When I got married a few years ago my husband and I wanted a small wedding with just close friends and family.
We decided to use my parents' backyard for our venue and ended up DIYing almost every aspect of the wedding, including lots of fake flowers for wedding fabulosity. One of our best projects was the floral wedding arch we made for the ceremony. It was very inexpensive and can be completed in one afternoon.
Materials:
- Tree branches
- Faux flowers and greenery
- 2 Plastic flower pots
- Quick dry cement
- Rocks
- Moss
- Nails, screws, hooks
- Wire
Step 1:
Find some fallen tree branches or if it is legal for you to do so, cut them down. My parents have a green space behind their house where we searched for materials (that's the forest behind the arch in all the photos.) You will need two branches for the sides and one to go across the top. Cut to your desired size.
Step 2:
Take each of the plastic flower pots and insert one of the branches vertically. Use some rocks at the bottom to support the branch. Then mix your quick dry cement and pour it into the flower pot. Work quickly. It's called quick dry for a reason. Have someone hold the branches up straight so you don't end up with crooked side posts. Once the cement has hardened your branches will be in there for good and they will be nice and sturdy
Step 3:
To disguise the cement in the pots you can cover it with moss, stones, flowers or anything that fits your taste.
Step 4:
At the top of the two branches screw in a hook. The hook will help hold the branch that connects the two sides.
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Step 5:
Wrap the side branches with fake flowers and greenery. Twinkle lights would be pretty for an evening wedding. Secure with floral wire or plastic zip ties. Just make sure you cover all the ties and wire with greenery and flowers.
Step 6:
Prep your top connecting branch. On both sides near the end wrap wire and make a loop so that you will be able to hang the top branch from the hooks on the side branches. Then wrap your greenery and flowers along the top piece. This is much easier to do when it is on the ground.
Step 7:
Move the two side pieces where they will be going for the wedding and simply hook the top piece on. Secure with more wire or zip ties. Test it by shaking the sides a little. You do not want it falling apart during the middle of the wedding.
Step 8:
Walk around and check all angles to make sure you cannot see any ties or wire. Tuck in more greenery as needed.
There you have it. A pretty, fully customizable wedding arch!
There are a ton of different ways you could customize the arch depending your wedding. You could even create a larger one by making four side posts and connecting with more branches. Keep an eye out on Craigslist and garage sales for used wedding decor. My Mom found all the fake flowers for our wedding at a garage sale for dirt cheap. When you are finished with your arch you can easily disassemble it and tuck it away in storage.
