Wedding Chair Decor
They’re one of the most overlooked details of any event but can truly make or break a space; a detail fussed over for hours by brides, wedding planners, and event coordinators everywhere. Although you will rarely find them mentioned in a bridal magazine – we mean the chairs and chair covers! Maybe you’re a bride looking at what different venues offer with their space, or an event coordinator who often is asked about accent decor. Whatever the case, we’ve put together this practical guide to popular chairs and how to dress them up for the big day.
Folding Chairs
Folding chairs are the most commonly used chair for wedding ceremonies due to their affordability, light weight, and ease of setting up. If made of wood or resin, most couples opt to decorate only the aisle-end chairs for their ceremony to save money, but you can go all-out if it’s within your budget. If metal, chair covers are commonly used (…because, let’s be real, they’re a bit unsightly.) In the rare case you’re using folding chairs for your reception you’ll want to ensure either every chair, or no chair, has decor to keep visual cohesion.
Chair type:
Economical
Commonly made of:
White resin, metal, or wood
To decorate:
Banquet Chairs
Simply put, banquet chairs have a metal frame, a cushioned seat, and a backrest. These chairs are most commonly used in hotels or banquet halls, and arguably, they’re the most comfortable on this list. Being comfortable comes with a price in this case, however, because they usually need the most help.
There’s a wide range of colors and patterns present in the banquet chair upholstery world, and until you visit your venue in person you won’t be 100% sure on what yours look like. Once you do see them you have two choices: try to match your wedding’s color scheme to them so you don’t have to decorate them too much, or use a chair cover to keep them from clashing with the rest of your space.
Most couples opt for the latter option because they want their day to be a reflection of them and not dictated by chairs. The good news is you can go neutral with your chair cover color (black, silver), have it play off of your soft accent colors (blush, ivory), or make a statement since that’s your prerogative (black & white stripe, metallic gold.) Forget Aunt Beth’s wedding from antiquity, the days of the traditional sea of white chair covers are indeed over.
Our final banquet chair tip? If they’re in your budget, spandex chair covers. They require no ironing and take less than a minute to put onto a chair, which means less worries on if they’ll slip or slide during your reception.
Chair type:
Economical
Common top designs:
Crown top, round top, and square top
To decorate:
Chiavari Chairs
Chiavari chairs are the current gold standard of wedding and event seating, both for ceremonies and receptions. If you’re opting to have Chiavari chairs at your wedding one thing is for sure: you’re a chic individual who values design. Very few venues come with Chaivari chairs; they’re usually the upgraded seating option for most event packages, or cost extra with a rental company. Chiavari Chairs were invented in Italy in the late 1800’s as a functional yet decadent design, so it’s no surprise this marriage between beauty and function is something we still use today halfway around the world from its inception.
Though they don’t need much on their own, Chiavari chairs are still commonly dressed up with a combination of sashes and brooches to really elevate their design.
Chair type:
Luxury
Common colors:
Natural wood, white, black, silver, gold, and clear acrylic
To decorate:
Cross Back Chairs
Cross Back Chairs have been popping up more and more over the past year on Pinterest, in wedding blogs, and in wedding magazines. Each one comprises of a wooden base, legs, and back that features two intersecting wood pieces to form an ‘X.’ Similar to Chairvari chairs in grandeur, the cross back chairs also won’t be standard to most venues and usually rent at a higher price-point than the Chiavari. Both used for ceremonies and receptions, consider cross back chairs if you’re having an upscale event that is focused on a lot of natural elements (such as florals, wood accents pieces, and earth-tone linens.) The allure of the cross back chair is its natural wood, so less is more when it comes to decorating these gorgeous chairs!
Chair type:
Luxury
Common colors:
Light wood, dark wood, white, and black
To decorate:
Important: Our Chair Bands and Chair Covers will not fit on a Cross Back Chair
Ghost Chairs
Ghost Chairs are clear lucite chairs that started gaining traction on the wedding scene in late 2013. Widely popular in modern interior design, expect these chairs to be specialty items from rental companies or to only be available from very select venues. Couples who opt for ghost chairs do so because they let a space’s flow remain uninterrupted, which is perfect for a beach ceremony or art museum reception. If you’re after ghost chairs chances are you’re a trend setter who wants the most contemporary event money can afford. While they do make a statement on their own, there are definitely a few ways to dress these chairs up if your personal aesthetic calls for it.
Chair type:
Luxury
To decorate:
- Chair Bands
- Chair Sashes
- Oversize Roses(add 3M Adhesive Tabs to stick to the back of the chair)
Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing Chairs and Chair Covers
- If you’re a DIY bride you need to know that setting up chair decor takes time. You’ll either want an event planner or small army of friends and family to take care of it, or use any spare hours your venue provides the day before/day of to set them up yourself.
- You’ll want to order all of your accent decor (be it a sash, flower, or chair band) at one time to avoid different dye lots.
- Decorating is fun! Be adventurous and use more than one color to liven up your event space. We’re not necessarily saying be bold and pair fuchsia and apple green together, but even mixing it up with darker colors, such as navy blue and plum, and add an extra visual element to your space.
