How Much Does Draping for a Wedding Cost?

Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Wedding drapery is used to transform a plain space into the most enchanting venue, with the help of large white drapes or curtains that are placed and hung in different ways all around the wedding location. But how much does wedding draping cost?

How Much Does Draping for a Wedding Cost?

The cost of wedding drapes hung by a professional is anywhere between $350 and $4,500 or more in general, depending on several important factors like the number of drapes you need, the size of the reception room you need to decorate, and the setup you’re looking for.

However, expect most jobs to only be priced between $450 and $1,000. IN this price range you will likely be able to cover a common room with the size of about 100 feet.

You will also come across companies that charge per drape, in which case you should be prepared to pay around $130 to $300 each. The rental cost by the yard will usually be between $3 and $5, while the cost per linear foot will be somewhere around $7.

A discussion on the WeddingBee.com forum revealed that a member received a bill of around $1,150 for just four strings f lights and four drapes of fabric.

Event planners like the one on Eventprotraining.com, for example, will charge around $2 per yard when you purchase voile fabric to be used for ceiling draping. When asking an event planner to do the whole ceiling for a certain venue, you might have to spend $2,500 if the venue is of average size.

Factors that affect the cost

The linear width

When thinking about the linear width, you’ll have to consider how much of the room you’ll be looking to drape. For walls that are 100 feet long, you will need 100 feet of drape. You will have to double this amount if you will want that full appeal.

The height of the drapes

One of the most important factors is the height of the ceiling. Before everything else, you should know that there are very few wedding drape rental companies that will accept to accommodate sizes of more than 14 feet.

We also have articles on the price of a wedding planner, wedding rings, and corsages.

Travel expenses

Depending on the travel distance from the office of the rental company to your venue and the number of staff members you’ll need for the job, the final set up cost will fluctuate. Usually, there won’t be travel expenses when working with professionals within 25 miles of their location. Anything outside of this range will be charged an additional mileage fee.

The color of the fabric

Not all fabric is made equally. You can opt for a heavier fabric or one of a different color, but these will come at an increased price.

Details on hang wedding drapes

The estimates we went over will usually include anything from materials and poles to LED lighting when needed, when working with a professional. Setup, delivery, takedown, and any taxes should also be included in these estimates.

Most people choose to use drapes around the column covers, around the door, on the ceiling, the wedding backdrop, and around the ballroom.

Depending on your needs, when getting drapes, the same companies might also be able to include things like LED projectors to illuminate the drapes, if you need them. These projectors can use your preferred colors.

What are the extra costs? 

While some companies will add LED projectors in the price, there are some that won’t. If you don’t have them included in the initial estimate, then you will have to pay around $750 to $120 for each projector. You can have these projectors project anything from just your desired colors to pictures or words.

For an additional fee, you might be able to add other lighting features, like chandeliers or other types of fixtures. You can also give the event a touch of additional lighting by hanging strings of lights throughout the drapes.

You might be required to pay for the travel cost and sometimes even for staff accommodation when the event service provider will have to travel to a wedding venue located more than 30 miles away from them.

Important things to consider

If you need some creative ideas for draping designs, then Pinterest.com is probably the best place to brows through other people’s projects for drapery decor at different types of venues and different event themes.

How can I save money on drape rental?

Usually, it will be considerably cheaper to just pick up the items you need and go for a drape installation yourself, as this process isn’t as complicated as you might think.

With some venues you might be entitled to draping or other additional premium add-ons inside the venue reservation fee. Before going anywhere else, make sure you talk to the venue staff and see what they can offer for the fee.