About Wedding Arches

A wedding arch is a decorative canopy made traditionally from wood, flowers or balloons that is used to frame the bride and groom during the ceremony. They may also be used in the reception as additional decoration around the wedding cake, doorways or dinner seats of the newlyweds. Wedding arches may also be organic entities that are created by the outstretched arms of wedding guests. If either member of the wedding couple is in the military, then a saber arch may be formed by ceremonial swords in celebration.

Features

Wedding arches may be constructed from a variety of materials. Their frame is usually wooden or plastic, and may be shaped as a simple arch or adorned with spires, carved designs and crowned peaks. The size of the arch also varies, and can be shallow in depth or as large as a small gazebo. They are typically adorned in flowers, either real or silk, and may be accented by yards of tulle or light netting. Depending on the design, they may be strung with electric tea lights or helium balloons.

Types

Wedding arches can be rented from companies that specialize in either wedding decoration or garden design, or can be personally constructed at home. Many home and garden supply stores, such Home Depot, Michaels and Lowe's, sell plain garden arches that can be embellished with flowers, lights and fabric to make a wedding arch. While the quality of homemade arches is less than a professionally rented arch, they are often more affordable and can be more customized to the particular color scheme or theme of the wedding.

Considerations

The tradition of wedding guests forming a human wedding arch dates back to the nuptial ceremonies of Celtic Ireland. The guests form two lines parallel to each other and raise their arms above their heads. They join their hands with the person across from them to form an arc shape, and the bride and groom pass beneath them. The human wedding arch is typically formed as the bride and groom are leaving the ceremony or as they enter the reception.

Benefits

The military wedding arch, also called a saber arch, is a special nuptial tradition when one or both of the wedding couple is a member of the armed forces. Guests who are also enlisted form two parallel lines outside the location of the ceremony and make an arch with their ceremonial swords over the heads of the bride and groom after they have said their vows. The tradition started in the British Royal Navy and has been carried on by the American armed forces as well.

Potential

Wedding arches have often appeared in popular cinema, notably the Disney princess cartoons. The hand-carved wedding arch featured in the 2000 film "Meet the Parents" earned a place in pop-culture memory when it caught fire and led to the climatic destruction of an entire backyard.