15 DIY Wedding Chair Decorations that WOW!

One thing you may not have planned out in even your wildest, most detailed wedding fantasies is the chair decor.

And not because chair decor isn't important. Rather, it's one of those details so tiny that it's easy to overlook. Chair selection is not as immediately gratifying as picking out, say, the wedding dress or reception menu.

Here are 15 wedding chair decoration ideas sure to light the flames of inspiration:

1. Pew Flowers with Ribbons

Ok, we're biased, but it's still a fact: flowers are always a good idea.

Floral arrangements always make great wedding chair decoration ideas. Sometimes, a small, well-placed couple of flowers with a pinch of greenery can be exactly what a space needs to soften the edges or bring romance to a modernized area. These burnt orange chair pew flowers are a simple, pretty pop of color.

2. Free-Standing Flowers

Free-standing flowers eliminate the need for hanging and can be an easy solution to worries about people getting caught in arrangements attached to chairs. They're easy to set up and take down and look stunning in photographs of you walking down the aisle.

For budget-friendly weddings, these bouquets can serve multiple purposes and can easily be transferred to the reception to use on the tables. Just lay out some candles to set the mood, and your space will be transformed to match your theme and color palette.

3. Floral Chair Signs

For an extra special touch, hang floral chair signs at the head table for the bride and groom.

Signs can add visual interest with geometric shapes, textures, and depths. A few well-placed flowers tied on carefully with ribbons can be the difference between a 'wooden welcome sign' and a 'work of art.'

Consider adding twinkle lights to create an ethereal effect or major fairytale vibes. They're truly magical! Extra illumination can also be useful for twilight or evening ceremonies as the sun fades.

4. Fabric Wraps

One way to tie in your wedding colors is by using fabric. Chairs can easily be wrapped in different colors and lengths with various designs and knots to add interest.

Here, it's a simple, elegant knot keeping a tightly wound design secure around the backrest while the extra length hangs loosely, stopping at the floor.

The knot design keeps the excess fabric from getting hooked on the guest sitting in the chair while still creating visual interest. It's not only beautiful, but it's practical, keeping the fabric in place and looking lovely. For a more opulent look, add flowers.

5. Sheer Tulle with Bouquets

These DIY wedding chair decorations are perfect for a fairy-tale-like wedding. The light tulle is ethereal, and the loop created by folding it in half and attaching flowers 6 inches down makes them a breeze to place over the shoulder of a chair.

Use white tulle and add simple versions of your bridal bouquet, or use a delicate white baby's breath to draw all eyes with you up the aisle.

6. Mason Jar Flowers

Outdoor weddings with rustic simplicity are a beautiful trend that has captivated the interest of many brides. These mason jar bouquets are perfect for getting married in a field, a garden, or a barn venue.

You can get them in clear or colored glass and attach them with simple twine or set them next to the aisle on the ground or smoothed down stumps. While it looks stunning, it would not be convenient for the reception. For an even easier version of this, consider using single stems and vintage bottles.

7. Ribbons and fabric

Walking down the aisle, all eyes will be on you, not the decorations. For this classic chic look, all you need is a satin ribbon and an idea of how long you want it to hang.

It's a concept that works for the wedding and reception, and anyone who is available to assist with your wedding setup can tie a bow.

8. Floral Vines

Bring a little energy to your floral arrangements with these climbing chair bouquets! They make a statement and are as filled with life as your big day, spreading cheerfully across the back of each chair. The key here is adding the right amount of greenery and a few well-placed flowers that work with your theme.

As a bonus, you can stretch your budget by incorporating more greenery and fewer flowers. It adds freshness to your decor and comes in many shapes and sizes.

You'll be amazed at what you can do with just a few tools. Glue, wire, and floral tape go a long way.

9. Bows and Pearls

A classy jewel that fits in at any wedding is the pearl.

For that classic, Breakfast-at-Tiffany's look, grab a couple of ribbons and pearls! Finish it all with the iconic Robin-egg's blue ring–box, and you'll have a wedding inspired by a quintessential vintage film. This look is perfect for walking down the aisle or the reception, but if used for the latter, you need to be comfortable with some occasional clacking when people scoot in their chairs.

10. Aisle Wreaths

These nymph-like twigs and flower wreaths are perfect for anyone wanting to tie in a bit of nature. The greenery that drapes dramatically to the ground emanates nature.

11. The Side Knot

An alternative is simply tying on fabric or linen; this is another easy DIY wedding chair decoration that instantly elevates. Better yet, the side knot idea is simple to execute!

As the name suggests, this method mostly involves the use of a chair cover, fabric, or linen:

• Create a knot by looping the front side of the material and tightly tucking it under the loop.
• Repeat the process for each chair. Secure it with the wire to incorporate flowers, greenery, fabrics, shells, or other embellishments.

10. Full Coverage Drape

Full coverage drapes are another tried and true wedding chair decoration idea.

This elegant drape with sheer fabric is light and perfect for a summer wedding but could be replaced with something heavier in cooler weather. A couple of well-placed clips and wired-on flowers filled out with dangling greenery, and you're ready to go! 

13. (Small) Balloons

Similar to flowers, balloons make everything better!

Of course, you'll want to make sure your balloons are small in stature so that you don't blow the view of wedding guests or photographers. Small, heart-shaped balloons or a few in your colors make for budget-friendly wedding chair decor ideas.

14. A Bit of Greenery

Never underestimate the power of green! The right greenery can take any situation from drab to subtly elegant instantly.

Ling's gorgeous greenery chair decorations will add the aura of spring to your wedding chairs without adding color like a floral garland would.

The chair bouquet is knotted on a long ribbon so that it can be tied around any size or type of chair with ease. Different textures of delicate greenery and lace-like baby's breath add beauty and romance without stealing the show.

15. Numbers

A number is a simple, helpful symbol that can change the look of a chair fast. If neither you nor your fiance are artistically inclined, consider ordering vinyl numbers online. Always make sure the material you order sticks to the surface of your chair.

Wedding chair decor FAQ

Do you even need chairs anyway? Can you DIY wedding chair decorations? The world of wedding chairs can be complicated.

Here are the top questions we get about wedding chair decor answered:

How important are chairs at a wedding?

Think about it like this: chairs will be in your ceremony photos, and they take up a good amount of precious venue space. An uncomfortable seat can divide a wedding guest's attention. Your seating is also part of the overall aesthetic and can change, add, or detract from the atmosphere of a room.

So... how important are chairs at a wedding? Pretty important! While no aspect of your wedding is something you should stress about, chairs are certainly not an area you want to overlook.

Decor for the bride and groom's chairs

As the stars of the show, you'll want your bride and groom chairs to stand out a bit from the rest of the wedding seating. Here are a few quick and easy ideas for making your bride and groom chairs truly shine:

• Flowers or greenery. Reuse or reintegrate your wedding flower choices for your bride and groom chair decor. Use wreaths, garlands, flower arrangements, or floral hoops to mark the seat clearly.
• Chair style. Make it obvious where the lovebirds are by giving them different styled seats than the guests. Do this by choosing chairs of different colors, textures, or heights.
• Photos. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. Frame pictures of the bride and groom and hang them behind the chairs.Bonus points if you get photos of yourselves as children!
  
• Signage. Give your guests a sign, literally. Phrases like "Together, Forever" or "Bride and Groom" work well, or you can use an expression unique to you.
  
• Love seat. Merriam-Webster defines a love seat as "a double chair, sofa, or settee for two persons." Cute, cozy, and appropriately named, a love seat is another bride and groom seating option we love.
  
• Decals. If you're using plastic seats or those trendy ghost chairs, go for a wedding decal to stick to the back. You can include your new initials, names, or simply the words 'bride and groom.'
  

Do you use the same chairs for the wedding ceremony and reception?

Asking yourself if you can use the same chairs for your wedding and reception is a smart move, budget-wise! And it's totally possible to do just that if you account for two critical factors: Time and logistics.

When considering time, ask yourself, 'How much time do I have between the ceremony and the reception?' then  subtract at least half an hour.

Remember, your loved ones won't magically spring from their seats when the time to transform/transfer the chair from wedding to reception starts ticking down. Guests will linger, chat, finish their drinks, gather their items/children, etc., so you must factor that into your time budget.

Logistically speaking, moving chairs is manual labor. If you have 200+ wedding guests, transferring seating can be just as much work as if you had new seating completely. Weather may also be a factor. If it's snowing or pouring rain heavily, you'll need to do a bit of extra planning to move your chairs from the ceremony to the reception.

Can you DIY wedding chair decorations?

If you can dream it, you can DIY it.

That being said if you've ever signed yourself up for a DIY project that appeared simple but quickly turned into a complex nightmare that looked nothing as you expected... first of all, we've all been there! Second of all, rest assured that chair decor is typically not one of those projects.

Chair decor can be one of the easier aspects of your wedding to DIY.

Check out our tutorial "How to DIY a wedding chair," with a helpful video and step-by-step instructions.

Should you have extra chairs at a wedding ceremony?

When it comes to wedding planning, it's always best to expect the unexpected.

No matter how airtight plan A is, you might still need a plan B. So yes, you should have extra chairs at a wedding ceremony. A good rule of thumb is to have 10% more chairs than you anticipate. For example, if you estimate 100 guests, you'll want to have about 10 extra chairs on deck.

Don't Take a Seat Just Yet

We know there are a million and one more ways you could arrange your chair decorations, but we hope these 15 wedding chair ideas have inspired you to think outside the box. If you found this article helpful, tag us @lingsmoment on IG!