The wedding chuppah is a symbol of the new home the new married couple will build together (as surrounded by their families). So before spending big bucks renting your chuppah from a florist, why not build your chuppah as well? Here are some simple directions on how to build your very own wedding chuppah with inexpensive and easy to find materials.
Supplies:
- Four 7-8ft posts. I love when the poles are made from birch or bamboo
- ¾ inch wooden dowels
- Fabric. Some options: plain white sheet of fabric, traditional tallit, a quilt sewed by your grandmother, or other sheets of beautiful fabric that compliment your wedding décor
- 1 Drill
How To Build A Birch Wood Chuppah:
STEP 1: Measure where you would like the wooden dowels to connect to the posts. Make sure your dowels do not all connect at the same spot so they do not overlap: Side bars can be 2 inches lower than front and back bars
STEP 2: Drill holes into the birch posts with a 5/16 inch bit about ½ inch deep.
STEP 3: Cut down the dowels to the desired length. (About 6ft should be good) and begin screwing 1 dowel into one branch. Secure the dowel into the post with a large screw. Repeat for the additional 3 other posts
STEP 4: Placing on the Fabric: There are several ways to place the fabric on your chuppah skeleton.
- Buy an extra long fabric that can simply drape over the sides of the chuppah
- Attach strings or strings of fabric to the sheet of fabric to be tied onto the corners
STEP 5: Use flowers of your choice to decorate the corners of the chuppah to cover any unattractive corners. Hydrangeas and orchids on wire are perfect for this.
**This chuppah is not free standing and must be held on each post. If you would like a free standing chuppah, each post can sit in a flower pot filled with cement
Photo: Ken Pak Photography
Photo: Kate Headley Photography
