16 Ways to Use Draping at Your Wedding Reception

draping at wedding reception — Photo by Janine Licare Photography

If you’re looking to add a serious “wow” factor to your reception, opt for gorgeous draping. When done right, adding fabric—usually sheer, gauzy textiles like chiffon, organza, or voile—will make your setting feel more luxe and upscale, but intimate and cozy at the same time. You could drape the walls to soften your venue's edges (or hide anything you’d rather guests not see) or add floor-to-ceiling panels to section off a large, cavernous space—which will make the room feel warmer and more personal and create designated "zones" for your celebration's many parts, from the cocktail hour and reception to the after-party.

If your reception venue features soaring ceilings, adding floor-to-ceiling drapery panels will help emphasize the height and lend an ethereal feeling to the space.

Another thing to note about big-day draping? It can be used just about anywhere, from the ceiling, to the walls, to your party room or tent's entrance. Plus, it can be gathered or bunched or hung freely, creating billowing "clouds" up above. These days, there's also plenty of variability when it comes to fabric color; you can use draping to reinforce your color palette or create contrast, so all the other details of your event really pop. Keep reading for some of our favorite draping ideas to make your reception space feel a whole lot more magical.

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Go for a Rippled Effect

Lavish Marie Antoinette Themed Decor at Wedding Reception Tables with Candelabras in tent with draping — Photo by Niven Weddings

There are tons of draping styles out there, but we're a fan of this type's tight, almost rippled effect. This cream-colored drapery, used to transform one duo's tent interior into a royal-inspired banquet hall, added welcome texture to the structure's bones—and served as a cohesive backdrop for the hundreds of candelabras placed along the tabletops.

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Construct a Speakeasy

Gold bar and tables covered in white linens beneath green draping — Photo by Heather Waraksa

The easiest way to turn your reception or after-party space into a speakeasy straight out of the 1920s? Use draping, of course. That's exactly what these brides did at their Old Hollywood-inspired wedding. Even more impressive? They pulled this off in the middle of the Idaho desert.

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Think Pink

pink reception tent with floral installation and blush draping — Photo by Hannah Miller Photography

Draping is a great way to reinforce your wedding color palette—which is exactly how this pair used it throughout their post-dinner reception tent. Their ombré-coded event kicked off with a cream-forward ceremony and then transitioned to a blush dinner party. Outdoors, the colors grew deeper, thanks to pink draping and a magenta floralscape.

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Recreate Tent Vibes

guests eating at open-air wedding reception in hawaii under structure with white draping — Photo by Rebecca Yale Photography

No tent? No problem. Make like this couple and use draping to create the same vibe. This was the more sensible approach for the pair's oceanside wedding in Hawaii; the open-air frame allowed guests to take in the views, while the draping created ambience and ensured privacy.

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Intensify the Drape

White and Orange Decor at Wedding Venue with draping on ceiling and walls — Photo by Hana Gonzalez

You can keep your event space's draping tight to the ceiling or opt for a more billowing effect, like this duo did here. In this particularly vibrant space, the fabric also served another integral purpose: The draping acted as a neutral backdrop for the colorful table linens and floral arrangements below.

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Use Draping as a Colorful Backdrop

Wedding Tabletop Decoration with Flowers and Candles and olive green draping — Photo By Stetten Wilson Photography

Most wedding draping is neutral in tone (think white or cream)—but it doesn't have to be. If you're a big fan of color, and your wedding design proves it, go ahead and switch up the fabric's shade. We do suggest sticking with a color that reads like a punched up neutral, however, much like the olive-toned wall covering seen here. The draping definitely made a statement on its own, but it also established a much needed backdrop; the yellow, purple, red, and orange florals and details on the tabletops popped against it, instead of blending in (which would have reduced the overall visual impact of the party's design).

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Frame the Room's Entrance

champagne tower underneath a grand chandelier in venue with sage green draping and greenery on ceiling — Photo by Charla Storey Photography

Beautiful thick fabric in a rich color is a lovely way to incorporate draping into your wedding décor. Have it frame the entrance to the space as well to set the tone for your color palette.

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Let Nature Shine Through

outdoor reception with round tables and panel draping overhead — Photo by Janine Licare Photography

At this outdoor wedding in Lake Tahoe, draping along a wooden structure helped create the illusion of a tent. However, the space between the white fabric allowed the beautiful natural landscape peek through.

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Stun With Sheer

tented reception suspended with string lights, greenery, rattan lanterns, and sheer draping — Photo by Jeff Brummett

String lights and sheer ceiling swags create the illusion of a starry night sky—and made this reception space feel like a magical, al fresco dinner party.

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Bring on the Drama

pathway to wedding ceremony with greenery and curtain draping — Photo by Haley Rynn Ringo Photo

At this Old Hollywood-inspired wedding, drapery defined the pathway from the cocktail hour outdoors to a stunning grand ballroom for the reception. The use of color and thick fabric brought all the glamour to this space.

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Create an Installation

outdoor wedding reception with long table and short taupe draping overhead — Photo by Valorie Darling

Draped fabric along the ceiling of this indoor-outdoor reception space served as an artful installation that enhanced the overall feel of the aesthetic and brought movement to the design (the fabric fluttered in the breeze!).

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Cover Poles

newlyweds entering their tented reception with sheer draping and white floral urns — Photo by Studio This Is

Want to soften up your wedding tent? Add in draping along the poles can hide any eyesores of the structure. We also love how this duo got creative, adding topiaries, floral urns, and lanterns to enhance this particular area's aesthetic.

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Weave in Florals

outdoor wedding reception with sheer draping and floral swags — Photo by Jose Villa

This couple wanted their wedding to feel like an outdoor dinner party in Tuscany. TO help, their wedding planners built an elegant gazebo over the dinner tables and draped the structure in a flowing taupe fabric that was accented with fresh florals and greenery.

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Create a Criss-Cross

indoor wedding reception with criss-cross draping — Photo by Meredith Teasley Photography

To make a large, cavernous space feel cozier and more personal, add overhead draping. This design featured extra-long fabric swags that crisscrossed back and forth; the ends cascaded down the sides for an elegant, fluttery effect.

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Let It Flow

outdoor wedding reception with a chandelier, long tables, and white panel draping — Photo by KT Merry

A wave-like approach to drapery brought a beautiful flow to the ceiling of this elegant wedding at a French chateau. Wide pieces of fabric were draped upon clear wiring to help create the shape.

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Bring the Outdoors In

sheer draping and greenery vines in tent — Photo by KT Merry

This couple opted for a whimsical garden feel for their at-home wedding reception. Creamy fabric draping with lush greenery garlands woven throughout the canopy created a romantic greenhouse vibe, even in the wintry setting.