Creative Wedding Backdrop Ideas to Consider for Your Own Ceremony

Before the processional begins, all of your guests will be staring at one thing: the altar, or whatever else you've put in front of them. To prevent boredom, make sure that this space stands out. Not every venue comes with breathtaking views, and even fewer are festooned with built-in décor. If your ceremony location is simply decorated, consider bringing in your own installation. That option is also great for couples looking to cover up an eyesore or fixture that they don't like. Plus, a pretty background will look great in the pictures your photographer captures while you're exchanging vows.

Wedding ceremony backdrops don't have to be complicated to be stunning. To help you pick one that's foolproof, eye-catching, and appropriate for your venue and theme, we've compiled some of our favorite ideas, many of which can be DIYed (or easily tackled by an event designer and/or floral designer). If you're a flower lover, you'll find a range of beautiful ways to use blooms to decorate the end of your aisle. If artistic canvases are more your style, we've provided a couple of ways to design one. Perhaps you fancy sharing special lyrics or quotes—we've got a number of ways you can do that, too. In the mix are outdoor and indoor options, seasonal selections, and inspiration that runs the gamut from classic to rustic to modern. If that latter idea speaks to you, take a good look at this Inessa Nichols Design backdrop. The pro created a colorful environment with bright bougainvillea, tropical leaves and palms, graphic birds of paradise, and a selection of painted flowers and dried leaves.

Click through to find the right scene for you. No matter which type of background you choose, know that these wedding backdrop ideas are all editor-approved. 

Brittany Branson worked with Bright Occasions on this airy wedding backdrop, which was made from a combination of drapery and a hand-painted runner. The finishing touches were bits of elegant greenery studded with pale roses and taper candles on the floor.

Showcase beloved song lyrics, a favorite story, or your personalized vows in a sweeping backdrop like this one by Sandpiper and Co.

Go all natural with a collection of pink blooms and trailing greenery affixed to a free-standing wall of wood panels with a mix of various stains and tones, just like this one made by Adam Mullins. You could also create something similar using a wood shipping pallet or old crates. After the ceremony, transport the installation to the reception area and use it as the backdrop for a photo booth or selfie station.

A crescent moon made from pampas grass? Out of this world! The Twelve Events devised this intergalactic way to frame a couple for this waterfront ceremony. The feathery structure flutters in the wind, as air and water merge in the distance. Talk about celebrating the elements.

Shawna Yamamoto created this pair of white floral rings at the modern wedding planned by Sarah Stowell of Details Details.

Lady Liberty Events and Stella Bloom Designs incorporated a mix of textures and materials to create this pretty space. The dropcloth backdrop received a marble-inspired treatment, while vines appeared to crawl up the freestanding setup. Down at the base of the ceremony spot was a mix of candles, flowers, and fuzzy pillows. Altogether, it was subtle but graphic, tactile and soft, and could be totally customized to fit what you have in mind.

Spark + Sparkle Events, Scout Rentals, and Lori Boe Floral Design put this modern backdrop together by hanging gauzy dip-dyed fabric from an industrial copper structure, then framed the entire space with asymmetrical floral arrangements. If you're up for embracing a bold color palette but want to soften it up a bit, this could be the way to do it.

This ceremony broughout the indoors out thanks to a freestanding fireplace surround decorated with bountiful blooms and greenery. Lovelyfest and Adornments Flowers are to credit for this setting, which was further enhanced with a coordinating rug for the couple to stand on as they get married.

This couple stood in front of a wall panel inspired by floral wallpaper and created by event designer Jesi Haack, who gave it dimension by affixing actual roses, peonies, and greenery. While this wedding took place in a modern loft space, we can see this in so many settings—even an actual garden.

Wild Muse Floral Co. designed and executed this romantic-meets-modern ceremony backdrop, which featured a geometric lattice pattern, with the flowers and foliage appearing to "grow" up it like they would a trellis in a garden.

Throwing a garden wedding? Go floral from the ground up, just like this couple did. A Garden Party installed roses, peonies, hydrangea, and more on this stunning focal point, which gave the couple quite a rustic wedding backdrop for the festivities.

Nature Composed draped panels of white and mauve fabric from a wreath of greenery to create this dreamy ceremony backdrop, which also brought the eye up and beautifully framed the couple. In choosing fabric for a similar setup, consider the thickness. Something sheer will let the light in.

Mix fresh elements in to your industrial setting to make a style all your own. This couple (who tied the knot at Brick San Diego) tapped Francine Ribeau Events and Blooms by Breeze Lee to bring their dream backdrop—a wall of tropical greenery and pink-and-white blooms—to life. This look would also work for a photo booth backdrop during the reception!

Sandpiper and Co beautifully wrote out the lyrics to Coldplay's "Yellow" on the scroll this couple stood in front of as they became husband and wife. Large rocks that blended in to the slabs already there held things in place—but if you're getting married in a really windy location, you might want to consider something that can't move at all.

Transform a small building (or a section of a wall on a large one) at your outdoor wedding by covering it with masses of ferns. Matthew Robbins Design carried them through to the bases surrounding the chuppah poles, mixing in moss for an even lusher look.

Strips of fabric in shades of white and peach hung from a pole structure created by Beth Helmstetter Events. The layered look let some light in towards the bottom (it was also backed by sheer curtains) and added a softness to the space. The look was inspired by a window display at an Anthropologie store—inspiration really is all around you.

How fun is this wedding ceremony backdrop by Jesi Haack Design? The balloons gave the wedding a youthful vibe, but the golden mylar exteriors ensured it all looked modern. If you're not into a word like "Love," your new joint initial in an oversize inflatable would work, too.

Kiana Underwood of Tulipina turned this rustic ceremony venue into a floral fantasy, with a large wreath at the center. The lined-aisle drew everyone's eyes to the stage and the round statement piece, which was eight-feet in diameter so it surrounded the couple entirely as an all-natural flower backdrop.

When you're getting married in an open field, you might be searching for a way to frame the ceremony without taking away from the setting. At this camp wedding, Clover Event Co. transformed the open field with a freestanding chevron-patterned wall made using stained and painted wood. The bride and groom's initials were the finishing touches, but we can't help but see that X also marks the spot.

This couple made their own DIY wedding backdrop—sanding, staining, and painting the typography on to the boards. You can go freestyle or find a friend or family member with cool handwriting, order stencils, or source vinyl decals for a similar effect. And don't forget to be creative (or sentimental) with the words you'll stand in front of—perhaps it's your vows or the song you'll recess up the aisle to as newlyweds.

Brightly Ever After specializes in wedding backdrop rentals and custom installations, and this geometric latticed number was one for the books. We love that it had a presence without blocking the views in the distance.

A friend of these grooms cut palm leaves in shades of gray and silver and pinned them to a stretched canvas for their ceremony. Consider recreating this wedding backdrop idea on a smaller scale—by using the biggest canvases you can find from your art supply store, you'll achieve a similar impact. Paint it and choose colored paper to stick within your chosen palette.

Amorology collaborated with Back Up Backdrops to create the backdrop at this outdoor affair. The custom installation alluded to the couple's love of cycling courtesy of Plexiglas arrows that gave a sense of motion.