Gardening Garden Design Garden Projects How to Make a Willow Wedding Arch for a Romantic Floral Backdrop Make a romantic wedding arbor that brims with flowers from the garden. With the right materials, this garden arch can be completed in a day. By Debra Prinzing Debra Prinzing Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Debra Prinzing is a Seattle-based writer, speaker and leading advocate for American Grown Flowers. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on September 20, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Project Overview Working Time: 5 hours Total Time: 6 hours Skill Level: Intermediate Couples of many customs and cultures say their vows while standing beneath a wedding arch or arbor—in the Jewish tradition, called a chuppah. To floral educator Alicia Schwede, these botanical structures often take on a personal meaning for today’s nuptials. “I like how romantic arbors look, especially when decorated with flowers,” says Schwede, who also publishes Flirty Fleurs, a floral design blog. “I try to design with flowers that bring back memories for a bride or groom, perhaps of grandmother’s garden, or of the place and time of the ceremony.” Schwede and her husband, Chad Siedlik, teamed up to design and build garden arches and arbors suitable for attaching willow branches, vines, and flowers for her clients’ wedding ceremonies. They also researched and created traditional chuppah structures, which play an important part in many Jewish ceremonies as symbols of shelter and protection. “A floral structure can be used to visually define the location where vows are taken, or create a lovely backdrop and frame the couple for photography,” Schwede says. “It’s important to choose a garden arbor style that reflects the space, whether it’s indoors or outdoors.” What You'll Need Materials 7- or 8-foot metal garden arch kit Gold and brown spray paint Metal fence posts Floral wire and tape 50 Stems each curly willow and Italian ruscus 20 Stems each roses and peonies 12 Stems each stock and astilbe Floral tubes for all flowers Instructions Assemble and Paint Arch Assemble the garden arch according to instructions. Apply spray paint in alternating layers of brown and gold to create an irregular barklike finish. For a warmer look with a more rustlike hue, incorporate bronze spray paint instead of gold. How to Use Spray Paint on Furnishings, Decorative Objects, and More Attach Arch to Posts Sink fence posts in the ground. Then, secure the arch to the posts with floral wire. You want to make sure to create a sturdy base, so add as much wire as needed. Weave Willow Branches Weave lengths of curly willow branches up one side and over the top of the arch. Continue weaving to the opposite side. "The more willow you use, the more it helps make the metal disappear," floral educator Alicia Schwede says. Add Greenery Layer Italian Ruscus through the willow, weaving with an in-and-out pattern. Italian Ruscus is a classic green filler to accent bouquets, centerpieces, and other floral arrangements. Weaving the green foliage through will soften the willow branches and add a romantic style. This DIY Greenery Garland Will Be the Star of Your Holiday Table Insert Flowers Insert roses, peonies, and stock and astilbe stems into water-filled floral tubes. Weave them into the willow branches, arranging in clusters of 3–5 blooms. Secure with wire or tape if needed.