The wedding ceremony is the first impression which your guests will have of your wedding. You want to make sure that when they enter the site it is breathtaking. The space should also make a beautiful backdrop in which to exchange your marriage vows. These are all the types of wedding ceremony decorations you will need to make your venue beautiful.
Altar Flowers: Whether your ceremony will be held in a traditional church, in a hotel or loft, or at an outdoor location, you will definitely need some sort of flowers to decorate the altar area. In some cases, it might be as simple as a large floral display on either side of the altar or a long, low arrangement across the front of the altar or table. This could be just the right amount of decoration for a bride planning a low key ceremony in a small chapel who is wearing a slender dress and simple bridal jewelry. Just be sure the floral displays are large enough to be seen by guests towards the back.
Altar flowers can also get extremely elaborate. If you are planning to have a very formal wedding with a large ballgown and opulent bridal jewelry, you need floral displays which will not be lost in a large venue. You could drape an arbor with hundreds of blossoms for a fancy outdoor wedding, hang strings of orchids behind the altar area to define the space (important for outdoor and secular venues), or set up several large potted trees on either side of the altar area. Uplighting in the base or tiny white lights in the branches will give the trees the perfect amount of presence. Couples being married in the Jewish faith will have a Chuppah, which can be decorated with flowers or fabric.
Pew Decorations: Add beauty to your ceremony space by decorating the ends of the pews or rows of chairs. The most traditional option is to bedeck the ends of pews with white bows, either with or without sprays of flowers in the center of each bow. Another idea is to use shepherd's hooks to hang something pretty at the end of each row. It could be a floral pomander suspended from a beautiful ribbon, a conical glass vase filled with flowers, or a hanging lantern with a small candle. These are especially popular for outdoor weddings.
Aisle Accents: The aisle runner is a classic way to prepare the bride's path. Usually white, it is rolled out after the last member of the wedding party has made it to the altar so that the bride is the first person to step on the pure white cloth. If you wish to make it more personal, add a large monogram to the runner. Or have fun with a dramatic red or regal purple runner. The fabric runner tends to be impractical for outdoor ceremonies, but you can use beautiful flower petals all along the sides of the aisle to add beauty and definition to the area. For an autumn wedding, a path lined with colorful leaves would be lovely or create rows of seashells for a beach theme ceremony.
Candles: What would a wedding be without candles? You can use them to decorate your venue in so many ways. Tall candelabras on either side of the altar are striking and traditional. Tiny globes filled with votives can be suspended from a gazebo or arbor over the bridal couple for an outdoor evening ceremony. Candles can also be used to line the aisle, if done carefully. Avoid setting an open flame along the ground where an unsuspecting guest might knock it over or the bride's train could sweep through it and catch on fire (I once witnessed a near-miss of this nature at a wedding!). And of course, for many brides and grooms, the unity candle will be both an integral part of their ceremony and a pretty addition to the wedding decorations.
With all of the necessary elements in place, you can be sure that your wedding ceremony site will be truly stunning, which is just what the happy couple deserves.
