretty well! I love the mix of glass, glitter and gold. All different reflective surfaces… very cool.
Thanks so much, HiLLjO! This kind of theme is really fun to pull together because of all the decorative details that can be brought in. We also tried to put a different spin instead of the usual bold colors by using, as you said, “glass, glitter and gold”!
I love this theme! I’m having it for my sweet 16th b-day party. So cool!
such a great theme!!
hope you’re having a lovely day!
xoxo, chrissy from the perfect palette.
[…] Photo from Bellenza […]
Love this! How perfect would this be on a hot summer evening under the stars!
Thanks so much for your sweet comments, Geraldine, Chrissy (The Perfect Palette), and Vanessa! This theme has been pretty popular for celebrations recently.
Hello,
I’ve been really amazed about your wedding reception table settings within the “A Dazzling Arabian Night’s Wedding Soiree to Remember” slide show gallery, and I was wondering if it’s possible to purchase this kind of decoration in your company.
If not, may I ask you to re-direct me to the appropriated stores (web or not) to get that kind of products?
Please let me know your comments,
Best Regards,
Sanaa
Thanks for your compliments, Sanaa! For our own sets, we sourced props and accessories from ebay and thrift stores (where you can sometimes get good bargains!). But there are also now numerous online sources you can try, like these:
http://www.moroccan-furniture-decor.com/cat_moroccan_decor.cfm
(see their subsections on lanterns, pillows, plates, tea glasses)
http://www.squidoo.com/arabian-nights
(again, you’ll have to look at their subsections for specific items)
Hope this helps!
Upon searching for arabian nights theme party, I never thought I could find like this, it’s really amazing I love it. My youngest daughter will celebrate her 18th birthday this Oct. 31. Hope all items are available in a reasonable price and available in the market of every country.
Hi, Rachel — So glad you like our decorating ideas! Most of the decorative pieces for this theme we found on ebay or in thrift shops and flea markets. Hope you’ll have enough time to do some “hunting” of your own before your daughter’s celebration.
Love love your ideas around the moroccon theme. you have done it too well..i am celebrating my daughters first birthday and i hope to get the props/favours easily ..let me know if you have any suggestions. i am not sure how i can create tents
Hi Simi — So glad that our set has inspired you! Since you mentioned that you’re planning this theme for your daughter’s 1st birthday, you need not worry too much about sourcing authentic decorations.
As you can see from our set, the trick is to use vibrant jewel colors (fuchsia, purple, orange, aqua) and lots of gold and glitter. And you can do this using inexpensive supplies from crafts stores, like colored crepe paper, metallic stickers, sequins, beads, and gemstones. To simulate the look of ‘tents,’ you can drape wide bands of crepe paper from the ceiling to the walls — no need to buy or make actual tents.
We’d love if you could share photos with us of the party afterwards!