Draping As Decor: Beautiful Ideas For Elevating Your Wedding Celebration

Michelle and Josh Wedding – Ceremony Draping Decor – Liberty House – Dawn Joe Photo

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.
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Harmony and Derrick Wedding - Bride and Groom Kissing Floral Arch - Guastavinos - Christopher Duggan Photography

Weddings

Unforgettable Highlights From The Real BB Weddings Of 2024

by Kate Murphy

Harmony and Derrick Wedding – Bride and Groom Kissing Floral Arch – Guastavinos – Christopher Duggan Photography

2024 was an amazing year for Real BB Weddings from start to finish. Looking back over the past twelve months, there are moments that defined the beauty, sentiment, and joy only felt when two people commit fully to each other. On each occasion, we were honored to help tell their love story, creating a floral backdrop for the first chapter of many to come. What’s so special about the weddings we are going to share is that while all beautiful and set within New York City’s most desirable venues, they are an authentic reflection of the couple’s singular bond, style, and personality. And from a floral designer’s standpoint, we saw artistic plays on classic white flowers, symbolic designs marrying different cultures and faiths, and decorative themes that captivated with contrast and surprise. Please join us as we relive unforgettable highlights from the Real BB Weddings of 2024.
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Brienna and Patrick Wedding - Bridal Portrait Bouquet - Tribeca Rooftop - Anthony Vazquez Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Simply Classic Ideas For Long-Stemmed Wedding Bouquets

by Kate Murphy

Brienna and Patrick Wedding – Bridal Portrait Bouquet – Tribeca Rooftop – Anthony Vazquez Photography

For many of our brides, the wedding bouquet is the defining element that inspires the rest of their floral decor. It is no secret then that we love designing handheld arrangements – not only essential from a planning standpoint, they are a deeply symbolic expression of a woman’s style and personality. And for this reason, it should appear as though she is carrying the arrangement, not the other way around.

Choosing blooms that make an impression while accentuating a bride’s ensemble instead of distracting from it can be challenging. At this point, we’d like to turn the conversation to the long-stemmed wedding bouquet. What’s so exciting (and surprising!) about the featured designs is how they read as dramatic but not overly bold, polished but not overly restrained. Read on for long-stemmed wedding bouquet ideas for the classic bride.
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Shelby and Max Wedding - High Centerpiece with Candles - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Emma Cleary Photography

Planning & Inspiration

Modern Candelabra Centerpiece Ideas To Elevate Your Wedding Reception

by Kate Murphy

Shelby and Max Wedding – High Centerpiece with Candles – Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Emma Cleary Photography

The candelabra has been lighting up tablescapes for centuries. Purely functional at the beginning, they transformed into ornate, gilded displays trimmed with flowers and fruit covering tables at lavish dinners and special events. Elegantly spectacular, it’s no wonder that couples today are still choosing to incorporate the candelabra centerpiece into their wedding reception decor.

Cari and AnShih Wedding – High Candelabra Centerpiece – Lotte New York Palace NYC – by Kelly Kollar Photography

What’s so attractive about the candelabra is the Old-World allure that it brings to wedding decor. It’s a distinctive aesthetic however and may not work if you lean toward a chicer and simpler look. The question then is can you still have the same sky-high luminosity at dinner, but without the baroque excess and frills? Looking back on our favorite wedding decor trends for 2024, we are happy to say that it’s absolutely possible. Read on for modern candelabra centerpieces ideas guaranteed to elevate your big day celebration.
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Brook and Scott Wedding - Reception Atmosphere - High Centerpiece - Guastavinos - Olivia Christina Photography

Planning & Inspiration

How To Decorate A Large Reception Venue With Wedding Flowers

by Kate Murphy

Brook and Scott Wedding – Reception Atmosphere – High Centerpiece – Guastavinos – Olivia Christina Photography

One of the biggest challenges of having a wedding reception at a big venue is figuring out how to fill it with decor. As much as soaring ceilings and endless floor area inspire awe, they also induce anxiety for couples once they start thinking about florals. We always remind our clients that instead of feeling stressed, they should view this as an opportunity to be creative, expressive, and make their wedding unforgettably unique. There are tried-and-true designs and tablescape plans that tick all the boxes for transforming a cavernous space into a warm and majestic scene. From hanging floral installations to bright white floral arrangements to bold and colorful centerpieces, here are stunning ideas for decorating a large reception venue with wedding flowers.
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Rachel and Adam Wedding - Chuppah - Brooklyn Botanic Garden - LH Photography

Weddings

Rachel & Adam: Enchanted Splendor at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

by Kate Murphy

Rachel and Adam Wedding – Bride and Groom Portrait Bouquet – Brooklyn Botanic Garden – LH Photography

Rachel and Adam met in Washington, D.C., where they lived a block apart. Rachel was attending Georgetown Law School and they started dating four months prior to the beginning of COVID. Rachel remembers, “We were lucky to be together during the pandemic and found a lot of activities to keep us busy.” Now deemed ‘Camp Adam’ by the couple, this time was spent doing everything from playing tennis, hiking, and kayaking to taking virtual cooking and candle making classes to doing puzzles. While many would find being thrown into such an intense situation while still getting to know a person challenging, Rachel and Adam credit this period for establishing the strong foundation of their relationship. “Adam and I perfectly balance each other out. We love to sit on the couch watching TV shows and movies together just as much as we love to play tennis or go out with friends. Neither of us could imagine spending our life without the other.” She finishes, “To this day, we still try to incorporate ‘Camp Adam’ activities into our free time.”
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Planning & Inspiration