Wedding Flowers: Ceremony Structures
The most important part of any wedding day, the ceremony is a reflection of the couple, their personalities, their beliefs, and their family traditions. Deciding how to decorate the ceremony space outside of a church setting is also an extremely personal choice, and we love helping our couples design the perfect setting in which to say “I do”! From lush floral arches to dramatic chuppahs, ceremony structures are one of our favorite elements of a wedding to design, and we have a variety of structure options that can be customized to fit your wedding style and vision!
When choosing the best option for a ceremony, several factors come into play. The most important is of course style, since you wouldn’t use a rustic birch chuppah for a very modern wedding, but there are other considerations as well. Is the ceremony inside or outdoors? What type of surface will the structure be sitting on? For a Jewish ceremony, how many people will need to stand under the chuppah? Which structure can best support the type of floral designs the client is envisioning? These are all important factors our team considers when deciding which option is right for the ceremony setting.
Let’s take a look at some of the different options we offer…
Pipe and Drape
A classic choice, pipe and drape can be configured in a variety of ways to create chuppah structures or backdrops. This versatile option is a great choice for a soft, romantic ceremony design. One thing to keep in mind: pipe and drape structures are often best suited for indoor ceremonies, since the fabric can act as a sail outdoors, especially on rooftops!
Jessica & Andrew were married under this romantic draped chuppah at the Chase Park Plaza Khorassan Ballroom. The design featured soft white floral, elegant draping and a dramatic candlelit aisle. The structure itself was taller than what we often do, to provide an extra sense of drama and be in scale to the ballroom.
Photos: L Photographie
Sara Lynn and Jeremy customized their draped chuppah by including a canvas they painted together in their summer camp days as their chuppah top! It was such a sweet, sentimental addition to their ceremony. White and blush floral adorned the corners of the structure to add softness, without taking away from the sentimental canvas.
Photos: Love & Life Photography
Jordan & Justin chose a pipe and drape backdrop for their ceremony in the Stifel Theatre Ticket Lobby. We always recommend some type of draping for ceremonies here, since the men’s restroom is directly behind! For Jordan & Justin’s ceremony, we created a romantic backdrop with layers of sheer white and ivory fabric, and asymmetrical floral accents.
Photos: Ashley Fisher Photography
Acrylic Chuppah
Our clear acrylic chuppah was custom-built for us and is perfect for the couple seeking a sleek, modern feel for their ceremony! Due to the size and weight, we are unfortunately limited in where we can use this particular structure, since it can’t be taken up elevators or make tight turns. It is most often used at The Four Seasons or The Ritz Carlton, but our team will gladly look into the logistics of your ceremony location if you’re interested in this structure!
The acrylic chuppah took on a romantic, etherial feel for Abi & Jason’s wedding at The Four Seasons. Draped in Orchids, the structure itself disappeared, creating the illusion of flowers floating in thin air. Aaron from Millennium Productions created the lighting design projected on the wall behind the structure, which camouflaged the air wall and added to the drama of the ceremony design.
Photos: L Photographie
The acrylic chuppah was the perfect choice for Emily & Colton’s bright, modern summer wedding at The Four Seasons. Colorful floral arrangements flanked the structure, perfectly reflecting the couple’s fun personalities! Fun fact: Emily’s sister Jessica was married under the same chuppah the year before, but we styled it in a completely different way for each sister!
Photos: Switzerfilm
For Shaterra & Jordan’s elegant ceremony, we used one section of the acrylic structure to create an “arch” adorned in candles, which appeared to almost float above the officiant. Lush floral arrangements flanked the legs of the structure and added visual weight to the ceremony stage.
Photos: Kelly Pratt Photography
Arch
We had this metal arch custom-built to use as a base for floral installations, and we love all the unique ways it can be decorated! Based on the garden arbors often seen at weddings, we designed this arch to be wider and taller to provide a greater visual impact behind the couple.
For Crystal & Charles’ ceremony at the Jewel Box, the arch was decorated in different shades of pink roses and eucalyptus. Since the setup time at this venue is so limited, we designed all the floral elements at our studio, and had a team of 3 who were able to quickly attach everything to the structure.
Photos: Mike Cassimatis Photography
Alex & Matt’s dramatic floral arch was designed completely onsite at the World’s Fair Pavilion. It took a team of 3 designers more than two hours to bring this beautiful archway to life! Greenery, Delphinium and Stock (all real!) were used to create this lush archway.
Photos: Mike Cassimatis Photography
For Katie & Mike’s rustic ceremony on the rooftop of The Caramel Room, we created a light and airy design with curly willow, hydrangea and eucalyptus. The rustic arch design was enhanced with a variety of lanterns and floral accents down the aisle.
Photos: Luxe Studios
Modern Chuppah
Our modern chuppah structures are possibly our most versatile. These can be enhanced with floral, draping, or even used as a base and covered in greenery – the options are endless!
For Ashley & Matt’s ceremony at Shaar Emeth Synagogue, the chuppah was painted gold and draped in gauzy white fabric. Lush floral in shades of pink and lavender adorned the structure and provided guests with a taste of the colorful floral to come at the reception.
Photos: L Photographie
We used one section of our white structure for Maddie & Will’s glamorous ceremony at the Stifel Theatre. Draping orchids and a crystal chandelier provided a glamorous feel to match their Gatsby theme. In this instance, the structure was paired with a pipe and drape backdrop to hide the restrooms behind the ceremony space.
Photos: Switzerfilm
Our modern structure was used as a base for Ali & Darin’s chuppah, but you have to look closely to see it! Greenery, orchids, roses and hydrangea made up this gorgeous structure, which was designed by our team onsite at Westwood Country Club!
Photos: Stephen Seebeck
Birch Structure
Birch is perfect for the couple seeking a more rustic look for their ceremony. Most frequently used for chuppah structures, we can also create an “arch” as long as the ceremony is taking place on level ground.
For Jackie & Todd’s ceremony on the Caramel Room roof, we enhanced the birch chuppah with curly willow, orchids, roses and hydrangea. These elements were designed onsite to create the perfect look for the rustic elegant style wedding.
Photos: L Photographie
Sandra designed this amazing floral piece for a styled shoot at the Contemporary Art Museum. Birch poles were used to create a squared off arch to frame the bride and groom. This type of structure is best used on solid, flat ground for stability.
Photos: Carretto Studio Photography
Wood Arbor
Custom-built by Lisa’s husband Joe, our wood arbor adds a rustic touch to your ceremony and can be styled with flowers or soft fabric draping. We can even add baseplates and create a one-sided ceremony backdrop.
For Lauren & Josh’s ceremony at The Caramel Room, we accented the arbor with a large floral piece in one corner. The dramatic piece perfectly complemented Lauren’s unique color palette and style.
Photos: Laura Ann Miller
We used the wood arbor to add a slightly rustic touch to Nicole & Brandon’s ceremony at the Chase Park Plaza. Floral accented the corners to soften the arbor, which was later repurposed behind the couple’s sweetheart table at the reception.
Photos: Stephen Seebeck
For Megan & Dylan’s ceremony, we created an “arch” with the wood arbor by adding baseplates to the front legs. Soft draping and asymmetrical floral created a beautiful ceremony backdrop that didn’t take away from the amazing view of the Arch at the Ballpark Hilton.
Photo: McDonald Video & Photography
With so many different structures we truly have something to complement any wedding design and style! AND we are constantly adding to our structure collection… so if you don’t see the perfect option here, that doesn’t mean we don’t have it or can’t design something for you! The best part of being a custom design studio is creating new and exciting designs to fit our clients’ visions. Be sure to check out Instagram and the Ceremony page of our Portfolio for more beautiful inspiration!
Ready to start discussing floral designs for your upcoming wedding? We’re currently scheduling video consultations with our designers! Visit our Let’s Chat page, fill out the information for, and we’ll check our availability and reach out with next steps for scheduling a time to chat about your wedding vision!
Belli Fiori - St. Louis Wedding Florist
Post by Kim Wallner