Draping As Decor: Beautiful Ideas For Elevating Your Wedding Celebration

There’s been a lot of buzz about draping on the wedding design scene lately. While draping as decor isn’t exactly a novel concept, now more than ever couples are using beautiful fabrics in fresh and creative ways to highlight focal points such as a ceremony structure, an entrance, or the dance floor. Just like choosing wedding flowers, there are basics you should know before covering any ceilings or walls. Draping comes in an array of textiles that best complement a desired aesthetic – sheer voile and chiffon are lovely choices for daytime and garden weddings, lavish velvet looks striking in a classic or historical venue, and shimmering satin blends wonderfully into a modern setting. Be sure to reach out to the appropriate vendors for guidance – your planner (if you have one), florist (Bride & Blossom offers draping as part of our design services), venue manager, and lighting person (if you have one) should all be in communication and ready to help execute your vision. Looking for ideas to get you started? Here are examples from the Real BB Weddings archives that take this favorite wedding trend of 2025 to great new heights.

Hang Draping for a Dramatic Entrance

The saying “behind the velvet curtain” indicates that beyond the fabric threshold, lies a luxurious and intimate room. Within in the context of wedding design, a curtain framed entrance gives guests a slivering glimpse to the reception atmosphere, creating a sense of drama and excitement. And if working in an open venue, it divides the floor plan into spaces that accommodate the flow of your wedding day schedule.

Warm Up a ‘Blank Space’ Venue

What’s so appealing about a ‘blank space’ venue is the versatility it offers in terms of design and styling. Creating a sense of intimacy and warmth, however, can be challenging in a vast and minimal space. This wedding at The Glasshouse solved the problem by hanging lustrous champagne hued linen along the circumference of the room. Complementing the white, cream, blush, and amber-rose floral palette, the draping paired with shimmering candlelight, bringing a romantic softness to the reception atmosphere.

Cover a Ceremony Structure

Whether you are exchanging vows before an archway, chuppah, or mandap, the ceremony structure is going to be the most important decor feature of your wedding day. Typically made of wood, Lucite, or metal piping, the framework offers endless opportunity to style with draping – chiffon tied at each front posts creates a grand opening into a classic chuppah, pleated sheer fabric arranged in a swooping, crisscross fashion on a mandap radiates graceful elegance, a diaphanous piece of fabric wound rhythmically at the top of an arch captivates the eye with sophisticated charm. Give thoughtful attention to how the fabric hits the ground, pooling it in a natural, yet polished manner. And last but certainly not least, enliven the design with floral arrangements that establish the tone of your wedding theme.

A Fabric Backdrop Sets the Stage for Saying ‘I Do’

Another attractive way to incorporate draping into your ceremony is by hanging fabric behind the matrimonial structure such as a chic lucite chuppah, garden inspired alter arrangements, or a jaw-dropping floral chandelier. Whether elevating a restaurant terrace, creating a sense of intimacy in a large ballroom, or cushioning the original brick of a renovated industrial building, textiles can be used to dress up any type of venue, helping to set the stage for one of the most cherished moments in a couple’s life together.

Maximize Tent Draping to Full Effect

There’s no denying draping’s capacity to completely transform an event space – this is especially true for a tent wedding. Create a spellbinding atmosphere overhead by covering the tent’s ceiling in a billowing effect to maximize the fabric’s ethereal properties. Lighting is key – twinkling string lights give the illusion of a starry canopy just as glistening crystal chandeliers evoke an air of refined luxury.

Starburst Ceiling Draping

A starburst approach to draping brings stylish whimsy to the wedding day celebration. The design features a central ring with streamers of fabric fanning out to the perimeter of the room. This is a great choice if you are dressing up a transparent tent or outdoor space – after sunset, the draping will take on a celestial silhouette against the night sky backdrop – or are working with an interesting ceiling and want to bring attention to its architectural features from below.

We hope that these designs from our Real BB Weddings inspire you to think about how draping can be used to elevate your special day. It’s amazing how a space’s atmosphere transcends when cascading chiffon, opulent velvet, or sleek satin factors into the design scheme. While the examples above all use neutral and sheer fabrics, draping color options run the spectrum and you should have no problem finding the perfect shade and material to suit your palette and theme.