Cheap Paper Lanterns - Get Big Impact on a Small Budget

With so many sizes, shapes and colors available, you'll have no trouble purchasing paper lanterns that coordinate with your wedding colors and theme. You may purchase lanterns that match your colors completely, or you may wish to purchase white lanterns. Another alternative would be to use colored lights inside a white lantern, the lantern will no longer look white, but will instead glow in your chosen shade.

Lanterns in solid colors may look best for a casual, boisterous wedding, while delicately patterned lanterns might complement a more formal affair. Think about using more than one size or shape of lantern when decorating. This will provide visual depth.

Be sure to ask your wedding or reception venue if you can decorate with paper lanterns. Some venues will allow it, but others will nix the idea because of liability concerns.

If it is fine with them, you'll want to attach hooks to the overhead surfaces of the venue if it has none. Check with your venue to see what methods of attaching hooks are acceptable. If you're hanging lanterns over venue bulbs, you'll need to attach a hook beside each lighting fixture you plan to use. If you're hanging electrically wired lanterns, you'll need to attach your hooks not only to the ceiling but also along the walls near the electrical outlets you plan to use. It's important to keep the electrical cords out of the way of guests and event staff.

If you're hanging cheap paper lanterns outside, attach hooks to the surfaces of trees, walls or other structures. When it is time to hang the lanterns, you can string them on cord and attach the cord to the hooks.

If you are using electrically wired lanterns, this can be done days before the wedding. If you are using lanterns with LED lights, you should turn on the lights and hang the lanterns the day of the wedding but before guests arrive. Never hang outside lanterns before the day of the wedding, because bad weather may destroy them.

Don't worry if you decide you don't want to (or are not allowed to) use electric lighting inside your lanterns. Varying the sizes and heights of store-bought cheap paper lanterns will have just as big an impact as lighted lanterns if you can get some up-lighting around the edges of your venue. Most places will have a source of light that will illuminate the room enough to show off your lanterns provided you don't hang them too high.

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the number of websites out there that sell cheap paper lanterns. One of the best sources I have found is one that most people forget about when they go off searching for a specific item: Amazon.com. You'll find an amazing array of cheap paper lanterns in all size, shapes and colors from this online superstore.

I've also reviewed many individual sites for wedding decoration ideas and have found that many offer similar pricing on cheap paper lanterns, but the selection will vary at each site. Some of the good ones you can check out are:

- LunaBazaar.com
- KoyalWholesale.com
- AsianIdeas.com