Why The Wedding Arch is Boring (and What the Hell to Do Instead)

Let’s talk wedding decorations. Specifically — the wedding arch. You know the one. Two legs, one plank across the top, probably covered in fake flowers or some sad draping fabric. Yawn!

If you’ve landed on this page, I’m guessing you're not into cookie-cutter aesthetics or doing what everyone else on Pinterest has already done to death. You’re here because you want an alternative wedding — one that looks like you, not like that sad sack of shit "everything has to be white-fest".

And yes, this month, we're miffed about the traditional wedding arch.

Let’s Bury the Basic Arch (With Black Dahlias and a Fucking Eulogy)

The traditional wedding arch had its moment. It was fine when weddings were still about playing by Grandmas wedding ideas and rulebook.

But you? You’re rewriting the whole concept of wedding decor. So why the hell are you still trying to squeeze your story under an outdated notion?

There are SO many more exciting, weird, luxurious and expressive ways to do your ceremony backdrop — especially when you're working with a wedding stylist who actually gives a damn about your individuality.

Plinths, Baby. They’re Sexy Now.

You want structure? Use plinths. Think architectural, sculptural, tall, moody, decadent. Have 2-4-7, cover them in cascading florals, stems, candles, crystal skulls, make them frame a sick banner — whatever the hell makes you fucking smile.

Plinths add height and drama without boxing you into the tired “arch” formula. They also work beautifully in grand, historical venues, forests, abandoned churches, or your favourite underground bar. (Yes, we’ve styled all of those.)

Use the Space You’re In — Don’t Just Plonk an Arch In It

This might be a controversial take (lol, when are we not?) but sometimes the best “wedding arch/backdrop” isn’t a structure at all. Sometimes it’s a staircase. A stained-glass window. A ruin. A velvet curtain. The skyline. That weird old wall covered in peeling paint at your venue.

And I’ll never not get angry about seeing a photo from a fellow stylist where they stuck a boring-ass wooden arch in front of a STUNNING fireplace — I’m talking green tiles, architectural drama, the kind of backdrop people would kill for. It didn’t make fucking sense. If you're going to have an arch, it needs to be the statement — the only thing that’s there. But this one? It was fighting its backdrop, and honestly, it lost.

If your venue is serving looks already, don’t cover it up. Enhance it. Frame it. Style it. But don’t you dare throw a flat-pack arch in front of it and call it a day.

A good wedding stylist (hello, us 👋) will see what’s iconic in your space and elevate it with styling that actually adds something. Placing candles, florals, textiles, fucking taxidermy if that’s your vibe. We’ll make it art.

But If You MUST Have an Arch… Make It Weird

We’re not total arch haters. We just think if you have to have one, it better be unlike anything we’ve seen before. Go geometric. A triangle arch? Yes. A full moon? Obsessed. Flat MDF curved arch panels in any colour you like — simple, bold, and built to stand the fuck out. Or our absolute favourite; a floral broken arch. Heaven......

You Don’t Need a Wedding Arch. You Need a Vibe.

Your ceremony space should be as iconic as you are. Whether that’s with plinths, moody backdrops, wild florals, or candles on every damn surface — that’s how you do wedding decorations in a way that actually feels like you.

This is your alternative wedding. So ditch the dull arch, hire a wedding stylist who gets it, and help build you a scene that screams “us” — not “us and every other wedding in we've seen before.”

Need help designing your fuck-off fabulous day? Slide into our inbox. We’re Un-Traditional Wedding Stylists and we’re here for the weird, the witchy, the glam, the pop punk and the goth.

#fuckthearch