Many of my clients ask for a white sofa and a backdrop, most of them don’t even know why! Let me break it down.

Traditional weddings in our home countries are often extremely large - up to more than 1000 people!.  In these large events, it is often the case that no one even knows some of the guests.   The day really becomes more of a community event rather than being about the couple.

I have been to weddings like this - a cousin in India asked me if I wanted to attend a wedding while I was staying with her during my summer vacation. I was just 15 and didn’t think twice about it! So we got dressed up, hopped on her scooter, and went down the block to a draped outdoor tent. Literally the entire town was either standing in line for huge buffets or waiting for their turn to give blessings and congratulations to the couple and get a picture taken. There were no tables to sit at, no formal speeches or dinner, not even dances or a dance party. Literally an open house style meet & greet with TONS of food and sweets. There was a stage, a sofa seating arrangement on the stage, and a fantastic red draped backdrop. The bride and groom were standing at the sofa with their families, greeting guests, taking pictures, and when they had a quick break they’d sit and give their legs a rest. Friends/family would run around and get them food & drinks, and the merriment was really just in meeting people and having a limitless meal!

The sofa is a vestige of this environment. Does it still make sense in our modern day ceremonies that are a fusion of various cultural influences and designed to be centered around celebrating the couple? I’ll let you decide - but here are some things to consider.

1. Will anyone be seated at the sofa? 

2. Is there a reason for having a receiving line? Will you have guests coming solely for the reception or will they be enjoying other events with you prior to the reception?

3. Will you utilize the sofa area for pictures or did you have another photo booth planned?

4. Is a stage really necessary for viewing purposes in your venue?

5. Will the backdrop/stage be used for dances, performances, or live entertainment?

6. Do the walls of the venue need to be covered or transformed because you aren’t thrilled with the look of it?

7. Does the backdrop help to establish the color theme for the room?

8. Is white part of your color scheme?

I do have an opinion on the white sofa - I dislike it because so often I see it unused, moved to the side halfway through the reception, and excluded from pics. It has become a vestige that people ask for because they see it as a standard for the South Asian wedding! Can it be incorporated into a usable scenario? Of course! But let’s design to the overall experience you want to create for your wedding day and wedding reception.

Whether you hire me or another planner/designer who understands experiential design, we will work with you to optimize your budget on the aspects of decor and other elements that work the best with your event flow and the environment you seek to create