Final Report Part 1 // Industrial & Rustic Hexagonal Wedding Arch

As I have been DIY-ing my wedding (which is happening at the end of July), I have seen that modern brides dare to rewrite the script in terms of “traditional” decor, desserts, and overall aesthetic. Gone are the days of exclusively tulle, florescent light bulbs, and everything matching. I realized that I can create an elegant and classy wedding that doesn’t necessarily fit with traditional wedding aesthetic.

I decided to make a wedding arch, but it’s really not an “arch” at all.

I was inspired by the following images (see sources in the caption):

Photograph by Anushe Low, styling by Rock My Wedding

 

Emily Wren Photography, styled by Green Wedding Shoes

 

Overall, these two wedding arches inspired me because they incorporate hard lines and geometry with the softness of nature and greenery. I really fell in love with the copper pipes in the first image and the shape in the second image. As I researched the elements of this aesthetic more, I was inspired by these works of art incorporating exposed pipes, pipe fittings, and an industrial aesthetic:

Credit: theblacksteel.com
Artist: TJ Volonis

 

And so I designed a hexagonal arch. My vision was for the structure to be made entirely of copper pipes with greenery and flowers draped elegantly over the top corner and framing the bottom. Furthermore, having some sort of dimming light feature using Edison bulbs would really add a dynamic element to the whole piece. My initial plans are shown in the image below:

My materials include:

  • (3x) 10 foot long ABS foam-core pipes (1.5″ diameter)
  • (4x) 60 degree ABS pipe fittings (1.5″ diameter)
  • (4x) 90 degree ABS pipe fittings (1.5″ diameter)
  • (2x) Tee ABS pipe fittings (1.5″ diameter)
  • Copper Rose colored spray paint + primer
  • Pipe cutters for plastic pipes up to 2″ diameter

And to achieve my aesthetic, I ordered a few garlands of fake wisteria vines (shown below) and some lights from Ebay.

Unfortunately, due to coronavirus, my floral decor did not arrive on time. I will update this post when it does! However, I was scrambling to find a different way to make my arch fit the industrial-rustic aesthetic that I was aiming for. My solution was a whole bunch of straws and some 26 gauge wire! I made these geometric icosahedrons after gaining inspiration from a video (https://youtu.be/MUZes6B537c). Once my flowers and greenery arrive, not only will I drape the sides of the hexagon with it, I will also put it inside the icosahedrons like they are floating planters.

Here is my (not-so-final) final product! Please check back for updates as some more materials should be arriving soon!

I am so pleased with how this arch has turned out so far. In fact, my fiance and I love the aesthetic so much that we are trying to incorporate it throughout our wedding! We designed our invitations from scratch in Canva to have the trademark hexagon. We designed a stamp for our wedding favors (small, ornament-sized slices of natural wood), and we plan to make more icosahedrons and use them in our center-pieces!

 

 

 

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2 Comments. Leave new

  • I like how the paint turned out, seeing it before the arch was painted vs after makes a big difference. I like the idea of the hexagonal hanging shapes I wonder if they will fit in with the flowers . Maybe you could put flowers inside of it once you get the vines that will hang around the arch. I think something to consider is where they hang , you probably dont want them head level that way in photos it is just you and your partners faces in the same frame and not the hanging objects. Overall I really like this project and thing its amazing that you are making a piece for your wedding yourself.

    Reply
  • Nicole Leon-Molina
    April 24, 2020 11:23 am

    Hi Brooke. Congratulations on you wedding coming up! Your arch looks so lovely and I look forward to continuing to see updates. Hopefully you’re able to put some wedding photos on your post. I like the shape and form of the arch and it’s good that it also looks sturdy. It’s good that despite the COVID limitations you still managed to successfully execute your project. I hope that when the wedding comes around you’re able to add the plants since it brings the whole design more to life. Would you consider creating a version out of metal pipes? Not necessarily just copper but bronze perhaps? It may work to tie it nicely to your rustic aesthetic.

    Reply

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