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Updated Mar 06, 202512 Wedding Garland Ideas You'll Swoon Over
Lush, fresh and beautiful.
We love a good bouquet of peonies or an artfully arranged centerpiece of ranunculus. Still, there's something about a wedding garland draped over an altar or running along a reception table that we can't get enough of. Luckily, there are plenty of creative wedding garland ideas out there that suit our fancy—and that we're pretty sure will send you swooning, too. They're a beautiful way to make a statement, whether you want a luscious wildflower garland for your wedding seating chart or a pearl garland for your wedding cake. We've rounded up photos from real weddings to inspire you, plus tips from florists on bringing your garland ideas for a wedding to life.
Garland Wedding Guide: What Is It? | Ideas | Cost | How to Keep It Fresh | Where to Find
What Is Garland?
Garlands are greens and flowers in a continuous form that can be used to drape around a door frame or attach to a railing, says Allison Futeral of Oakland, California-based Crimson Horticultural Rarities. But a garland for a wedding can also be used in a variety of ways, such as adorning dessert tables or ceremony chairs.
"Some are very bold and stiff, for lack of a better word, and then you also have a more delicate loose type of garland that kind of flows," Futeral says. "It's important to know where the garland is going before deciding what the garland will look like."
There are typically three different types of garlands, explains Alison Fleck of Bloom Culture Flowers in Oklahoma City. There are full greenery garlands showcasing one to three types of greenery, which "are usually very full and lush and come by the foot," she says. "This is usually the most cost-effective, but can still be pretty pricey due to the labor it takes to make garlands."
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There are also mixed greenery and floral garlands, a combo that she says is usually done when a florist manually adds flowers to greenery garlands. These can be scaled up or down according to budget, so they can be dripping with florals as little or as much as you want.
Then, there are full floral garlands, which Fleck says are typically the most expensive option since they're the most labor-intensive and require a lot of flowers. These can range from full baby's breath garlands to full mixed bloom garlands. She usually suggests only doing these in an area where you want to make a statement, such as a sweetheart table.
Wedding Garland Meaning
Wedding garlands generally don't have a meaning to them, especially when they're used as decor. But when a garland is exchanged at the ceremony between partners, it symbolizes commitment, Fleck explains. Indian wedding traditions, for example, typically involve exchanging floral garlands in recognition of the couple accepting one another into their families.
Wedding Garland Ideas
There are so many ways to style garlands, from draping them over a table to creating an arch with them. Look no further for proof than these garland ideas for a wedding, which are sure to spark some inspiration.
1. Wedding Arch With Garland and Drapery
A garland wedding arch idea is one of the easiest ways to incorporate long pieces of greenery. This lush garland of roses, other spring blooms and eucalyptus adorns a birch pergola.
2. Vine Garland Seating Chart
This vine garland for a wedding wraps around the frame of an acrylic seating chart, nodding to the surrounding greenery. It's proof that greenery garland wedding vibes are a good way to borrow from a setting's organic feel.
3. Garland on a Wedding Table
Photo: Larissa Cleveland Photography
,Florals: Fleurs de France
Need some wedding table garland ideas? With their long length, garlands are practically made for reception table centerpieces. The flowers in this fresh table runner wedding centerpiece idea are both vibrant and pastel, overgrown and garden-like for a beautiful statement.
4. Garland Wedding Signage
A subtly draped fresh wedding garland of greenery brings an organic touch to one of the most welcoming welcome areas we've ever seen. Paired with an old-school messaging center and minimalist signs, the look is both whimsical and modern.
5. Sweetheart Table Garland
This sumptuous white rose wedding table garland brings to life the magic of maximalism. Its white and green palette has a clean, classic beauty to it, and we love how it's paired with a set of vintage chairs.
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6. Indian Wedding Garland
If you're looking for Indian wedding garland ideas, you'll love this couple's brightly colored flowers. Indian cultures often use lotus garlands for weddings. These jai mala garlands are exchanged and worn as a symbol of the marriage ceremony.
7. Dessert Table Garland
There are so many ways to incorporate a eucalyptus garland in a wedding, and this dessert table delivers. The swag of greenery adorning the front of the linens ties in nicely with the sprigs of green on the table itself.
8. Baby's Breath Garland Wedding Decor
Baby's breath is typically associated with more rustic weddings, but don't let that fool you—a hefty swag of baby's breath can also feel elegant and modern when draped diagonally across black-and-white visuals.
9. Wedding Aisle Garland
Garlands of white orchids pop against dark ceremony seating as both aisle runners and chair decor, mirroring the matching leis on some of the seats. We love this wedding aisle decor idea for a destination wedding.
10. Floral Garlands in a Chuppah
How's this masterpiece for some wedding flower garland ideas? A flower wall teeming with colorful wedding floral garlands in pink, interspersed among red and yellow flowers, makes a bold statement behind a lace-like chuppah.
11. Wisteria Garland Wedding Accents
Not all garlands need to be thick and long; sometimes, a delicate touch is the way to go, like in this ceremony space. Vines of wisteria hang from the ceiling for a green floral canopy that has an utterly enchanting effect.
12. Circular Wedding Garland
Don't leave your wedding garland open-ended! You can always let it take the shape of whatever it's dressing up. This circular altar screams romance with its button rose wedding garland wrapped around the frame.
How Much Do Wedding Garlands Cost?
The average wedding flower cost is $2,800, according to The Knot Real Wedding Study, but that number can depend on the season and blooms. You can typically expect to spend about 10% of your overall wedding budget on flowers. Wedding garlands, in particular, are usually charged by the foot. Futeral usually charges $20 per foot for just greenery and $45 per foot if they're adding blooms.
She says people often have misconceptions about wedding garland costs. "Somewhere along the line, there's been an idea that garlands are a less expensive option for table decor, and I think that people are always a little surprised at the cost of a garland," she says. "But garlands are very time-consuming and not as simple to make as people think." Use The Knot Budget Advisor to set your expectations for garland costs in your area.
How to Keep Wedding Garland Fresh
Now, you may be wondering: How long does fresh garland last indoors? And how long does fresh garland last outdoors? While it depends on a lot of variables like the weather and products used, Fleck says they can last anywhere from three to five days.
The garland should last about five days if it's cared for and indoors, she adds. "You'll need to mist it and prune any dead or dying leaves. The floral garlands will have a shorter life due to the lack of a water source. If the blooms do not have a water pick or something to draw water from, they will usually last 24 hours depending on the bloom," she says, adding that some blooms are more hardy and can last longer.
The best way to maintain a fresh greenery garland for a wedding is to keep it in a cooler, advises Futeral. If you don't have one, she says you can keep it in a trash bag coiled up and spray it with water (only if it doesn't have delicate flowers). If it does have flowers, she recommends keeping it in the coolest, driest spot you can find.
Where to Find Garland for a Wedding
Garlands can be an incredible addition as long as both the client and designer's expectations align, Futeral says. So it's important to find a florist who can really execute your vision (The Knot Vendor Marketplace has a florist filter that can help with that) and for you to describe what kind of feel or vibe you want from your garland, she advises. When narrowing down your top vendor choices, be sure to ask them:
- Can you show me examples of garlands you've created in the past?
- How long and full do you typically make your garlands?
- What flowers and greenery would you suggest to complement my color palette?
- How will you attach the garlands to furniture or decor?
- What is the cost per foot? Does this depend on the flowers used or the design?
As with a florist for any other arrangement, you should always ask general questions like what their aesthetic is and their travel and cancellation policies. With the right questions, you can soon book your dream garland designer.
