Make your Wedding An Experience!
Your wedding can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish to make it. Traditional wedding decorations used in the church or hall include candles, flowers, pew bows, arches and garlands.
Pew Bows
Many brides who are married in a place of worship choose to decorate the ends of the pews. These can be simple ribbon bows anchored to the pews with plastic pew clips, elaborate floral arrangements, or delicate arches. Again, base your choices on the size of the location and the formality of your wedding. In general, front pews reserved for the families of the bride and groom are trimmed a bit more elaborately than those in the rest of the hall. Even if your ceremony will be held at home, you can decorate with chair garlands which hang from the back or side of the chair.
Candles
From simple individual pillars to elaborate candelabras, candles can add a warm, romantic glow to your ceremony. Candles can be lit before the church or hall is opened for guests to enter, or by an usher or groomsman just prior to the commencement of the ceremony. Be sure to check with your location to be sure of the rules about burning candles. Churches and halls that do a large number of weddings may require dripless candles, or may restrict the number of candles used. On the plus side, they may also have candle holders for you to use.
Garlands
Garlands are all purpose wedding decorations. They can be draped almost anywhere to add color and greenery. Loop them over a doorway to create a pretty picture as the bride enters the church. Wrap them around arches or drape them from plain candle holders to dress them up. Use them to block off pews that will be used by a photographer or videographer, or to decorate tables at the reception. If you are having a dove theme wedding consider using Feather Boas in place of ribbon or a traditional garland.
Flowers
Many brides dream of a church filled with flowers. This can be the most costly portion of your decorations, so check with your location to see what flowers and plants will be available the day of the wedding. There are no rules about how many arrangements you should use for the ceremony, so plan according to the size of your location. Generally, flowers go on either side of the front of the room, framing the bride, groom and officiant. Use the configuration of the church or hall as a guide to determine where to place flowers.
Arches
One of the most romantic decorations for wedding ceremonies is an arch that frames the couple as they take their vows. Although these are more commonly used outdoors, inexpensive garden arches that are easy to assemble allow them to be used indoors if the couple desires. Decorate with flowers, garlands, lights and bows, or simply wrap with ribbon for a more classic look.