Drab Church, decor ideas?

Why not ceremony at the church but reception in the other venue? That is what most church weddings I have been to have done.

That's the plan, but I just don't like the look of the church. The reception venue is BEAUTIFUL. The church needs help.

My only concern is weather. It's going to be in June and if it rains/is 100 degrees, we would be stuck. And tent/chair rental for 180 people adds up quick. But thank you for the suggestion!

I didn't think of that, thank you!

I would not spend money decorating for a ceremony. How long will the service be? I have been to some churches where the look was not the best either but I think as long as the reception is beautiful that is what people remember. I will say on the pews you can add some white drapery on the ends maybe with some flowers??

That's a really great idea, I love it!

That's a good point. I know I can get candles cheap (my future MIL is a bloodhound for cheap decor) but everything else would add up quick.

While it's not super attractive, it's also reasonably neutral so I think that will make it fairly easy to work with. I agree about trying to keep the lighting more dim and focused primarily on the altar area. If the projections on the screen are off, it should be less noticeable/distracting. (Or, you might even consider if you can do a projection that helps tie into your wedding/colors/etc. and the backdrop you're trying to create, even a solid dark green projection might blend in with the wall color better.) I think the dark green and the wood on the ceiling are the best features, so I'd try to shift the focus there as much as you can. Options to look into might be some pipe & drape with the twinkly lights, like in your picture, to dress up the altar area and hide the drum cage. Have you asked the church if there is anything they've used in the past? (I teach at a University and it's surprising how nice they can make the gym look with pipe & drape and plants, when they need to. The church might have experience with prior weddings or celebrations where the sanctuary has been "dressed up," and may even have some of the "props" in storage.) With the lights dim, I think the purple chairs will be less noticeable and once people are sitting in them they'll disappear even more. Depending on the color scheme for your wedding, I'd look for ways to tie together what you have to work with, so that you can have the biggest visual impact with the least effort and cost. For example, if you choose all white flowers will they work well in both the ceremony and reception venues? Good luck!

Thank you so much for all your ideas! The church is fairly new so I'm not sure if they've even held a wedding there before but it is definitely worth asking!