Creating A Wedding Altar: A Personalized Guide

A wedding altar is the perfect way to set the mood for your ceremony and can be personalised to fit any theme, colour scheme, or setting. Whether you're looking for a traditional or quirky design, a DIY wedding altar is a fun and creative way to add a unique and memorable touch to your special day. From floral arches to rustic ladders, the possibilities are endless. So, get ready to grab your glue guns and let your creativity shine as you craft a one-of-a-kind backdrop for your big day!

Using natural materials

Step 1:

Insert four bamboo canes into the ground, ensuring they are secure and evenly spaced to form a square shape. The size of the square will depend on your desired altar size and height. Generally, it should be wide and tall enough for you, your partner, and the officiant to stand under comfortably.

Step 2:

Once you are happy with the positioning of the canes, attach another bamboo cane horizontally across the top of the structure, using string to secure each end to the vertical canes. This adds stability and creates the basic frame for your altar.

Step 3:

Continue securing the vertical bamboo canes together with string on each side of the altar, leaving the front side open. This will give you a three-sided structure.

Step 4:

For added stability, secure more bamboo canes in the same way along the middle of each side, creating an 'X' shape.

Step 5:

Now it's time to decorate your altar! Cut strips of fabric or material of your choice and loosely secure them around the outside of the altar. You can add as much or as little fabric as you like to achieve your desired look. Consider draping some fabric at the front of the altar to frame it.

Step 6:

Add flowers or greenery to bring life and colour to your altar. You can bunch flowers together and secure them with string, then attach them to the midsection of the altar or wherever you prefer. You can also weave in greenery or hang flower garlands for a more natural look.

Step 7:

Feel free to add any other decorations that suit your wedding theme. You can include dream catchers, fairy lights, or macrame for a bohemian touch. Candles are also a romantic addition to your altar, creating a serene ambiance, especially for indoor weddings.

Step 8:

Finally, you may want to place a mat or rug in front of your altar to define the space and add a cosy feel.

And there you have it! A beautiful, natural wedding altar that you can easily customise to fit your wedding theme and style.

DIY coffee filter altar

A DIY coffee filter altar is a unique and beautiful way to add a personal touch to your wedding. Here are some steps and ideas to create a stunning coffee filter altar:

Choosing the Right Coffee Filters

Start by choosing the right type and colour of coffee filters. You can use basket or cone coffee filters, and either leave them white or dye them to match your wedding colour palette. If you want to dye the filters, use watered-down acrylic paint, food colouring, or watercolours. Hang the dyed filters to dry, and don't forget to put newspaper underneath to avoid any stains.

Creating the Altar Backdrop

One creative way to use coffee filters for your altar is to create a backdrop. Dye the coffee filters your desired colours and string them together into cone shapes. You can then hang these along a wall or from the ceiling to form a beautiful, textured backdrop for your ceremony. This idea can be adapted to fit any colour scheme and will surely impress your guests.

Making Coffee Filter Flowers

Another idea is to make flowers out of coffee filters. This may be a time-consuming process, but the results are gorgeous and unique. To make these flowers, you will need coffee filters, floral wire or thin dowel rods, wire cutters, scissors, and tape. First, cut out petal shapes from the coffee filters in different sizes. Then, cut your wire to the desired length and secure the petals to it using tape, curling the edges of the petals for a more realistic look. Layer the petals, making sure to line up the tops to create a cone shape. Add more layers of petals in different sizes and colours until you achieve the desired fullness. These flowers can be used to create a bouquet or to decorate your altar.

Coffee Filter Puffs

If you're looking for a fun and whimsical decoration, try making coffee filter puffs. For this, you'll need coffee filters, wiffle balls, thin ribbon or twine, and a glue gun. If you want coloured puffs, dilute craft or watercolour paint and brush it onto the edges of the filters or dunk them in the paint. Let the filters dry completely before proceeding. Tie a loop of ribbon through each wiffle ball, then take two coffee filters at a time and twist them into cone shapes. Put a circle of hot glue around a hole in the wiffle ball, insert the twisted filters, and secure with additional glue. Repeat until all the holes are filled, and gently pull apart the coffee filters to cover any gaps. These puffs can be used to decorate your altar or aisle.

Combining Coffee Filters with Other Elements

You can also combine coffee filters with other materials to create a unique altar. For example, consider pairing coffee filters with wiffle balls, vintage doors, lace, ribbons, or flowers. Coffee filters can be used to create a neutral backdrop or add a pop of colour, depending on your wedding theme. Don't be afraid to experiment and get creative!

Vintage doors as an altar

Vintage Doors as a Wedding Altar

Vintage doors can be a simple yet beautiful way to create a rustic or vintage-style wedding altar. They can be used as a backdrop, or as an actual entrance for the couple to walk through.

Sourcing Vintage Doors

Vintage doors can be found at architectural salvage yards and building supply re-use stores. They range in price from $10 to $200 depending on their size, age, thickness, and quality.

Setting Up the Doors

Vintage doors can be set up by propping them up between something heavy, like planters, or by purchasing simple materials from a hardware store to make stands.

Decorating the Doors

Doors can be decorated with flowers or other embellishments, or left bare for a truly rustic look. For a simple yet elegant look, consider adding a wreath of lavender to each door with eucalyptus draped across the top, as seen at a wedding at Mountain Laurel Farms in Cleveland, Georgia. For an outdoor wedding, a vintage door ceremony arch can be decorated with a hanging vintage chandelier.

Using Doors as a Backdrop

Vintage doors can be used as a backdrop for the altar, with or without additional decorations. For a more elaborate setup, consider using a grouping of vintage screen doors in various complementary colors. This creates a simple yet impactful look.

Other Uses for Vintage Doors

Vintage doors can also be used as table tops, for example, for a dessert bar or drink stand. They can also be used to display items such as menus and seating charts.

Metal piping or hula hoop altar

A metal piping or hula hoop altar is a great, budget-friendly option for a DIY wedding arch. It is also a creative way to make a statement at your wedding.

To start, you will need to purchase metal piping or hula hoops. Metal piping can be bought from hardware stores and hula hoops can be purchased from dollar stores. If you want to save even more money, you can use a basic clothing rail as your base and decorate it to fit your wedding theme.

Once you have your materials, you can begin constructing your arch. For a metal piping arch, you will need to put the piping into shape and then decorate it as you please. You can paint it, wrap it in fabric, or decorate it with flowers, ribbons, or lights. If you are using hula hoops, you can cover them with fabric or lace and secure them at different heights from a post or suspend them from an arch.

Your arch can be customized to fit any wedding colour palette or theme. For example, you can use fairy lights to create a magical evening ceremony or paint the hula hoops to disguise their original form. You can also add flowers, ribbons, or lights to your hula hoop arch.

A metal piping or hula hoop altar is a fun and inexpensive way to add a unique touch to your wedding ceremony. With some creativity and DIY skills, you can create a beautiful backdrop for your special day.

Using flowers

Flowers are a beautiful and classic choice for a wedding altar. They can be used to create a stunning backdrop for your ceremony and can be personalised to suit your taste and colour scheme. Here are some tips and ideas for creating a floral wedding altar:

Choosing the Right Flowers

Select flowers that complement your wedding colour palette and theme. You can go for a single type of flower or mix and match different varieties to create a unique look. Consider the size and shape of your flowers, as well as their colour. For example, you could use roses, peonies, lilies, or hydrangeas. If you're feeling creative, you can even incorporate non-traditional elements like succulents or baby's breath.

Creating a Floral Arch

One popular option for a floral wedding altar is to create a floral arch. This can be done by using a pre-made arch structure and decorating it with flowers and greenery. You can choose a simple wooden arch or a more elaborate metal arch, depending on your style. Cover the arch with flowers and greenery, paying attention to the placement and angles of the stems to create a natural, tapered look. You can also add ribbons, bows, or fairy lights to enhance the romantic atmosphere.

Using Bamboo Canes and Fabric

For a more unique and cost-effective approach, consider using bamboo canes and fabric to create your floral altar. Insert the canes into the ground to form a secure structure, then drape fabric and flowers over it. This method allows for flexibility in terms of size and height, ensuring that it is tall and wide enough for the couple and any other participants. You can use thin strips of fabric and flowers of your choice to decorate the structure, securing them with string or zip ties.

Combining Fresh and Faux Flowers

When creating your floral wedding altar, you can choose to use fresh flowers, faux flowers, or a combination of both. Fresh flowers add a natural and elegant touch, but they may require more care and attention to prevent wilting. Faux flowers, on the other hand, offer durability and can be a cost-effective option. Combining both types of flowers can give you the best of both worlds, allowing you to create a stunning display that lasts throughout the ceremony and reception.

Enhancing with Greenery

Don't underestimate the impact of greenery! Using large-leafed greenery as a statement piece for your altar or arch can add depth and a natural aesthetic to your setup. Insert the greenery at varying angles to create the illusion of growth, starting from the bottom and working your way up. You can also use different types of greenery to bring variety and texture to your design.

Personalisation and Symbolism

Incorporate meaningful elements that symbolise your relationship and interests. For example, you could include a tiny bookshelf to represent your love of reading or a miniature globe to signify your shared wanderlust. These personal touches will make your floral wedding altar even more special and memorable.

Frequently asked questions