In Part One of the series on Wedding Ceremony Aisle Decorations, I previously mentioned that aisle decorations are frequently added to a ceremony site to coordinate with the wedding style and also as a way of bringing color to a venue. In that post I discussed aisle decoration that included aisle runners, rugs and also floral, candle and fabric aisle decorations, please click on the link for more information.
Now, in Part Two of the series I will offer ideas and suggestions for items, such as floral decorations which can be used for the chairs or pews at the ceremony site. I will also offer ideas about less traditional and more unusual items which can be used to decorate the ceremony aisles, such as tree stumps, wine barrels and door panels.
Special Note: Frequently at a wedding the center aisle of a ceremony site is reserved for only the bride and her attendants to walk down, sometimes the aisle will be roped off and the guests will be asked to use the side aisles to get to their seats and this is especially important when elaborate aisle decorations are used.
FABRIC DECORATIONS FOR PEWS AND CHAIRS
Fabric can be relatively inexpensive to use when decorating a wedding site, see Aisle Decorations – Part One for fabric draping ideas. Fabric can also be used to embellish rental chairs for a ceremony site. Below are several examples for chair decorations, showing fabric tied to the side, embellished with flowers, woven through the chair backing and beautifully tied with a ruffled chair sash.
FLORAL ARANGEMENTS FOR PEWS OR CHAIRS
Another frequent aisle decorations used for a wedding ceremony are floral arrangements for the pews or chairs and these can be used for indoor or outdoor venues.
Special Note: I would highly recommended checking with the wedding venue for advice on what type of method that should be used to attach a floral decoration, especially to a church pew, that would avoid any possible damage. Although rental chairs for a ceremony site cause less of a problem for attaching a floral decoration I would still advise to check with the vendor on what are the acceptable methods to use.
Perhaps the most classic formal style of floral arrangement for a ceremony site would be roses with greenery and ribbon as seen in the photos below. Although the examples show white and pastel roses accented with white ribbon, other more vibrant colors of roses and ribbons can be used to match the wedding colors selected by the bridal couple.
Other flowers or embellishments, such as pearls can also be added to a rose pew/chair floral arrangement, shown below is a beautiful example using roses, orchids and pearls for an elegant style.
More colorful varieties of flowers can also be used for floral arrangements for the chair/pew decorations at a ceremony site, shown below are examples using hydrangeas and peonies.
FEATHER DECORATIONS FOR PEWS OR CHAIRS
Feather can be added to chair/pew decorations for a more whimsical style, shown below are several examples using peacock and ostrich feathers.
SEASONAL DECORATIONS FOR PEW OR CHAIRS
Sometime the seasons of the year can inspire chair or pew decorations, shown below are examples for a summer beach wedding using seashells, lovely pink tulips for spring, a sheaf of wheat for the fall and a winter pine spray with pinecones.
SHEPHERD HOOKS OR GARDEN STANDS
Shepherd hooks or garden stands are a wonderful alternative to use for an outdoor ceremony, these items can also be used indoors but a container stabilized with weight (such as rocks) would be needed to hold them upright. Shown below are several examples using shepherd hooks with various floral arrangements and plants.
Lanterns or crystal chandeliers can also be used to hang from the shepherd hooks and would look beautiful at an evening ceremony. The examples shown below feature a simple black lantern, a white lantern hanging from a shepherd hook decorated with grapevine and roses and a lovely crystal chandelier which would be perfect for a romantic style wedding.
MORE UNUSUAL AISLE DECORATIONS
Sometimes a bridal couple is looking to add more unusual aisle decorations to customize a ceremony site. Shown below are several ideas using various items, including wood stumps for floral arrangements or candles which would be perfect for an informal outdoor ceremony, wine barrels filled with a large floral arrangement for a barn or vineyard ceremony and door panels that would beautifully frame the arrive of the bride and her attendants.
Words or pictures can be attached to chairs/pews for a very personalized style for a wedding ceremony. The words can be from a favorite bible verse or poem; I would suggest keeping the wording relatively short for easier reading.
The photos selected can range from childhood (starting with the oldest to most recent) and one side could be photos of the bride while the other side could be photos of the groom, this would be a very sentimental idea especially if the groom and his parents precedes the bride down the aisle escorted by her parents.
Finally, here is one last idea for a distinctive look at an outdoor ceremony site which features a curved aisle instead of a straight one that could be decorated with flowers or plants to resemble a wandering garden path as shown in the photo below.
Please click on the link to Part One of the Wedding Ceremony Aisle Decorations for more information. In that post I discussed ideas and suggestions ranging from traditional fabric aisle runners which are available in a variety of styles and colors. I will also discuss the popular use of floral designs, candles and fabric draping to decorate the aisle of a ceremony site.