Walking down the aisle to exchange vows with your beloved is undoubtedly one of the most emotionally resonant moments of your wedding day. The processional represents the long journey the two of you have traveled in your search for each other and is the official start to the most important day of your lives.
Your wedding ceremony aisle décor might not be one of the first things on your wedding planning to-do list, but it deserves thoughtful consideration. The right wedding aisle décor not only complements your venue and helps to set the tone for the ceremony, it frames your walk down the aisle, when all eyes are on you.
In this wedding aisle décor guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of decorating your wedding ceremony and provide plenty of ideas and inspiration.
Wedding Aisle Décor Basics
At The Treasury on the Plaza, we’ve hosted weddings with a wide range of themes, color palettes, and guest counts. We love seeing the immense variety in our couples’ choices of wedding aisle décor! While creativity and personalization are highly encouraged, there are a few things you should consider to provide the best experience for you and your guests.
First, don’t forget to think about the ceremony floor plan.
How your chairs are arranged within your venue will determine the length, width, and direction of your wedding aisle. This may seem straightforward, but some couples like to choose a more avant-garde floor plan, such as arranging the seating in a circle or semicircle. The size of your guest count and the dimensions of the ceremony space may also place limitations on how long and wide your aisle can be.
Safety should be an important consideration. While you can place many different types of wedding decorations on the floor, some types of decorations may create a tripping hazard, fire hazard, or might create a bit of a mess if knocked over!
Keep walkways clear so they don’t become a tripping hazard. You can also rope off the center aisle and have guests enter from the sides if the décor along the center aisle is fragile. Avoid placing glass cylinders with water on the floor. (As pretty as they are, these ALWAYS get knocked over!)
Ask your venue if they have any wedding ceremony décor restrictions. Some venues have rules against flower petals that might stain the floor, open flame candles, and certain aisle runners that might cause a tripping hazard, among others.
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #1: Classic White Flower Petals
Keep your aisle décor simple and classic with white flower petals. These petals are a lovely, inexpensive option that frames the aisle and allows the eye to focus on the wedding ceremony backdrop.
Jenna and Mason’s Treasury on the Plaza wedding | Photo by Ivey Pictures
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #2: Simple Arrangements on Ceremony Chairs
Decorating the backs of chairs with a small spray of blossoms or greenery adds a fresh touch to your wedding ceremony aisle. We love the way Jelisse and John carried their tropical theme throughout their ceremony, from their aisle décor to their hexagon backdrop arch.
Photo by Ivey Pictures
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #3: Candles Along the Aisle
Nothing creates a soft, romantic vibe during a wedding ceremony quite like mood lighting. Candles are the obvious choice here, and they always make for great photos. If your venue doesn’t allow candles, or you are worried about a fire hazard, you can opt for battery-operated versions that flicker like the real thing.
Christine and Christopher’s Treasury on the Plaza wedding | Photo by Angelita Esparar
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #4: Statement Flowers at the Aisle Entrance
Nothing wows like a statement floral moment, right at the entrance to the aisle. We especially love the look of flowers and décor at multiple heights, with bouquets on a pedestal or stand and at floor level. Get creative with your arrangements by adding greenery—such as ferns and palm fronds—pampas grass, or even live potted plants.
Mia and Alex’s wedding at The Treasury on the Plaza | Photo by Life & Love Studio
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #5: Candelabras or Chandeliers at the Aisle Entrance
You aren’t restricted to just flowers at the entrance of your wedding ceremony. Make your aisle décor sparkle with candelabras or chandeliers. We love these chandeliers from Feather & Bloom that Andrea and Brad used at their wedding ceremony entrance. (They repurposed these chandeliers behind their sweetheart table for the reception!
Andrea and Brad’s wedding at The Treasury on the Plaza | Photo by Stout Photography
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #6: Baby’s Breath Lining the Aisle
Baby’s Breath has been a popular décor choice for weddings this year. Keep this look clean and modern by using all-white or neutral blooms and grouping flowers in large bunches.
Gabriela and Patrick’s wedding at The Treasury on the Plaza | Photo by Tiffany Maysonet Photo
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #7: Create a Winter Wonderland with White Branches
Delicate white branches with twinkle lights lined the aisle for Christina and Luke’s winter wedding at The Treasury. We love how they added height to the branches by placing them on clear acrylic pillars.
Photo by Stout Photography
*Please note that décor restrictions have been updated for weddings at The Treasury after 2/1/23. Cylinders filled with water on the floor along the aisle are no longer allowed.
Wedding Aisle Décor Idea #8: Dramatic High and Low Ceremony Arrangements
RJ Glamour created a jaw-dropping ceremony aisle filled with white flowers for Danielle and Nick’s wedding at The Treasury. This all-white look, paired with acrylic chairs and classic white draping for the ceremony backdrop, was one of our most memorable wedding ceremony looks to date!
Photo by Angelita Esparar
Additional Tips For Your Wedding Ceremony Aisle Décor
1. Keep Your Ceremony Backdrop in Mind
Your wedding ceremony aisle décor is just one part of your overall ceremony look. Your ceremony backdrop will be featured in nearly all of your wedding ceremony photos, so it needs to blend seamlessly with the aisle décor.
There are endless options when it comes to your ceremony backdrop. Soft, flowing drapery creates a soft romantic vibe. At The Treasury on the Plaza, this also saves the grand reveal of the Vault Bar for the wedding reception.
Many couples add an additional focal point for their wedding ceremony backdrop. We’ve seen everything from blooming floral walls to canopies and archways.
For added drama, custom lighting effects—such as uplighting or a custom projection with your initials and wedding date—can make your wedding ceremony backdrop unforgettable.
Photo by Angelita Esparar
2. Add Personalized Touches
Your wedding day is exactly that: yours. What better way to remember that than with some personal touches that reflect your love story?
Include photos from your childhoods and/or relationship to your wedding aisle décor or even monogrammed ribbons on the back of the chairs. You can also honor a loved one who has passed on by reserving a chair with their photo on it.
If your wedding has a distinct theme, use that as inspiration. For example, a beach-themed wedding could utilize shells, while miniature spruce trees would be perfect for a Christmas wedding.
Your wedding programs are another opportunity to add some personal touches. Include the story of how you met or got engaged or add some relationship trivia. At The Treasury on the Plaza, we also offer cards detailing the history of this historic venue.
Photo by Chelsea Renay Photography
3. Repurpose Your Wedding Aisle Décor During Your Reception
To get the most value out of your wedding ceremony décor, make sure to reuse your aisle decorations for your wedding reception! Repurpose floral arrangements, candles, and more as table centerpieces, or use them to decorate on or around your sweetheart table.
If you’re planning on going this route, discuss a plan for moving your ceremony décor with your wedding coordinator and florist. Your florist can help suggest arrangements that will be easy to move, and your coordinator will help determine who will be responsible for moving everything to the proper location during the transition from ceremony to reception.
Photo by Stout Photography
Photo by Stout Photography
Make Your Wedding Aisle Pop
Whether your vision is classic or modern, rustic or glamorous, your wedding aisle décor should not only coordinate, it should help set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Whatever you dream of on your wedding day, you can trust The Treasury on the Plaza to help make your day special. Our historic venue has hosted hundreds of weddings, and our team is always ready to guide you toward the vendors that will bring your vision to life. Contact us to start planning your dream day!
