On the massive panels, can you get some photos of you both (beg, borrow and steal from friends), change them to black and white, blow them up and cover them? I know this may sound weird, and may be costly... however, my friends had some photos and covered a couple of panels. was nostalgic for everyone and lovely. Sorry if it sounds like I'm sprouting nonsense!

Maybe cover the red, orange and yellow panels in fabric? Maybe a damask fabric in black and white would look nice...

If you're not using the stage I would try and pipe and drape so that it is not the focal point of the whole reception. Unfortuately pipe and drape can be expensive. On average, you can rent P&D for around $14-$18 per foot. Honestly though I would just try to work with it, like renting lattice screens and putting twinkly lights through them or a ton of tables all in a row with larger candles (use the battery operated ones from Lowes so that you're not constantly relighting) on them, or maybe even flowers. Lattice screens or tables generally run about $15 per day

As for the panels maybe you can try and cover them with fabric in YOUR colors from a discount fabric store. I would probably just stick with one color tho and not a mixture of all three so that the panels dont stand out too much.

With my suggestion of photos, I know ebay can print big canvas sheets (obviously without the hard back) or sheets of fabris - however, I live in the UK but I don't think that would make a difference

I second the photo Idea

You could spend as much decorating to cover up these things as you would simply booking a better space.

I'd get the deposit back and rent a ballroom at the local Marriott or Hilton.

I agree with bepsf: What you'll spend in trying to cover up those details you could put towards a more "fitting" space.

You may have no choice but to run with the idea of a more "vintage" or "old-school" decor. I think it could be easy given your palette. Start by (deep breath) embracing those heavy traditional curtains. Invest in a few yards of black and white silk damask to tie back the curtains. Some bitchin' lace might work too.

The panels are harder but you could solve this problem by having your handy-est relative or friend build you simple wood frames. Have your artsy-est friend or cousin Betty or whoever, wrap them in butcher paper or (more costly) canvas around the frames. Then using oil pastels in black, white, royal purple and tan if you use canvas (see curtains) loosely sketch you and the fiance or weddin' flowers or your names or something that celebrates the two of you. You may have to use 2-3 butcher paper covered frames butted against each other to cover each of those colored panels. Lots of work but maybe it could be a wedding present from Betty and whoever.

Good luck.

I helped organize a wedding in a similar space. They did use the stage for a band but we hung huge paper lanterns and papel picado and twinkly lights. It turned out pretty well and didn't cost too much.

This happens soooo often . . . people book a bargain space and then spend a fortune trying to make it look like something else. Find another space . . . you will be happier in the end!

concede that it will look hideous. No amount of money will fix the space. Just admit it, and tell the guests that you are aware. Then put the money into your apartment/ home.

Check the terms of your rental agreement. The clever suggestions you're seeing here will require many hours of set-up time and equivalent take-down, as well as possibly some experimentation to figure out how to reliably make things stick to those panels without damage. You'll also need family and/or attendants to share this work with you. Is this realistic in terms of your rental agreement and your wedding-day schedule?

If you're using this space because you're in a remote area or because you got it for free, I'm with krunkinator: accept it in its hideousness and put your effort into something that you'll enjoy for more than a couple hours. If you have choices of other venues, though, your time and money will be much better spent on choosing somewhere that suits your tastes better.

I would turn the stage into an area for all of your guests to take funny pictures, photobooth style (something like here: http://greylikesweddings.wordpress.com/2009/03/27/signing-out/) Keep it velvet, or change it up.

Well, now for some advice that might really help...
ask the hall nicely if it's possible to remove the (peach?) curtains and store them during the wedding- they might require their own staff to handle this for a small extra fee
( like most curtains they're probably jusy hooked onto rings on a rod system-leave the black obviously to work with you theme)
Cover the panels with fabric as suggested, b. and w. damask would be a great choice...for quick set up and take down just make 'banners' of fabric with a dowel stapled to the top and bottom edges-I'd suggest having them hang lower then the panels that are there coming to withing a foot or two of the floor-more then likely you would be able to just hook the top dowl over the top of the panels that are there and the weight of the bottom dowel would allow it to hang straight! Try Ikea for inexpensive fabric!!

Email David Tutera.

is it just me? or are those panels kind of cute? I'd keep 'em. Otherwise, i agree, why didn't you just book a better space?

People are way harsh. If you like the space and it works with your budget, you can make it work.

First of all, completely disregard the curtains. They work. They're fine. Nobody would think anything of them unless you bring it up.

The panels . . . well, they look really, really, high. But if you can cover them, forget about fabric. Too expensive. Black paper will do the trick super cheaply. Try a school paper supply place, like here: http://bit.ly/7nPkiQ or go for gossamer, well, fake gossamer stuff, found through prom supply companies: http://www.stumpsprom.com/catalog.cfm?cat=7944

If that is too complicated, just keep the lights low, use lots of candles or glowy lights. Focus of creatiing beautiful tables (and great music and food). Everyone will love it.

Those panels and those curtains are too large to hide well.

Style that hall as though you had custom ordered those panels.

What you cannot change, you must embrace!

Great advice, sandy1961, but, um... how, exactly?

Once the guests are in the room, there's no way you'll have a unified color scheme anyway -- they'll all be wearing a rainbow of different colors.

So just relax and enjoy your happy day. The point of the party is for you and your husband to start your married life surrounded by people who love you, right? It's not Project Runway.

asked my sister, an expert on these things. she also says cover panels with pics of the bride and groom, and the curtains with clear xmas lights just hanging down and or with lavender, white and grey balloons. hope this helps.

First, try to embrace that muted gold as your metallic accent color. Repeat it once on the table, IE: gold chargers, gold tealight holders, gold napkin rings, etc. Use it somewhere and it becomes a deliberate addition no one will notice. This eliminates one of the major problems by adding it nicely to your decor scheme. And bonus! It ties the chair color in too. No more chair cover insanity!(set up on those things takes HOURS).

If you do decide you can't stand the wall panels (though I doubt many guests will notice them and it seems like a bigger deal now than it will be later! Take it from a bride who obssesed about green pin striped curtains with a periwinkle/navy color scheme. No one noticed...not even me! Not even me looking at the pictures a year later!), Ikea sells sheer curtains in purple and black, 2 for $12 or something called Sarita. These attached to a piece of foam core or a lightweight dowl might work set atop the wall panel and hanging down assuming no drafts from the AC/heat or party guests come along to knock them down!

But those self-same curtain panels would make a bigger impact on the table as a sheer overlay! The one thing we got the most impact from was using a colored overlay on the tables. It makes plain white dishes and napkins stand out with minimal effort on your or the set-up-crew's parts.
Picture a nicely set table, alternating purple and black overlays, white vases running the length of the table alternating with gold tealight holders sparkling in the candlelight. Suddenly, the focus is on the table not on the surrounding decor! By using the royal purple as a main table color, those outside panels begin to blend in and as you've already tied in the gold color so the last two orangey ones should just become "artwork"-ish wall accents.

We ended up using our stage as the cake table location; it helped keep the little kids away from it while looking absolutely steller! A sheer purple drape gathered at front edge with white flowers over a black table cloth would REALLY make the basic white frosted cake POP and again reinforce your color scheme.

Good luck and try to enjoy the process...it goes by really fast!

Find a another space, one that doesn't need work.

The bright wall panels will look great with purple, so I'd ignore them. To minimize the attention on the stage, why don't you arrange the seating so that the stage is the back of the room and all the attention (i.e., you and the wedding party) are sitting at the other end. Not sure where the dance floor is but if you can just keep the focal points from being away from the stage, it won't show up in photos very much and you won't cringe every time you look at them.

I would also remind you that your guests really won't care and that you are not being judged on your reception decor (or if you are, you need to find new friends). One of the best weddings I ever went to was in a VFW hall in a small Mississippi River town in Wisconsin. The food was simple (casseroles served in those big crinkly metal trays), the decor was almost nonexistent, but it was one of the most memorable and heartfelt events I have ever been to--and everyone had a great time.

Be sure to update us with "after pics"!

Does it have to be black, white, and violet? I think that one mistake that people often make is choosing the colors and style before deciding on a venue. When really you want to make the space look the best it can while putting your touch on it.

Looking at this space obviously you're going to have to incorporate marigold into your scheme. I sincerely doubt that they would remove the curtains. Gold and white look very fresh and summery together; however, I'm having a hard time imagining violet working.

Check out Martha Stewart Weddings for color palettes.

I think that the black and white photos to cover the panels are a great idea.

The stage is a good place for the band, the cake and those giving toasts.

Since your husband-to-be is still keen on the purple, perhaps rethink the black and white, then work to incorporate the side-panel colors into the scheme. And keep your focus on lighting, and the tables as others have said.

But I second the few who say just let the side panels and curtain colors slide... trying to dress them up, or make them a feature, brings to mind one of my favorite Southern sayings of all time... "It's like putting lipstick on a pig."

Yes yes to Thorndale. The most fun wedding I've ever been to held the reception in the basement of the church. No windows. Minimal decor. The couple had little to spend but lots of love. It was a blast. No one cared where it was, and if they did, well, :-p----

Concentrate on what you will enjoy and let the rest go. The unhappiest brides I've known were ones who obsessed over the unfixable details and moaned about them ever afterwards. Focus on what will make you happy with the least amount of angst and remember that the people there are there because they are friends and family and are rejoicing in your happiness. If they don't then who cares what they think anyhow?

I agree with everyone who suggested working with these colours. Hide the blue curtains and go with a gold and white theme with a little bit of orange. Find a gold-white-yellow wallpaper with a large beautiful pattern and paper some large panels for your stage backdrop. Then have a cake table in the foreground draped with greenery and flowers. Lots of white and cream and gold with shots of dark green. Paper some cardboard with the same wallpaper and cover a few of the wall panels with it to bring the room together. Voila.

Honestly those panels looks way too high and large for you to cover them economically. If getting a new venue isn't a possibility, I would change my colors and totally embrace the panels. Bright colors everywhere! Berber daisies as the flowers. Brisk yellow bridesmaid dresses. If your fiance is stuck on purple you can put purple touches here and there. Overwhelm with color but keep the damask white for tablecloths and various linens.

Not to be harsh, but if your inflexible intended creates drama over the color scheme, that doesn't bode well for their grip on reality. It's only a wedding, not the rest of your life.

No one has *ever* come away from a reception thinking, "OMG, can you believe them?! Those curtains totally failed to coordinate with the color scheme!"

have you seen this room in the lighting you are going to have in your reception? those panels might not even be noticable if you use lights other than the directional ones on the wall-
in lower light the colors will be more subtle.
i know a lot of djs bring can lights to put around your room, you may want to see about that-
i used a lot of cheese cloth at my wedding, which was on sale at the fabric store and i borrowed some small trees/shrubs from the nursery nearby and used small found objects and thrift store treasures to make unique centerpieces. we also used a lot of twinkle lights on sale after christmas...
i had an absolutely magical wedding reception with a budget of about $1,000. unreal. Jesus turned water into wine.
congratulations on your wedding, and have a magical day!!!

Either choose a different venue, elope (my personal choice - for reasons exactly like this) or realize that no one expects your outfit and decorations to match the space. If it is still really upsetting to you - take all your photos in b&w.

i'm gonna have to agree w/ lisa montreal on this one. the point is that you guys are getting married, not for everything to be *perfect* b/c frankly, nothing ever is. so work with what you've got, make it look as pretty as you can, don't overly stress about it, and enjoy the day. unless you've got some real snobby guests, nobody's going to focus on the fact that there's a stage (which looks like...a stage) or the panels. i do like the suggestions for hanging b&w personal pics on the fabric panels.

If you're going to go with fabric to cover the panels, think about using bed sheets. The flat sheets. It's one of the least expensive ways I can think of to come up with a whole lot of material... especially if you shop somewhere like Wal*Mart.

I am going to echo some of the people who've already posted: If you get in an expert on lighting, that will immediately transform a space. A person who does theater lighting knows color combos like the back of their hand. In college, one showed me how if you hit one color with a specific light, it shows as one color, and the same color under a different light shows another color. Get someone to wash those stage curtains in colored spots and turn them purple. As for the panels, you could cover them in paper or hit them with lights too...even lights that have a gobo in them to project your damask pattern. Play up the theater aspect in such a cool space

I agree about either asking the venue staff to temporarily remove the colored panels, and if that is not possible, try to embrace them. If they need to stay and they are located in an area that will have attention drawn to it (like the head table or something), they are in the same color family as violet, so at least you have that going for you. Is it possible to use black and white as the main focus in your decorating? Find some black and white damask fabric (shop sales at fabric stores, and don't forget about those curtains someone mentioned above!) that is heavy on the black, and use a narrow stip, maybe wide enough to take up the center 25 - 50% of the colored panel, and hang it from the top of the panel to halfway between the bottom of the panel and the tops of the chairs. Doing this for each panel will bring the eye down a little on the wall, so it doesn't look like it hung so high, and will incorporate the damask. You can sew lengths of fabric together if you can't find one long enough. Use a metal rod in a pocket sewn at the bottom to hold the damask panel down.

Use solids on the tables to avoid looking busy, perhaps just black tablecloths, or consider using a black and white damask runner on a black tablecloth. Bring in the purple through simple floral arrangements on the tables. Use black and white damask and purple on menus, placecards, or quote cards on the table. I agree with a previous poster who suggested white dinnerware on a dark tablecloth - really makes it pop! If you have a head table, you might consider a really simple and elegant idea I saw at a recent wedding. They used two staggered rows of glass votive cups across the front section of the head table, and it looked beautiful with all those candles, yet it wasn't in the way because it was so low to the table. Put lots of candles on all of the other tables, dim the lights, and it will look lovely!

For the stage, use this either for a band or a photo/video booth for your guests to give their wishes and memories. I wouldn't try to 'fix' the stage curtains - too much work and cost for you! With the gold, they're still in the color family, remember? :)

And my last suggestion for you...all the comments about not sweating the small stuff are right! Your guests would love nothing more than to see the two of you tie the knot happily, and to enjoy each other's company. Best wishes!

You know, make it a theme wedding - High school prom! You can send out cute invites with this theme and decorate the place with streamers, balloon and flowers (purple, if the fiance insists). Go with the decor, instead of fighting it. Also, like the many wise people who have already posted, remember the happy part of this day is your marriage, and the party is just the frosting on top.

Just remember....it's YOUR day (you and your fiance), and if you have a really strong preference about something, figure out a way to make it work, regardless of what others say. :) But do keep in mind that you will probably not remember all of these little things later, anyway.

For purposes of photos, which do last forever, think through what you want to have in the background, behind your table, etc. You could mention to your photographer that you'd prefer to avoid certain things in the background of some shots of your first dance, cutting the cake, or whatever. My photographer was very accommodating when I had specific requests.

You could make the colorful panels completely disappear into the wall if covered by white fabric; a cheap-ish alternative would be canvas painter's dropcloths, which come in very large sizes. Or bed sheets.

I don't think the stage looks that bad; if the lighting is dim and the curtains are pulled back as far as possible, it'll be fine.

Good luck with your planning!