Decoration
Spools of paper tickets stacked on top of one another to use as props for your floral arrangements is perfect! Miniature animal figurines would also make terrific additions to your centerpieces. A large wooden billboard sign with the bride and grooms names and dates on it with a slogan attached such as “The Greatest Couple on Earth” would be a fitting addition as well. You may even choose to name your tables after famous traveling circuses such as Barnum and Bailey or Hagenback Wallace. Hosting your wedding and or reception under a “big top” (white tent) would be an elegant but fitting choice as well. Any type of strung lighting would provide a soft glow and a more elegant choice than a lot of flashing fluorescents. A photo booth equipped with several props, from top hats and canes to giant paper mache dumbbells will really help set the fun mood.
Unfortunately we don’t suggest you send your guests home with giant stuffed animals. Instead we were thinking more along the lines of hosting a photo booth and letting your guests take home their snapshots. Maybe send them out the door with personalized glass bottles of your signature root beer blend. You could even set up a few mini-games were your guests to play. Keep them easy to set up like a ring toss or the duck pond game. Winners and losers alike could choose from a few different “prizes” to take home. When providing several choices to choose from, staying inexpensive is key. Choices could be small picture frames, candied apples on a stick, and mini cactuses just to name a few.
Fair food! Need we say more? Chances are you and your sweetie both have that one sinful favorite in mind whenever you head out to a carnival. We really like the idea of setting up mini stations for each guest to peruse. Some with corn dogs and other “main dishes” and others with different sweets varying from elephant ears, to those fabulous frozen sno cones! For an upscale take on fair food, talk with your caterers about doing an hors doeuvre reception. For instance, you could pass around trays with mini corn-dogs accompanied with a more gourmet sauce than say, ketchup. For sweets ask about tiny funnel cakes topped with a fig and strawberry jam. Talk to the bartender about how he can also incorporate this theme. Rumor has it there is such a thing as a cotton candy martini!
For summer weddings this is an especially fun theme, who didn’t love visiting the local carnival during the summer?
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