Metallic Wedding Ideas

With the right (light) touch, subtle metallics and a few sparkly flashes can transform invitations, place settings, and even flowers from understated details to sublime showpieces. Here are some new ways to make the details of your big-day truly shine.

Let guests know it's going to be a gilded evening with Smitten on Paper's foil table numbers ($48 for 12; smittenonpaper.com).

Slip sweets into Poppies for Grace's "Golden Spots" lolly bags for favors that meet the gold standard ($14 for 10; poppiesforgrace.com).

A single bloom is a showstopper (and a nice bridesmaid's gift) when it's dressed to impress in Nousaku's mini vase in gold, nickel, or golden brown ($81; nousaku.co.jp).

Go ahead, gild the lily -- or in this case, the camellia and magnolia leaves. We brushed the tips with sizing glue (available at crafts stores) and applied sheets of gold leaf. These varieties last a few days, so you (or your florist) can bedeck them before the rest of your bouquet arrives.

New York Central Art Supply copper and gold leaf (212- 473-7705)

Mokuba New York ribbon (#4314, color 39, 212-247-4888)

 Sarah Seven

"Golden Lights" gown 

Cartier

ring

In this shiny suite by Spark Letterpress, luminous print electrifies matte white card stock. The effect, achieved by stamping foil into the paper with custom die-cut plates, is elegant and unexpected. Save money by DIY-lining the envelopes with a roll of inexpensive foil paper.

Calligraphy by Cheryl Tefft of Calligraphics

Champion Stamp Co.

postage stamps

Windsor Floral foil paper, michaelsfloralsupply.com

Take a (modified) cue from Beyonce: If you like it, then you should put some bling on it.

From top to bottom: Jennifer Fischer

petal collar.

Light up your groom's lapels with a sprig of astilbe or a couple of garden lisianthus threaded onto a Tinsel Trading metal bead. Tie it all together with Mokuba New York metallic tape (212-869-8900).

Tickle their fancy with jaunty Guyot Brothers Co. feather charms. We glued magnets to their backs, and then used them to secure escort cards to magnetic boards covered in cloth and framed.

Paper Presentation

"Baronial" flat cards

Mighty Magnet Dots magnets, containerstore.com

PureModern

"Muro" magnetic boards

Get your tables glowing with sleek and simple glass candleholders trimmed with gleaming tape. You can also add the gold-dipped glasses to your registry to set everyday meals aflame.

Creative Candles

metalized tape

Philippe Deshoulieres "Carat" dinner plates, michaelcfina.com

DVF "Night" flatware, bloomingdales.com

Marc Blackwell "Southern Hemisphere" glasses, barneys.com

Planter Resource

vases

Humble foil-wrapped chocolates evoke the aah-inducing drama of a fireworks display when stashed in containers topped with shimmering starbursts.

Castle in the Air

metallic crepe paper

PaperMart

clear cylindrical containers

Nothing says "celebrate" quite like confetti. Baker Mark Joseph, of Mark Joseph Cakes in New York City, cut out fondant squares, painted the edges with metallic food dust, and attached them to the dessert's tiers with royal icing. As for the razzle-dazzle backdrop, just take two pieces of origami paper, dab glue on both, and then press together with a length of monofilament sandwiched between.

Origami Paper Shop

foil origami paper