How to Make a Wedding Arch Cascade

A wedding arch with cascading flowers creates a romantic, elegant look.

The arch is the focal point of the backdrop during your wedding that should reflect the style of the couple and the theme. A small amount of decorations can highlight and soften the arch, which will frame the wedding party throughout the ceremony and in photographs. Draped fabric and flowers that begin at the arch peak and cascade down the sides enhance a simple frame and incorporate aspects of the wedding theme and colors.

Things You'll Need

• Floral foam
• Floral tape
• Floral netting
• Wire
• Spray bottle (optional)
• Fresh or silk flowers
• Ivy (optional)
• Tulle or wide ribbon (optional)
• Scissors
• Flower tubes (optional)

Instructions

1. Put two floral blocks side by side and tape the seam together with floral tape. Continue adding blocks until the row is a few inches smaller than the desired length of the arch's focal point.

2. Wrap the entire length of blocks in floral netting, beginning at the first block. Wrap it tightly; the netting secures the row of blocks and fresh flowers if applicable. Tuck the end underneath the top layer of netting and tape it to secure.

3. Apply a fine mist of water over all of the blocks with the spray bottle if you are using real flowers. Don't saturate them, as this can cause them to drip during the ceremony.

4. Find the center of the arch, and insert floral greens on both sides, a few inches from the center. Add two more greens to the top and the bottom. Insert the ends of the longer flower stems just inside the greens. The shorter flower stems are applied closer to the center for a fuller effect.

5. Continue adding flowers, gradually inserting the flowers closer to the center. The smallest flowers should be bunched closest to the center. The entire flower block needs to be hidden by the flowers.

6. Attach the block strip to the arch by wrapping wire around the block and the arch on both ends, under the flowers. Carefully wrap the center if the arrangement is heavy. The display should feel secure, not moving with the breeze.

7. Wrap ivy around the back of the display, continuing down both sides of the arch until it is a few feet from the bottom. Continue with subsequent layers until the desired fullness is reached. Alternatively, cut a narrow width of sheer fabric in the length of the arch. Place the center of the fabric behind the floral center, and wrap the fabric two or three times down the length of each side of the arch.

8. Cut down the stems of the remaining flowers to 3 to 5 inches. Fill a flower tube with water and replace the cap, and insert each flower into its own tube if you are using fresh flowers. Gather four or five flowers together and wrap them with wire to bunch them.

9. Attach the bunch near the center arrangement with wires. Place bunches as close or as far away from the peak as desired. Lessen the amount of flowers in the bunches as they get farther away from the center to create a cascading effect.

Tips & Warnings

• Use silk flowers that mimic the real flowers used in the ceremony to save money and allow you to include more flowers in the arch display.

• Drape fabric in a bold color for a dramatic effect.

References

• Save on Crafts: Wedding and Garden Arbors
• Flower Arranging; Teresa Lanker