We have all heard of the astronomical costs that are branded around in relation to weddings. At the time of writing, the average costs almost $34,000, and this doesn't seem to be showing any times of heading north.

One of the biggest costs for couples comes to the reception space. Over the last two decades there has been a surge in couples turning towards wedding specific venues. They are extremely photogenic, and look absolutely stunning, but naturally they arrive with a hefty premium.

An alternative is to instead turn to the so-called "normal" reception room. It might be a function room above a bar, or even a local community center room.

On their own, these rooms look anything-but weddingish'. They are neutral, stale and designed to host a variety of functions (apart from weddings, it could be argued). However, they are cheap and with a few quick decor hacks, they can start to look utterly fabulous as well.

Today, we'll look at some of the ways you can do this:

• We'll show you how to use flowers to maximum advantage in these spaces
• How lighting is absolutely key
• Why draping is crucial
• Why this is the time where the small details matter

Firstly, let's begin with flowers. They are going to be key to any wedding but if you have a stale decor to play with, they become even more important.

There are a couple of ways to look at this. The first is making sure that you reuse whatever you have. Your "best" flowers are quite often reserved for the church, but too many couples leave these behind. Instead, ask someone to transport them to the reception room. It will slash a huge sum from your total flower bill, while it means that you'll have your so-called best flowers with you throughout the day.

It's at this point that we should give a mention to Avas Flowers, who are often turned to for wedding days. Since their formation, Avas Flowers have a history of working with beautiful floral designs, and the Avas Flowers social media page perhaps highlights this further.

As well as turning for vibrant flowers, never forget the leafy greens which can make such a difference in a blander environment. Whether it is with small vines or just general greenery, it will work to bring the outside indoors and add some much-needed character.

Next on the list is lighting. It doesn't matter whether you are renovating a home, or decorating a wedding venue, lighting is always going to be key. If your budget allows, turn to as many hanging lights as possible, which can transform a stale atmosphere in seconds.

Another popular choice is with uplighters. They can now be purchased in all sorts of colors, so you can bring light to your venue in accordance with your own wedding theme.

One of the big problems that a lot of couples face when dealing with these functional rooms is the walls. They're either white (and not overly clean) or just don't go with their existing theme.

This is where drapes can be transformational. They can be hired by most events companies and will flow from floor to ceiling - allowing a room to become awash with your wedding's theme choice in moments. We would argue that this is one of the most powerful tips that you can apply from today's article.

Finally, let's end by talking a bit more about the smaller details. In the specially made wedding venues, you can almost get away with the finer details. Everything is done for you and as such, some couples can afford to become almost lazy.

With a functional room, laziness just isn't possible. Every little detail needs to be thought about from the table layouts to the guest books you have on show. Don’t leave anything to chance – you may have saved on the room hire, but you should prepare to spend a little more on the extras which can transform this space into something that once looked completely unfeasible.

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