The Best Ways to Decorate the Stairs and Banisters at Your Wedding

Even the smallest parts of your day can benefit from some careful decorating. Guests will love descending these greenery, candle, and floral decorated stairs.

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Christian Oth Studio

Chances are there are stairs at your wedding venue. Whether the entrance has sprawling concrete steps or the reception space has a grand staircase with wooden banisters, you'll probably encounter a set of stairs when coordinating your big day. While steps are a transitional element of the celebration—responsible for taking guests from one area to another—that doesn't mean they should be overlooked when planning the day's décor.

A floral budget typically gets split up between personal flowers—like bouquets and boutonnières—and display flowers—such as altar arrangements and centerpieces. But, with the second category, there is also room to get creative with unique floral installations that play to your venue and your preferences. Staircase and banister treatments are one such area. They aren't necessarily a "standard" floral item, but they're an extra touch that will go a long way in impressing guests.

The addition of greenery and flower accents to a set of stairs will also immediately make the space feel more intimate. Adding depth and filling in the space between staircase spindles, loose greenery will bring a dose of freshness to an indoor space. It's also a great way to thread your color palette through the day and make the whole event feel cohesive. Beyond flowers and foliage, however, there are plenty of other ways to decorate your wedding-day stairs.

This romantic look on the steps of the New York Public Library was created in collaboration with Jung Lee. While flowers and greenery have their place, it's amazing how dreamy simple candlelight can be. If you're getting married later in the day, candlelight is a great way to add soft ambience to the celebration as the sun goes down.

Ahead you'll find banister treatments and staircase decorations that are sure to inspire. From simple greenery garlands to lush floral groupings, there's a look for every couple and every venue style.

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Bridal Processional

Mary Claire Photography

Florésie used dahlias, roses, delphinium, and greenery to create this bride's statement entryway. By having the floral installation on only one side, before switching to the other side halfway down, there was still ample room for the bride's processional.

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Abundant Candlelight

Rebecca Yale Photography

Candle Centerpieces That Will Light Up Your Reception

The combination of The Bloom of Time florals on these banisters with various pillar candles created a romantic look with plenty of depth and texture. By having the floral garland swoop down to join the candles, Taryn Leach achieved a cohesive and uniform overall effect.

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Ceremony Stairs

The Grovers

Go Inside Los Angeles Dodgers' Justin Turner and Kourtney Pogue's Wedding in Mexico

For Justin Turner's wedding at the One&Only Palmilla, Elena Damy and Mindy Weiss Party Consultants covered the ceremony stair banisters with greenery, providing a nice pop of color against the classic white facade.

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Garland Wrap

Jose Villa

Last-Minute Details That Will Transform Your Wedding

Flowerwild and Rosemary Events wrapped garland around these stair banisters for an understated yet elevated touch at this Beltane Ranch wedding.

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Simple Candles

Laura Gordon Photography

White pillar candles added just the right amount of warmth and romance to these concrete stairs. This look is a great reminder that even a little attention to detail can make a world of difference.

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Grand Entry

The Day by Nathan Smith

Wedding Venues to Consider Based on Your Style

Lewis Miller Design and In Any Event NY blanketed the stairs of the New York Public Library with lush greenery to create a dramatic entryway.

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Castle Romance

Julie Michaelsen

Fairy-Tale Castle Venues in America

Textured arrangements from Vanilla Rose Weddings and All For Love London softened these classic concrete stairs. Sprigs of eucalyptus gave the look verticality while pale pink roses added a touch of color.

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Green and White

Emily Wren

How to Approach Your Wedding With a Minimalist Mindset

Bright greenery offered dimension to this staircase switchback. Since the space at Cairnwood was so roomy, sticking to one style of greenery ensured the Belovely and Laurel & Elm look created maximum impact.

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Intimate Candlelight

Kendra Elise Photography

Here's How You Host a Flawless Evening Wedding Ceremony

Since the staircase at Summerour Studio wasn't going to be used, Kate and Campbell used it as an opportunity to bring in lots of candlelight. The look, which served as the ceremony backdrop, was accented by Unique Floral Expressions greenery garlands and Crush Event Rentals drapery.

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Dramatic Display

Le Secret Audrey

Beautiful Hydrangea Wedding Centerpieces

Jeff Leatham Flowers and Quintessentially Weddings used tightly packed pink roses and white hydrangea to create an opulent banister. Candlelight and flower petals added extra depth to the vignette.

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Epic Entryway

Jose Villa

Ways to Make a Grand Entrance at Your Wedding

With a staircase this over-the-top, it doesn't take much to make a statement. Laurie Arons and Kathleen Deery Design used taupe drapery, candlelight, and greenery branch groupings to make this airy staircase feel intimate and inviting.

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Cascading Greenery

Rebecca Ames

Wedding Décor Ideas That Don't Involve Flowers

The staircase at Merrimon Wynne got an elegant upgrade with cascading candles and loose greenery thanks to Meristem Floral. Ornate glass hurricanes added a unique enhancement to the white pillar candles, creating a varied and creative look.

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Pop of Color

Sanaz Photography

How to Use Primary Colors in Your Wedding-Day Décor

After 8 Event Planning and Celio's Design chose bright florals to add a dose of color to this neutral marble staircase.

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Entry Arch

Sanaz Photography

Ways to Make Your Wedding Feel More Modern

By extending candles and greenery beyond the arched entryway, In Blume LA and Victoria Ann Events created an inviting display that seamlessly melded the staircase with the rest of the Hudson Loft venue. To juxtapose the venue's clean lines, the duo worked with loose, organic greenery.

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Pool of Flowers

The Willetts

Unique Ways to Use Flowers in Every Element of Your Wedding

Flowers by Yona elegantly pooled greenery and florals at the bottom of this staircase at Summerour Studio, creating an interesting sense of movement. Stella Harper Events dreamt up the design while Crush Event Rentals brought the drapery to life.

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Venue Facade

Catherine Mead

Although this staircase had just three steps, the couple still chose to outfit the ornate facade of the Barnsley House with an elegant grouping of greenery from Zita Elze.

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Ceremony Backdrop

Kayla Barker

Wedding Backdrop Ideas We Love

At this wedding at the Four Seasons Orlando, the staircase decorated by Lee James Floral actually served as the ceremony backdrop. If you're going to invest in beautiful floral decorations, it's a great idea to think of ways to maximize an installation's exposure by making them a focal point as Brandee Gaar did here.

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Dense Greenery

Laura Gordon Photography

Dreamy Garden Wedding Ideas

A dense layer of greenery from House of Hannah transformed the Chateau de Courtomer stairs into a garden-inspired masterpiece.

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Blank Slate

Elisabeth Carol Photography

Since The White Sparrow Barn is a clean, blank slate, Grit and Gold Weddings and Southern Table Design chose to weave lush roses and loose greenery through the banisters for a pop of color.

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A Unique Perspective

Adria Lea Photography

Ways to Use Modern Jewel-Tones in Your Wedding

This vignette was also from The White Sparrow Barn but looked completely different thanks to a rich and moody color palette. Southern Table Design created a punchy design with bright pink roses which matched well with the natural wood from the stairs' spindles.

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Triple Threat

Rebecca Yale Photography

When it comes to design, sticking to threes and fives is always a great idea. Take these banisters from Taryn Leach and The Bloom of Time, for example. Mirroring the candle and greenery treatment across all three banisters created an engaging and welcoming effect.

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Natural Décor

Laura Gordon Photography

Yellow Wedding Bouquets You'll Love

When you're visualizing your reception design, it's important to take into account permanent decorations and features at your wedding venue. The climbing yellow roses on the Swan House's wrought iron stairs are the perfect example. Although they're always there, they're a beautiful element that Lacy Geary chose to weave into the overall look for this event.

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Extra Candles

Damaris Mia Photography

The staircase at the Pasadena Museum of History was bathed in warm candlelight and a smattering of greenery thanks to Vanessa Michelle Co. and The Flower Story. This pairing of candles and greenery was particularly effective since the greenery was purposefully limited to allow the candles to make a more powerful impact.

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Overflowing Vines

Alexandra Vonk

A nearby pedestal filled with English ivy added cohesion to the flowing greenery-laden staircase at this wedding.

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Petite Installation

Lilly Red Creative

Stair floral treatments need not extend all the way up the staircase, as evidenced here. A small arrangement on the bottom few stairs showed attention to detail without being over-the-top.

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Rustic Stairs

Heather Payne

Rustic Wedding Ideas That Still Feel Elevated

This couple made their venue's staircase look rustically "overgrown" thanks to oak and maple branches, smilax, Solomon's seal, tuberose, dahlias, and garden roses.

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Lush Blooms

Heather Payne Photography

This couple's two-floor reception space was punctuated by one décor moment in particular—the pink, white, and green floral arrangement that covered the venue's staircase, which was created by Zimmerman Events.

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Aisle Runners

Lisa Zeising of Abby Jiu Photography

Two rows of greenery and white flowers from Floral & Bloom Designs lined the aisle and stairs of The Potomac View Terrace at the American Pharmacists Association for this outdoor ceremony. Since the stairs were so vast, the greenery served as a helpful demarcation to accentuate an "aisle."

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The Best Ways to Decorate the Stairs and Banisters at Your Wedding

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Bridal Processional

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Abundant Candlelight

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Ceremony Stairs

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Garland Wrap

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Simple Candles

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Grand Entry

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Castle Romance

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Green and White

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Intimate Candlelight

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Dramatic Display

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Epic Entryway

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Cascading Greenery

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Pop of Color

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Entry Arch

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Pool of Flowers

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Venue Facade

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Ceremony Backdrop

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Dense Greenery

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Blank Slate

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A Unique Perspective

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Triple Threat

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Natural Décor

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Extra Candles

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Overflowing Vines

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Petite Installation

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