Minimalist Ceremony Decorations What Is A Must?

I would not put a runner on the stairs for safety reasons.

If the ceremony ends up being indoors, I would not decorate the landing. Let the focus be on the 2 of you and the beautiful window.

If the ceremony ends up being outside, you can keep it simple there, too.

I think the minimal decoration needed for the ceremony are the bride and groom, or brides or grooms. We're having a simple arch but only because we're having the ceremony at a spot in our yard which will accommodate the chairs, etc. it doesn't have any other real structure to show where the ceremony would take place and it needed something. Sounds like your area doesn't so mark that off your list as done!

Great info girls!

We are keeping it simple as well. For the ceremony we are just having two floral arrangements on risers to indicate alter and chivari chairs. Ours will be outside and not much needed for decor. Our indoor reception just doing candles on tables for center pieces.

One thing I did to get ideas was googled images of our venue to see what others did. Also our venue coordinator sent some pics of past wedding setups. So I would try those to options for ideas.

Yes Lady Firefly that is what I am talking about whether or not I should be doing this. Ours (hopefully) will be outside and the gardens and foliage should lend a lot of character I am hoping and eliminating the need for floral arrangements! Ok, yeah, I need to do some more research on the venue. I have already spent hours looking at wedding photography from our venue, easy to google it pops right up, but the pics are almost always focused on the bride and groom and I am always finding myself trying to see past them, it is sometimes difficult in the photographs, but I need to look harder.

Good for you for keeping it simple! We aren't doing any sand/candle/whatever 'ceremonies' - the only ceremony I'm worried about is the vows and rings.

You might consider to put bows only on the reserved seating, to differentiate them, and instead you could take the rest of the money and get a few shepherds hooks and hang bunches of flowers on them, for example, at the last rows of chairs, to mark the beginning of the aisle. (Honestly, while I love the look of bows on chairs, you as a bride won't even notice them and they won't show in photos.)

We had zero ceremony decorations. We got married on a large wooden deck with a gazebo - and the deck branched onto a beach. I thought about candles and tulle, but the wind that day was so crazy that we just went without. Nature was our decoration.

I'm not decorating the venue either. We just don't have time to decorate (and remove them afterwards) plus I'm on a budget. We are renting an arch to put on the outside deck where the ceremony will take place overlooking the lake. My only decor will be centerpieces, signs and small things (candles, rose petals?) to make the cake and gift table pretty. I'm not putting anything on the walls or draping tulle. I just want simple and elegant. I am lining the aisle with rose petals.

My venue is gorgeous, so minimal decoration needed. We are having a flower arrangement in the gazebo where we and the officiant will stand, and I'm doing tulle wraps on the aisle chairs only. There is already a white arbor with little crystal chandeliers over the brick walkway and it's pretty. Not messing with an aisle runner or flower petals for the whopping 20 minutes they'll be used. The flower arrangement will be moved over to the reception area.

I'm a minimalist kind of person, and minimalist kind of floral designer (I just don't find big and lush to be sustainable and environmental, personally).

I suggest no runner. Every runner I have ever seen has caused issues. On grass - no way - watched grandma trip. They are just a pain, and if there is a slight breeze, and it's not double-faced taped down, it blows.

I haven't seen bows on chairs in a decade, frankly.

If the backdrop is lovely, you'll want possibly some of what I call "ceremony markers." Something for the guests to look at to focus on, aha! That's where they will be standing. Sometimes I make simple ceremony markers (you know, the arrangements where an altar would be, but frankly, I haven't done a church ceremony in a decade, either) with curly willow and some flowers down low in a low-key container, and they are up on pedestals so that your guests can see them. Or get two tall (72") shepard's hooks and hang some ferns, or hanging flowering plants. You are getting married in October, so maybe get two smaller maple trees as your markers. Or put pumpkins and fall leaves on your aisle, and a smallish table piled with pumpkins, fall leaves and pomegranates. Etc.

PS - there is no "must." It's your day, and you can do what you want, and don't let anyone tell you different!!

Best wishes!!!!

Fall wedding so we will have pumpkins sitting around with potted mums. I am making centerpieces with glittered foam pumpkins, grapevine wreaths and acorns. I got an amazing deal on a ton of glass votives from a lady on Facebook and I will be using those everywhere. No bows on the chairs or flowers. There will be silk fall leaves scattered around, but that's about it. I MAY do an inexpensive arch with some burlap, but nothing fancy.

We had a chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy), pew bows, and sashes around the chairs in the front row. But really, only the chuppah was necessary, and that was only because we were having a Jewish ceremony. Runners are definitely more of a pain than they are worth. And for other decorations, you're better off spending the money on the reception (which will last much longer than the ceremony).