Deciding on ideas and inspiration for wedding decoration is a difficult task. As mandap decoration is the focal point of every wedding decor, It takes some special thought and effort to pick the perfect mandap decor for your D-day. The word ‘Mandap’ translates to a covered structure of pillars. The use of mandap is an ancient custom and it is an integral part of Indian weddings, specifically for Hindu and Jain wedding ceremonies. The four pillars of a mandap symbolise the four essential aspects of our life – Dharma (duty), Artha (prosperity), Kama (desire) and Moksha (spiritual liberation). It is a ‘sanctum sanctorum’ for wedding rituals, which marks the auspiciousness of a fruitful married life.
Traditionally, a wedding mandap is decorated using kalashas, garlands of mango leaves, banana leaves, coconuts, etc. A modern mandap is adorned beautifully using various decor elements such as flowers, fabrics, lights, crystals, etc and it works as a stage for the couple to get married. There are endless options to choose from and decorate your wedding mandap making it very personal for you. Take inspiration from these eye-catching mandap decoration ideas to make your wedding day more surreal.
Rustic Charm
If you are a boho chic who loves greens and wild flowers, if your idea of decoration is branches and fresh blooms, this is the perfect theme for you. A rustic decoration for your mandap doesn’t have to be modest or cheap; it can be glamorous and luxurious with the right elements used to fit the bohemian aesthetic.
It can be easily replicated on your wedding mandap with dried twirling branches, pretty fresh flowers, a flower curtain backdrop, light flowy drapes, and some soft spot lights.
Regal Affair
If you’re someone who loves everything traditional and classic, and has a little thing for royal extravaganza, this is the theme for you. Add a touch of royalty to your wedding mandap with red and gold details.
Traditional shapes, patterns, and symbols also make it look regal, perfect for a night wedding. The ethereal elegance of jewel-toned glow on the centre stage can make your wedding an affair for the kings and the queens.
Coastal Amour
What’s more romantic than a beach wedding? A gorgeous mandap in the middle of the sands with the endless ocean as a backdrop, and the light breeze adding the drama. Pastel colours, which are right now trending in wedding decoration, mesh perfectly with the blues of water and sky.
The fresh fragrance of flowers in the wind and the sound of waves is the romance you are looking for on your D-day. Beachy corals, dark bamboo, and pearls can add literal oceanic glamour.
Drapery Elegance
One of the classic elements for mandap decoration, drapes add simple elegance to the wedding stage. The flowy fabric across the pillars and canopy makes the mandap a distinct platform in the room.
A ceiling with exquisite billowing jewel-tone silk drapery can be the minimal sophistication you want to add to your wedding decoration. For outdoor ceremonies, elegantly gathered drapes add life to the event with a soft wind blowing into them.
Floral Fairytale
Be it the larger-than-life ones or the minimalist ones, everyone loves an ‘all floral mandap’. This floral extravaganza creates a heavenly atmosphere for your romantic fairytale.
Mandaps where flowers are not just an accent, but the main element of decoration, gracing the place with a plethora of blooms of different hues to please our sight. The fragrance and beauty of fresh natural flowers refresh our senses too.
Vivid Romance
The more experimental Indian weddings are being, the more shades of colours we can see in the decor.
Moving away from the traditional red and gold colour palette, various colour schemes are chosen according to the theme, and the lively vivid colour palette is one of them. Instead of multi-coloured drapes, go for multi-coloured floral mandaps. This way the mandap will look as prismatic as elegant at the same time.
Glitzy Magic
Yes, twinkling fairy lights have made a comeback. Covered with thousands of blinking lights, this wedding mandap looks like it stepped out of a romance novel.
This blink and glamour is perfect for a night wedding where the golden lights sit perfectly against the night backdrop. These versatile string lights are effortlessly romantic and can be used as a bejewelled ceiling, draped curtains, a dreamy backdrop, and millions of other ways.
Floating Fantasy
One of the most unique mandap setups on the list is the floating mandap where you can take your pheras in the middle of the water. No, the mandap won’t be literally floating on the water, but it will be set up on the top of the water creating a mesmerising illusion.
Whether it’s a swimming pool, lake or beach, the stunningly decorated mandap creating a reflection on the water’s surface is a visual delight for everyone.
Asymmetrical Beauty
Ditch the cookie-cutter perfection for your mandap decoration and let the organic flow take over your designs by embracing asymmetrical mandap decor. There is a beautiful symmetry in asymmetry.
If you like things a bit non-traditional and unconventional, this decoration is perfect for you. An asymmetric flower pattern creates natural floral flow, while drapes hanging in curved asymmetry from the ceiling make a mandap look unique and visionary.
Poised Minimalism
Mandap doesn’t always have to be extravagant and over-the-top. For couples who like simplicity, a simple minimal design will fit perfectly into their wedding aesthetic. With elegant and sophisticated design elements, a minimal mandap decoration can stand out.
Neutral colours, solid fabrics, streamlined decor items, clean and quality design, etc are key for a poised minimal mandap decor. Less is more, even for mandap decoration.
Raining Flowers
What if only one massive element on your mandap is the centre of attraction among your wedding decor?
For people who love big and bold drama, a big floral ceiling or chandelier might just be perfect. It will seem like you are getting married under a floral canopy, a floating structure showering flowers just above your head. No matter the space, this strikingly gorgeous centrepiece will deck them up into a magical space.
