9 Ceremony Arbor Ideas for Your Wedding Day

Your ceremony is the most important time of the wedding day, when all eyes and cameras are focused front and center. Yes – as the bride and groom, you will be the first thing that catches their attention, but the second will be the wedding ceremony decor. The altar or space for your “I dos” deserves some extra attention. This may mean a flowering arbor, traditional chupah, flowing draperies or natural branches – and your florist and rental company are your allies. Southern Bride & Groom has seen it all and we are here to help! Here are some eye catching wedding ceremony decor ideas for your wedding day.

Triangle Wedding Arbor at Ceremony
Photo by Brian Mullins Photography / Venue The Stockroom at 230 / Styling by C and D Events

1. Floating Flowers in the Ceremony Arbor

The modern acrylic look is on an upward trend. Make it a theme starting with columns for the ceremony and repeat the acrylic touches in the seating chart, ghost chairs and menus. This modern wedding arbor is a great idea for your ceremony decor. It is perfectly displayed in this extravagant set up by Raleigh wedding florist, Watered Garden.

2. The Best Ceremony Decor Idea – Get Personal!

Some NC wedding venues have chalk walls which serve as a blank canvas for custom chalk art. You can also commission your own custom painted tarp with vibrant colors, or meaningful words like your favorite love poem or Bible verse. Blush and Blue Designs – a wedding stationer and artists in Durham NC – creates beautiful pieces!

3. Floral Wreath Backdrop for Your Wedding

The circle symbolizes a never-ending path of love. Creating a wreath shaped from vines with greenery and florals twisted inside is a beautiful and meaningful backdrop. It also is unique and something that will impress your wedding guests!

Circular Wreath Wedding Arbor for outdoor wedding ceremony in Raleigh, KAst
FLORIST & PLANNER Kast Events & Company | PHOTOGRAPHY Krystal Kast Photography

4. Macra-Mazing – Custom Macrame Pieces as Wedding Ceremony Decor

In addition to hanging decor at the reception or table runners, macrame makes an eclectic and more naturally casual ceremony backdrop. This is one of our favorite newer wedding ceremony decor ideas. We’ve seen macrame used in gorgeous bohemian weddings – like this ceremony with macrame by Mosshound Designs.

5. Ceremony Arbor Decor From the ground up

If your setting is naturally beautiful, use it. Driftwood and pots of seagrass can sprout out of the sand to frame you at the beach. Indoors too, the ground level look includes loads of candles on the floor with greenery in varying heights.

Driftwood Wedding Ceremony Decor
FLORIST Fiore Fine Flowers | PHOTOGRAPHY Magnolia Photography | PLANNER The Lion House | LOCATION Bald Head Island

6. Ceremony Arbor Decor From Above

This could mean flowers woven into a chuppah above your heads, or chandelier lighting strung from a natural structure like a tree or exposed beam-  dripping down from above like this beautiful ceremony at The Stockroom at 230.

Chandelier hanging over Ceremony Arbor
FLORIST Tre Bella Flowers | VENUE The Stockroom at 230 | PHOTOGRAPHY Mikkel Paige Photography | LIGHTING AND DRAPING ThemeWorks

7. Minimalism

You don’t have to go grandiose. A simple branch arch or textured wooden wall as a backdrop is a nice neutral touch. If your venue has a cool exposed brick walls, try adding some greenery.

8. Drape Your Ceremony Arbor

Draperies can be whimsical in sheer or blush and centered around a chandelier, or blinded out in crystals. You can also add elements like greenery, lanterns, flowers and so much more – to make the ceremony arbor decor fit your vision. This display by English Garden is the perfect outdoor wedding ceremony arbor decor!

Ceremony Arch with Draping White Green Flowers English Garden Casey Rose Photography
FLORIST English Garden | PHOTOGRAPHY Casey Rose Photography | VENUE 12 Oaks | PLANNER A Southern Soiree

9.  Add Religion to Your Ceremony Decor

Whether or not your ceremony is in a church, you can always add a religious symbol to your ceremony to bring your religion into your “I dos” through your decor. Try draping a large wooden cross with beautiful flowers to serve as a backdrop to your wedding.

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