Buying guide for best wedding arch
For a bold and beautiful wedding ceremony, a wedding arch is a timeless piece of decor that sets the stage for your wedding vows. A wedding arch provides a centerpiece for all kinds of weddings, a focal point for the photographers and a luxurious backdrop for your big moment. As you search for the perfect wedding arch, you’ll find various shapes, colors, sizes and styles.
If you’re looking for a classic and durable wedding arch, the Dura-Trel, Inc. Wellington Arbor is the top choice.
What’s the best wedding arch to buy?
Top wedding arch
Dura-Trel, Inc. Wellington Arbor
What you need to know: This is a stunning white arch that offers a touch of luxury to your wedding day and can also double as garden decor after your nuptials.
What you’ll love: The PVC vinyl construction is made to last outdoors, creating an elegant look no matter where you get married. Ground anchors hold it in place. A 20-year warranty guarantees quality. It looks great alone or with simple greenery draped around it.
What you should consider: Assembly instructions are challenging.
Top wedding arch for the money
JC HUMMINGBIRD Round Metal Arch
What you need to know: This circular arch offers a unique addition to your wedding aesthetic at an affordable price.
What you’ll love: This is an extremely cost-friendly option for an elegant wedding arch. The round metal frame measures 6.5-feet in diameter and is powder-coated to make it weather-resistant. It’s easy to assemble and comes with support legs to stabilize it. You can choose from white, black or green finishes to blend seamlessly with your decor.
What you should consider: It’s not the sturdiest, so be sure to use the support legs.
Wedding arch worth checking out
Outsunny Wood Steel Outdoor Garden Arch
What you need to know: This slim arch offers a beautiful backdrop that’s easy to customize for any aesthetic.
What you’ll love: The Firwood makes it ideal for outdoor use. The pergola-style design lends a classic and natural feel to a wedding ceremony. You can easily stain or paint the wood arch to compliment your wedding decor. The simple arch looks even more stately with greenery, flowers or fairy lights.
What you should consider: Some customers mention quality control issues. You may need extra hardware to anchor it securely in the ground.
What to know before you buy a wedding arch
The key considerations when buying a wedding arch are the size, durability and overall style. Remember, the style of the wedding arch sets the tone for the entire ceremony and will be the backdrop in every picture of the ceremony. Make sure to have a good sense of your wedding day decor and style before shopping for an arch.
Size
Some wedding arches are massive while others are petite. Be sure to select a wedding arch that fits both your ceremony space and easily frames you and your partner. If you have access to it, measure the area where you stand to know what size arch will fit. Otherwise, measure space on the floor with you and your partner standing as you would during the ceremony. Put tape around the outline on the floor so you can visualize how wide the arch would be behind you.
Durability
Finding a wedding arch that stays put during the ceremony is a key part of the shopping process. Factors that influence durability include materials, design, how the arch secures to the ground and its overall weight. Take all these factors into consideration when looking for wedding arches. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, be extra particular about which arch you choose as it needs to hold up against wind and weather.
Style
There are as many styles of wedding arches as there are weddings. Classic shapes and styles include a rectangular pergola garden arbor, a round metal ring, and a carved metal archway. Each shape and style lends itself to a different aesthetic, so spend some time thinking about which style matches your wedding best and how you would decorate it.
What to look for in a quality wedding arch
When choosing a high-quality wedding arch, keep in mind the materials, whether or not it comes with ground supports and how well it can perform as a multi-functional archway after the big day.
Materials
Wedding arches are generally made from either wood, metal or sturdy plastic, like PVC vinyl. A plastic arch will be the most lightweight but may not be the right aesthetic for your wedding day. A wooden arch adds a big dose of natural texture and color but is very heavy to carry and may need a sealant to withstand outdoor weather. A metal arch offers the most durability, though is prone to rust if left outdoors.
Ground supports
Whether your wedding is indoors or outdoors, you’ll want some type of support system to secure your archway to the ground. This is especially true if your ceremony will be outdoors. Check if the arch you want comes with ground supports. You may need to get creative and provide your own tools to install the arch so it doesn’t move.
Multi-purpose functionality
If you want to treat your wedding arch as an investment and not a sunk cost, you can repurpose many wedding arches as garden arbors after your wedding is over. Many of these arches look regal in a garden and can add elegance to your yard as they did to your wedding. To do this, look for wedding arches that are built for the outdoors and can withstand wind, rain and all the elements.
How much you can expect to spend on a wedding arch
Most decorative wedding arches cost between $30-$100. More expensive options are available for $100 or more, depending on the quality of materials and complexity of the design.
FAQ
How big should my wedding arch be?
A. A wedding arch will stand as a backdrop behind you and your partner during the wedding ceremony, so it needs to be taller than both of you. Ideally, it would also be wide enough to frame you as you stand together. The most important thing is that guests and the photographer can enjoy the decorative element of the arch while they focus on you. If it’s hidden, it’s not adding the framing effect that it should.
Do I need to decorate my wedding arch with flowers?
A. How you decorate your wedding arch is entirely up to you, your partner and your wedding planner (if you have one). One popular way to decorate a wedding arch is to layer vines, flowers or other greenery around the lattice of the arch for an elegant and organic display. If you plan to use real flowers, be sure to coordinate them with the season so your blooms stay as fresh as possible. If you don’t want to bother with the hassle of real flowers, you could also attach faux plants for a bright and earthy feel without the strain on your wallet. If flowers aren’t your taste, you can use other design elements like balloons, paper creations, fairy lights or other custom artwork.
