Decorating the aisle?

AllAboutTheBenjamin

My fiance and I are getting married in a newly renovated chapel that is very nice, and modern - but also a little plain.

This isn't too much of a concern to me; I tend to think that the wedding party and our flowers and whatnot will jazz the place up enough.  But my mother is insistent that we find a way to decorate the aisle.

I'm not really into roll-outs or runners and the flower girls are already going to scatter their little petals on the floor down the aisle.  My mom thinks there should be something to decorate the aisle along the chairs, maybe something every third or fourth row.  The chairs are upholstered and the pastor of the chapel is adament that nothing can be used to puncture the chairs - so I figure pinning something on the chairs would be out.

My future mother-in-law is very crafty and has offered to make something for me - but I am just at a loss for any ideas.  I'm not creative at all   Thoughts?

Labrnr

kissing balls?

AllAboutTheBenjamin

What are kissing balls?

AllAboutTheBenjamin

Nevermind... google image search is my friend.

That actually might be kinda neat except I'd have to hang them around the chairs and I'm not sure that would work?  They are straight across and wouldn't stay in place unless they were pinned... and that's not an option.

Catwoman708

I agree with you. Keep the focus up front with flowers, and the wedding party.  Once the chapel is full of guests, you won't really see the aisle decorations that much. 

Plus if you are limited and can't pin anything to the chairs, then there isn't much you can do except tie something to the chairs, or place something on the floor along the aisle.  If you do want to use aisle decorations, I agree with your mom that not every row has to be decorated.  It will be fine with every 2nd or 3rd row, or front, middle, and back. 

I'm not a big fan of big plain white bows or poufy tulle, it's kind of dated, and sometimes is over-kill. But maybe a chair sash tied on the aisle side, or tie something else onto the aisle chairs.  Pomanders, tissue paper pomanders, floral or greenery "pew clips", petal cones with petals or floral, or lanterns.

If the aisle is wide enough, maybe some place something along the floor beside the aisle chairs, like seaonal potted flowers (tulips, mums, daisies, or azalea), lanterns, or luminarias (with flameless candles, so it won't be a fire hazard).  

  

 

AllAboutTheBenjamin

Thanks for the input Catwoman.

I actually loved the idea of pillars or something on the floor along the aisle... but the floor is slightly slanted downward, so I'm not sure that would work?

I do like the idea of chair sashes.  A little understated and much less flashy than tulle - that's what I kept picturing in my head, and it's just not something I cared to have.

I tried ignoring the idea for a while but the more I ignored it, the more my mother pushed.  Beh.

msblumoo

We are getting married the same day! We also are getting married in a chapel. It is a beautiful chapel but a bit worn about the edges. Our florist is going to decorate an arch for the alter but that wasn't enough for my FI. He also wanted the aisle decorated and not with the usual chair decor. So she proposed using waist high pillars with a lantern. The lantern will rest on a bed of cedar which will trail abit down the pillar with a little red satin streamer. I have to admit I could care less about decorating the aisle but I do really like her idea so FI will be getting his decorated aisle.

2dBride

We just used pew bows on ours.  It highlighted the aisle, and they were easy to tie on with the strings that came with them.

Sue-n-Kevin

I am making pew cones out of white paper doilies, and putting baby's breath in them. Our chapel is an historic one, so we can't attach either. You could make ribbon ties that circle the top of the chairs (they'd have to be tight), then have the pew cones on the end of the tied ribbon on the aisle side. You could use the baby's breath (inexpensive) or something that matches your colors. 

Good luck. 

AllAboutTheBenjamin

Thanks for the photo 2dBride - that's a really good idea. 

I appreciate the feedback girls!  Definitely not as lost anymore.  I am pretty lame when it comes to decorating and I'm not very creative so yeah - this has been great.

bellebride116

We decorated our aisle by placing arrangements down it. I love the way it turned out.

lwogsland

we are using lanterns with LED lights inside..hanging with ribbon off the chairs lining the aisle..it is very modern looking.

SarahDanielle

if you buy little pots, like terra cotta or another type of pot, you can put fake flowers in there or something and place them on the floor like every other pew.