Every bride wants their wedding reception to inspire and awe their guests! One way to insure this happens is with an impressive ice sculpture. They make a great focal point when guests come in. Your guests will be amazed which adds to the wedding spirit. The choice is yours, will it be a basic ice sculpture, or will you be the new breed of bride and request a sophisticated ice display such as a table topper, buffet table, ice abstract, or an ice bar.
Ice sculptures are works of art often used at weddings and parties to decorate tables as well as keep food and drinks cold. They can be sculpted into letters, numbers, buildings, animals, people, shapes, and just about anything else. Generate ideas for an ice sculpture at your upcoming wedding by using your imagination to come up with a design that is really unique and tailored to an elaborate celebration.
Initials and symbols of love enthrall your guests which could be stylized hearts, intertwined swans, a bride and groom in a horse pulled carriage, a romantic couple kissing, a fairytale scene, wedding bells, doves, luge, or an ice centerpiece full of vines, flowers, and leaves. What is your vision for an elaborate scene? Make sure you include an engraving in the ice with your initials and don't forget to take pictures. The once in your lifetime image created just for you will be melted away in a mere seven hours.
The ice sculpture search starts with off with a few select companies that cover your city area. A few select companies can be found in wedding websites, elsewhere in this blog, or you can find them on the internet from a browser using city name and "ice sculpture". Ice sculpting is an art so you need to find a sculptor that is very skilled and you want to see photos of the artist's finished product to see the work he/she can do. For an exceptional artist, the clarity and consistency of the water is the first consideration. The process starts with distilled water, frozen under controlled situations to generate the clearest shiniest ice.
Next is having the right ice sculpting tools. First there is the ice carving chisel and chisel sets with a long handle. Blades need to be wider than a woodworking chisel and with usually a 2 inch blade being the norm. Common ice carving chisels include straight simple chisels, "V-knives", basic gauges or "spoons", and "U-shaped blades".
Mallets are another tool used in ice carving and work great in conjunction with carving chisels. Mallets provide controlled. short bursts with little risk of taking off too much of breaking the ice with a long thrust. Chain saws are great ice sculpture tools, especially in the first, roughed stage of the sculpture. The shape of the chainsaw blade is important, it's best to have one that is short from top to bottom. This allows you to chain saw in a tight radius as you are cutting. Several grinders are well-suited for ice sculpting. Angle grinders, dye grinders, and angle sanders are all great finishing tools for ice sculpture. The surface area dictates which tool works best.
Ice sculptures are not only designed into forms but can be designed into functions. Some ice sculptures are designed with a drill hole and when guests pour liquor into the hole, the liquor gets iced and ends up on the other side in a nice chilled glass, the guests become part of the sculpture. Another cool option is a custom built ice bar with carved spaces for bar fruits such as oranges, cherries, lemons and other condiments such as green olives. You can create ice chambers for bottle holders to keep bottle beverages or to keep bubbly champagne cold.
Ice bars can be created for food also, you can create an open clam to house cold food and desserts. You can have ice vases and ice bowls with floral designs to hold food and they can might be colored with dyes or shine from colored lights beaming up from below displaying an elaborate decoration.
Ice sculpturing starts with maybe a 300 pound block of ice which is made of crystal distilled water. A sketch is drawn onto the block of ice and then carved with the chain saw and mallet. Next chisels, mallets, and grinders are used to refine the design and lastly a heat gun is applied to give the decorative piece a beautiful shine. Some ice sculptures are designed using a jigsaw high tech device called a "C&C machine" and can create very elaborate displays.
Ice sculptures are surprisingly affordable, many running from $200 to $400 which includes delivery and setup. If there is an interest of having an ice sculpture, you should order around 6 months in advance to allow artists to lay out and set up the design. The ice sculpture will not only make your wedding one of the biggest days of your life but make it one of the coolest days in your life in addition.
Ice sculptures add an elegant and decorative addition to any wedding, party, or event. It's important to note though, that ice carving with chain saws can be very dangerous. It's best to use a professional ice sculptor, who is skilled, has the artistic skills and experience to create an elaborate ice sculpture.
If a bride or groom wants an ice sculpture for the wedding without the services of a professional, they can make one themselves, by using ice molds. You can make one yourself looking as good as the professional uses, but remember the secret is using distilled clear water, have it clear or add dye for color. You can make it sparkle with pin lights or flood lights on the display.
As any bride knows, planning the perfect wedding is all about the decor. For a truly spectacular decor option, include ice sculptures and leave your guests 'oohing' and 'aahing' in delight. So if you have a little room in your budget, think about including an ice sculpture as a decoration at your wedding reception. See you on the other side!
No comments:
Post a Comment