Tulle versus draping on wedding pergola

Hi Megan! Welcome to the WeddingWire Community! When it comes to decor fabric, tulle tends to be a little stiffer, so you might want to look into something softer like chiffon, which will give you more flexibility to drape! You can also look into organza.

There is no one blanket answer. There are more than one kind of tulle and they are not all stiff. When I want to do any draping, I go to the discount fabric place and see what they have in stock.I check the back clearance area first to find a bargain. It's easy to unroll the fabric and see how it drapes.

Tulle and organza are on the stiffer side of the spectrum.

You can also use:

satin- heavy

voile- sheer and lightweight- made from cotton

goassamer- also called tobacco cloth- it's a non woven fabric

charmeuse- used to be 100% silk but now available in poyester

chiffon- sheer, delicate

scrim- used in theaters

I have seen painters canvas and burap draped as a backdrop at a more rustic wedding.

I used crepe silk because it looked nicer than tulle and used a staple gun to discretely anchor it to the pergola. Look for coupons at Joann's and measure multiple times!

You can see pictures here (scroll part way down):

http://www.j-dphoto.com/topic/Elegant-Outdoor-Southern-Wedding-at-Tuckahoe-Plantation-Richmond-Virginia/