A Florist Shares Her Favorite Wedding Arch Flowers

Including a wedding arch in your ceremony design is a tried and true approach to decorating the ceremony space. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but arches help tie the space together, providing a sense of structure. And they photograph beautifully—especially when flowers are involved!

If you're planning to feature a wedding arch during your ceremony, you might be wondering how to approach decorating the arch itself. Many couples will opt to incorporate a floral design into their wedding arch, which is a great way to thread your wedding flowers throughout the ceremony, and it just looks so fresh and pretty.

Here, we speak to a wedding florist about her favorite wedding arch flowers and she also shares general tips for getting this décor element to blend seamlessly with your overall wedding aesthetic.

How to Choose the Right Type of Flowers

There are dozens of flower types that would look lovely displayed on a wedding arch—but some flowers are better suited for the job than others. Think about which types of blooms do well staying out of water for a long period of time; unlike a floral centerpiece or an arrangement in a vase, these flowers will be displayed without access to water.

"I love to use florals that have longevity with the elements (hot sun) as well as can stand being moved if the couple wants to bring the arch indoors such as roses, spray roses, carnations (these actually open nicely, and come in a variety of colors), and lots of greenery," says Leneille Moon, the creative director and owner of Special Event Factory, a floral design company based in Atlanta.

Other ideas for flowers that will last outside of water for several hours (or more) include sunflowers, orchids, lilies, protea, and anthurium. Additionally, if you're open to featuring greenery instead of (or in addition to) flowers, your best bets will be eucalyptus, succulents, palm leaves, pine, and spruce.

Consider the Season

Moon also suggests consulting with your florist about the types of flowers that are in season. "Typically roses are year-round but the shades vary. In the spring, pastels are more readily available and in the fall you can get darker varieties," Moon explains. "In the summer it’s more about the filler flowers than the roses because we can get dahlias, peonies, and poppies but they don’t do well out of water long and sometimes you can’t see them well in pictures. Focus on blooms with large heads and fillers that give height like delphiniums and snapdragons," she advises.

Think About the Structure

In addition to thinking about flowers and seasons, you want to consider the structure of the arch and ceremony space. Moon points out that the process of decorating an arch with flowers comes down to the material you use underneath the flowers to support the structure as a whole. "Without the right mechanics, your arch will fall over with a strong gust of wind or with the weight of the flowers," she warns. "You need to have a strong base, heavy greenery to cover your mechanics (like chicken wire), and lots of flowers to give height and cover all the sides—because the camera picks up every angle, even the bottom where you think people don’t look."