Are you planning your upcoming wedding or a baptism and wondering how to decorate the church with flowers? Do you want to know if you can do some of these decorations yourself?
I am here to help you.
As a florist specializing in events, I frequently have the opportunity to decorate religious buildings, particularly churches, for weddings, baptisms, and other events (Advent, Pentecost). These exceptional places deserve special attention when it comes to selecting flowers and arranging compositions.
Today, I’m sharing my professional secrets to help you plan your church floral arrangements, and even create some elements yourself if you’d like.
Whether it’s for a wedding or a baptism, decorating a church with flowers enhances this exceptional space. Typically, white flowers (such as lilies, hydrangeas, and peonies) are chosen, which can be combined with colorful and pastel blooms, depending on your wedding theme. Various floral arrangements can be created to adorn a church, including decorations for pews, a floral archway, the Virgin Mary’s bouquet, arrangements to place on the altar, or rose petals that can be scattered down the aisle.
Want to learn more? Keep reading to discover:
- When can an church be decorated with flowers?
- A selection of flowers that are perfect for enhancing this space
- Detailed descriptions and photos of floral arrangements to inspire you
- Tips for doing it yourself when decorating a church with flowers
In What Context Should You Decorate the Church?
These buildings are exceptional places, rich in history, and should be decorated with special care during special occasions. This can include events such as a baptism, a wedding, or a religious celebration like Advent or Pentecost.
To learn how to decorate the church, especially what you can and cannot plan for, I recommend that you ask about the rules to follow before making any arrangements.
To do this, you can reach out to the vicar or the priest in charge of the parish.
In fact, some places allow flowers on the altar, while others have specific requests regarding the types of flowers to use or the color schemes to follow.
👉 This article will be specifically focused on churches, but many of the tips and ideas discussed here are equally applicable to other religious buildings, such as a temple, a mosque, or a synagogue.
Feel free to reach out to your religious community to learn about its particular preferences when it comes to floral decorations.
Which Flowers Should I Choose Based on My Wedding Style?
To honor both the spiritual essence of the location and the spirit of your wedding, it is important to thoughtfully plan the floral arrangements for your church.
In the Catholic faith, the color associated with faith and purity is white. Furthermore, it is typically the color chosen for decorating weddings or religious baptisms and traditional ceremonies. Additionally, this color brightens the interior of the church, which is often quite dark.
Any wedding held in a church will require flowers of this color, which you can then combine with colorful flowers and/or pastel shades.
In this section, I will suggest flower and accessory ideas that you can consider based on your wedding style, while still adhering to the concept of purity.
For a Rustic-Chic Wedding
This type of trend is created using light flowers, like those found in nature, such as:
- The Wax Flower
- The Lilac
- The Queen of the Meadow (or Astilbe)
- The Delphinium
- The Nigella
- The Statice
- The Freesia
- The Alstroemeria
You can pair them with accessories like jute ribbons, ivory lace, or wicker baskets, which perfectly capture the bohemian spirit of this type of wedding.
For a Romantic Wedding
To give a generous and romantic touch to your church decor, you can choose flowers such as:
- The Hydrangea
- The Rose
- The Baby’s Breath
- The Peony
- The Viburnum, also known as “Snowball”
You can pair them with pastel pink ribbons and white or clear vases or baskets.
Hydrangea / Baby’s Breath / Peony
For a Traditional Catholic Wedding
The Lily is a flower that has been associated with the purity of faith for centuries. That’s why, if you want to adorn your wedding or baptism church with flowers in a pious and traditional manner, I recommend prioritizing this flower.
Some officiants allow their church to be decorated exclusively with lilies. These are typically arranged in tall, narrow vases, and may be accompanied by very delicate foliage, such as beargrass.
If it’s possible for you and inspires you, you can enhance the Lily with other white flowers that have a noble and refined appearance, such as Lisianthus, African Lily, or Ornithogalum.
For a more original decor that still honors the purity of the space, you can combine Lilies with clusters of white berries, known as Symphorine.
What Are the Different Floral Decorations Possible for a Church?
Just like for a reception venue, there is a wide variety of floral decorations that can be created to enhance a church.
👉 Everything installed in this place of worship should, as much as possible, be easy and quick to set up, remove, and clean. After all, you won’t be the only ones organizing a ceremony in this church on that day. Furthermore, even if that were the case, most churches need to be cleaned right after the service.
In this section, I’ll outline the different options available so you can choose one that truly reflects your style and plan for a church decoration that really suits you.
Church Benches 🪑
The centerpiece of church decorations, pew ends are small bouquets placed at the end of each row of chairs or benches, on the aisle side. They can be placed on the floor or attached to the backs of the seats with a ribbon.
The goal is to decorate the aisle where the newlyweds or the baptized person will walk, making their entrance spectacular and bright.
If you decide to create small bouquets of a few flowers arranged on the seats, you can let down some vines of ivy gathered from nature all the way to the ground to complement your flowers.
These decorative elements are quite easy to create without the help of a florist. All you need to do is gather a few flowers into a bouquet (or just a single large flower, like a peony), add some cascading greenery if you wish, and tie everything together with raffia. Once everything is secured, you can cover the raffia with a colored ribbon that matches the colors used for your wedding, which you can also tie around the back.
👰 If it’s a wedding, you can also decorate the chairs where the bride and groom will sit during the ceremony in the same style.
The Decorative Arch 🌼
Placed in front of the altar or at the entrance of the church, it creates a magnificent backdrop for the people being celebrated on that day. It is usually adorned with stunning arrangements, especially in the upper left corner. Colorful or white drapery adds to the overall effect.
💬 If you want to decorate the church with an arch, ask the priest or the clergy beforehand if it is allowed. This is often something that officiants refuse due to its large size. If that’s the case, you can set it up outside, at the church entrance, or at your reception venue.
The Virgin’s Bouquet 💐
This is a tradition primarily found in the south of France that is celebrated during weddings.
The bride must place this bouquet in front of the statue of the Virgin during the ceremony.
Her husband can also light a candle at the same time. This ritual serves as an offering to the Virgin Mary, so that the newly established family from the marriage may receive her protection.
This bouquet, usually all white and modest in size, can be handed to a bridesmaid during the first part of the ceremony. It can also be placed at the altar steps before the ceremony, allowing the bride to carry it herself to the statue during the service.
Arrangements to Place on the Altar 🌷
A quick and convenient way to decorate a church is to prepare in advance floral arrangements inserted into foam and place them on the altar just before the ceremony begins.
If there isn’t a designated spot on the altar, you can also place them on the sides or in designated areas for this purpose. In this case, you can decorate the altar with some ivy or a few petals.
👉 If you prefer not to have cut flower arrangements, you can choose potted plants or even white eternal roses under a glass dome, which you can take home and keep for years after the ceremony!
Petals for the Guests
Finally, instead of the traditional rice thrown at the couple when they exit the church, you can choose to use cone-shaped holders filled with rose petals, which can be tossed as they walk down the steps. It’s usually a great opportunity to capture stunning photos!
These petals can also be placed along the edges of the aisle to create a stunning decor for the couple’s entrance.
You now have all the information you need to start planning the decoration of your church. Are you looking for unique and trendy decor for your wedding or a baptism? Be sure to check out our floral decorations directly on our online store!