Chairs are an integral part of any wedding, but where do we start when it comes to making them blend in?

I wrote a blog with helpful hints and tips and explanations of the differences between chair dressings styles a while back (read here) but with changes in trends and possibilities available I thought it was time for an update.. along with some new (and just a little bit fabulous) images to inspire you.

Banquet Style Chairs

Ok, let’s say your venue has banquet style chairs. These are the ones with heavy metal frames, & randomly patterned upholstery..what’s the best thing to do with these?

If your budget doesn’t push to hiring in the style of chairs you really like, then they’d ideally need to be covered. This way they form a blank canvas for your colour scheme to sit against, meaning your scheme is not dictated by patterns of the chairs.

Things have come on a lot in the past few years. Long gone are the Organza sashes, tied in a bow at the back of the chair. It’s all about Chiffon these days.

No matter what style of chair you’re dressing, Chiffon is the on trend, must have for any Instagram worthy wedding and they look so beautiful in pretty much every setting. 

Hoods with tails and sparkly embellishments are a contemporary favourite of mine. So simple, but so elegantly symmetrical at the same time

If you fancy something a little more jaunty, maybe to match the one shoulder style of your Bridesmaids gowns, then the diagonally side tied drape is something for you to look in to.

Chivari Chairs

If your venue has the Marquee style chairs, then you’ve more options than you’ll know what to do with.

Their actual name is Chivari chairs… mostly available in a Lime Washed effect, but there are some venues that have them in different colours.. I’m sure you’ll pick them out in the images below. 

This type of chair doesn’t necessarily need covering with a full cover, the Chiffon draping I mentioned before is all you really need to create a stylish, elegant look.  We have our own names for each of the styles you can chose from too, to help when making your choice!

The Fan

The ‘Fan’ is the simplest way to dress a Chivari chair, although there are ways to add a little drama to the look if you want to turn it up a notch. Clips & Brooches add sparkle to the chairs, while securing the Fan nice & tightly in place.

If you’re not into the sparkle, then having ribbon to match your colour, or an accent shade, is really pretty & does the job too.

Both allow for the addition of fresh foliage which not only adds a natural colour to the chair, but also infuses the space with lovely aromas

The Double Drape

The Double Drape is one of my favourite ways to dress a Chivari chair. It takes 2 drapes to create the gathered look, again secured in place with either a clip, a brooch or ribbons

I always think of the back of a Grecian gown when I’m dressing chairs with this style.

It’s pure elegance in my eyes.

The Waterfall

There are a few names used in the Wedding Industry for this dressing style, but I prefer to use the term ‘Waterfall’. It’s so apt, as the fabric just tumbles to the floor, flowing between the spindles of the chair. 

This is a beautiful chair dressing style, using a lot of fabric, creating an opulent feel for your wedding breakfast room & ceremony space.

Let’s talk spandex…

I forgot to mention, when we cover a chair completely, our covers are made to measure, from a high quality poly cotton twill fabric, which makes sitting on the covered chairs more comfortable for your guest. We don’t use (or like) the spandex type of chair cover.. you can find out why in the original blog about chair covers if you’d like (read here). I do bang on a lot about their pitfalls.. they’re a pet hate for me.

I could talk for hours about chair dressings… well, anything to do with weddings gets me going, so if there’s anything you’d like to chat about, please get in touch. Dates for 2023 & 2024 are filling fast, and with couples booking us for more than one service, our availability reduces very quickly.

I do have another blog about the benefits of using one key supplier, so you can see how working with one person helps to take away so much stress, giving you more time to enjoy the run up to your wedding doing fun things with your friends & family, you can read that here.

I can’t wait to start talking about your own wedding plans and being part of your love story if we are the right fit for you.