There’s nothing quite like a floral arch to make your wedding feel extra special; whether you have it placed over the aisle, adorning the entrance to the church or in pride of place at your reception, a floral arch is guaranteed to add a special touch to your big day.
Eleanor Jane Wedding Photography
“There are numerous things to consider when choosing the flowers for your floral arch,” says Julie Daukes of Ash Barton Estate.
“The first is your colour scheme and what atmosphere you are trying to create. Are you choosing vibrant, colorful flowers or opting for a more soft, natural feel? Either way, you want to get flowers that are thornless, have a long stem in order to stay put and can wrap easily around the arch.”
“Arches are difficult to move so they shouldn’t be considered arrangements that offer a multi-use element. Consider them only as ‘wow’ pieces and couples should allocate a considerable budget towards them to ensure that they have a true statement piece,” says Michal Kowalski, Co-Founder and Master Florist at Blooming Haus..
Floral arches lend themselves perfectly to weddings with an abundance of blooms adorning every surface, from cascading down banisters to decorating the seats in your ceremony. An arch is the perfect finishing touch – plus it makes for the most amazing backdrop to your wedding photos. We defy anyone to not want to strike a pose in front of a beautiful blooming arch.
An arch can set the tone for your day, especially if you have it placed over the entrance to your ceremony – they look particularly special suspended over church doors in the countryside, for a real English country garden wedding feel.
Keep the style of your venue in mind when designing your floral arch; match the size of your arch with the scale of your venue – ie. If you’re getting married at a stately home wedding venue with high ceilings, you’ll need dramatic arches to fill the room, whereas if you’re having a small, intimate ceremony, opt for a smaller, cuter arch that just frames you and your partner rather than choosing one that overpowers the room.
If you’re going for a pared back, minimalist wedding day, perhaps in an industrial city venue, a frothy floral arch in pinks and creams might not fit the aesthetic, but that doesn’t mean to have to miss out on all the fun of an arch – opt for a copper arch with a few springs of greenery and white flowers for a lust-worthy, modern wedding vibe.
If you’re having an outdoor wedding ceremony, a floral arch works perfectly as a makeshift altar and focal point for the guests – especially if you’re getting married with a breath taking view behind you.
For woodland weddings, add birch branches and wood to your arch for a rustic vibe, taking your whole ceremony back to nature. Blend the colour of the flowers with the shades around the space to keep the whole look tied together.
“Tree branches and bushes are good options to give the arch extra volume so do discuss this with your florist,” says Michal.
Which Flowers Work Best in Floral Arches?
“A flower that works particularly well in floral arches is roses. Whether this be the traditional red colored rose, or roses such as the rosalind, secret garden, or yves-piaget rose- they are great climbing flowers with long stems that work great on floral arches,” says Julie.
“Other flower varieties that work well due to their flexible stems include clematis, jasmine and peonies. You may have heard that sweet peas and blue moon wisteria flowers are great to use on floral arches, due to their ability to bloom in multiple colours, but be wary that they require a lot of attention and maintenance. Sweet peas are prone to bugs and pests, alongside other flowers to avoid in my opinion such as carrion flowers and nasturtium that can trap insects and release pungent odours.”
How to Look After Your Wedding Arch
If you’re getting married in the summer, your floral arch will need extra love and attention as Jule points out.
“The warmer weather definitely brings with it challenges to keeping your floral arch looking fresh in the heat. To optimize the vibrancy of your floral arch, it ideally should not be set up till the morning or day before your wedding. For quick and easy fastening, use cable ties instead of wire when attaching flowers and until the big day, your flowers should be kept in water in a cool, shaded place. Throughout the ceremony, your wedding planner or favored guest should keep a spray water bottle on hand to give your flowers a light mist every few hours.”
Scroll down for some of our favourite floral wedding arches to inspire your big day decor.
Embrace a boho vibe on your wedding day with an untamed floral arch in a barn wedding venue. This beauty, shot by Eleanor Jane Photography, proves you can go with a deconstructed arch for a more laid back feel.
Create an enchanted woodland feel for your wedding, even if you’re sitting inside with suspended foliage and a floral arch made of ferns, roses and light sprigs. This dreamy set up was created by florist Alicia Tennant and shot by Siobhan H Photography.
A wedding arch doesn’t have to be overly dramatic – go for a minimalist vibe with a wedding arch constructed of branches, decorated sparingly with flowers. This pretty creation was shot by Fiona Kelly Photography.
Welcome your guests to your wedding with a floral arch at the entrance to the church or ceremony venue. This bride, photographed by Eleanor Jane Photography, proves how beautiful arches look when created from the same flowers as the bridal bouquet.
We can always rely on wedding planners La Fete to create the most breathtaking wedding design, and they haven’t disappointed with this beautiful set up in France. The florist Louis Dubois shows how to tie your floral arch in with the rest of your decor with this simple yet stylish floral design.
It’s worth taking your florist along to your venue before the ceremony so they can get a feel for the space and let their imagination run wild. They’ll be able to envisage spaces where your floral arch will work, and suggest ideas for making the arch gel with your venue.
Bring the indoors outside with a floral arch that frames your wedding ceremony. This colourful wedding arch created by All For Love London and shot by Kuenzli Photography shows how amazing your ceremony can look if you match your aisle decor to your floral arch – cool coordination at its very finest!
Make a grand ceremony room look even more impressive with a slim arch, designed to match the chair decor and the petals scattered down the aisle.
Frothy white foliage, moss and verdant greenery make for the most luscious of wedding arches. An arch this dramatic works best at large scale venues as it could overpower a more modest church.
“It’s much more impactful to create an oversized design rather than a delicate one so do check what type of structure your florist is planning to work with,” says Michal.
Pastel hued flowers brighten up green arches, making them perfect for spring weddings. This pretty arch by Blooming Haus brings the outdoors in to this pared back ceremony set up.
This gorgeous All For Love London creation shows how beautiful your arch can look if you extend it and have the foliage cascading down the steps of your venue – just imagine your wedding photos in front of this stylish backdrop! Shot by Heledd Roberts Photography.
Dress up an open space with a statement-making angular arch, like this modern creation styled by La Fete.
Touches of lilac and pink flowers tie this All For Love London arch into the wedding colour scheme in a subtle and stylish way. Pops of magenta and tulips at the base make this one of our favourite arches we’ve ever seen. Shot by Amy O’Boyle Photography, this arch makes for the perfect welcome to wedding guests.
If a full height wedding arch doesn’t fit with your vision for your wedding day, half an arch can look just as striking, as this one by All For Love London proves.
Now we’ve convinced you that you NEED a floral arch at your wedding, check out our article about how to find the perfect wedding florist to make all of your flower arrangement dreams come true.
