10 CONTEMPORARY WEDDING BACKDROP IDEAS
A fabulous styled shoot in Margate. Click image for full shoot credits and details (via Rock n Roll Bride)
One of my favourite wedding styling details to create is a backdrop. A backdrop to the ceremony, across a whole wall in a dining area, behind the bride and groom at the table, pretty much anywhere that’s going to create more of a scene and atmosphere. They are brilliant for injecting your personality or feel of the day, transforming venues and providing a lot of awesome photo opportunities for you and your guests. Here are a few unique, non-traditional wedding backdrop ideas I’ve spotted online.
Amazing backdrop from Killer Filler Workshop, click for full credits
Go big
Ok, some could say a highly stylised theme/look of a non-traditional wedding might create photos will date/go out of fashion… but I would say to that, do you not WANT to capture the date, time period, fashion and feel of the moment and year you got married? I personally LOVE looking back at wedding pictures from my parent’s generation in the 80’s with all the shoulder pads and Adam Ant-esque make up! All those of-a-moment details make it much more memorable. Also fashion is cyclical, so there’s a high chance it’ll be trend-setting once again! (Hello 90’s weddings)
One of my favourite ceiling and installation companies (based in Melbourne) - Bangin Hangins
Streamer installations
This is technically a backdrop to a whole room but had to include Bangin Hangins as they’re one of my favourite companies at the moment. Streamers are definitely having a backdrop moment, the classic tinsel curtain has had an upgrade! Streamer curtains are bigger, better and a more eco-friendly way to decorate your wedding; they can be hired and re-used or made out of paper. They’re a great, quick way to inject colour and texture into a wedding design. Think about different heights and layers when you’re installing or designing one.
Love this theme and colour palette. Styled shoot by Velvet Armoire (click for more)
Mirrorballs
As a non-traditional wedding stylist, my eye is constantly drawn to things that stand out against the mass of weddings that can look the same. There are some definite trends and colour themes emerging from styled shoots over the last year or so (70’s, mirrorballs, irridescents and peachy pink pastels) that may be here for a while to come. An element of sparkle, glitz and glam really amps up the fun at weddings, so I’m here for the mirrorball trend.
eco wedding decor
Eco wedding decorations and backdrops are definitely (thank goodness) here to stay. Think about re-usable natural or recyclable materials like wood, paper, card and real leaves. This backdrop from Archive12 is a nice twist on a modern geometric backdrop design using those materials.
Via June Bug Weddings
Neon weddings
Another trend having its moment in the sun is NEON wedding backdrops. Of course, not real neon, but LED neon which comes bloody close to the real thing. I’ve been making neon-style words for years now (in my installation art practice) and have got my grubby hands on some of the latest LED neon for creating bespoke wedding neons for my wedding clients who go on to use the signs in their homes as an art piece. I love the simple neon frame above, it’s a nice variation from the circular hoops shapes we’ve seen so much.
Via Fix The Photo.com
TROPICAL BACKDROP
Green and white always looks great together, as demonstrated here. This tropical leaf backdrop is super simple but very effective. I can see more tropical or jungle wedding trends coming through over the next year. Again, it’s very eco-friendly as all the leaves can be composted after use, or if using faux leaves, they can be re-used.
Moreau Weddings (Austin, Texas based wedding planner)
SITE SPECIFIC/ SITE RESPONSIVE BACKDROPS
This backdrop shows the power of making a site-specific backdrop/focal point. The shape of the custom wood frame echoes the shapes and lines in the building above, and of course the wood it’s built from itself. This creates the illusion of a much larger, much bigger bang-for-buck-backdrop that is almost immersive.
Pinwheel backdrop by me. Photo by Neil Jackson Photographic
pinwheel wall backdrop
Thought I’d chuck in one from little old me here! This was my first crack at Pinwheels in 2018/19! The main feature of the wedding styling was the barn itself which was brought back from being derelict, but I wanted to inject some colour along the main wall and used my decorative paper pinwheels. I’ve honed my own making technique and now offer an online Pinwheel Backdrop workshop, come check it out!
I wanted to create artistic wedding decorations people could buy online to create their own installation easily, no matter where they lived in the UK. CONTACT me to ask about bespoke backdrops and hire-able options.
via Orange Blossom Bride
FLORAL BACKDROPS
Flowers will never go out of fashion. There are so many ways to create an eclectic, non-traditional backdrop with flowers. Think about bold colours, shapes and textures, assymetry and what the flowers are attached to. This barely-there rectangular frame works beautifully but doesn’t steal the show.
Via Green Wedding Shoes
Wall Installations
I thought I’d include this one to show what is possible by attaching directly to a wall, if you have a space or venue that are down with this. The main thing to consider with an installation like this is TIME. Building a backdrop from small details that have to be added one by one is fiddly and can be time consuming. Tip: can you speed things up by joining pieces together off-site first? Or work with a wedding stylist like me who can think of all these things and come and do the install for you! 😎
Custom backdrop by West and Rose (South California)
SCREEN BACKDROP
I really rate this backdrop by West and Rose. A combination of wooden shapes to form a screen can work wonders in venues that have boring or ugly walls, or just act as a way to inject your colours and aesthetics into a space quickly. They’re freestanding so won’t damage any walls or floors so most venues should be happy with you bringing something like this in.
I hope this was helpful for giving you some wedding styling ideas. Backdrops are one of my favourite styling elements to create. If you’d like to chat about my existing wedding backdrop products or a bespoke creation for your event, come give me a holla.
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