How to Make IKEA Skarpo Chairs Look Custom for Outdoor Weddings

The IKEA Skarpo chair shows up everywhere for outdoor weddings. It’s affordable, lightweight, and easy to move. It’s also unmistakably IKEA.

If you’re an event planner, rental company, or venue owner, the challenge is simple: how do you make a plastic chair look intentional, elevated, and wedding-ready—without replacing your inventory?

Here’s how professionals are doing it.

Start With the Right Base

Skarpo chairs are popular for a reason. They’re weather-resistant, stackable, and neutral enough to work with most palettes. That makes them a solid foundation—but not a finished look.

Left as-is, they read casual. Sometimes backyard. Sometimes café. Not ceremony.

The goal isn’t to hide the chair. It’s to refine it.

Use Tailored Slipcovers, Not Chair Drapes

Loose chair draping was everywhere ten years ago. Today, it looks exactly like what it is: fabric thrown over furniture.

A tailored slipcover changes that completely.

A custom-fit Skarpo slipcover follows the shape of the chair. No excess fabric. No bunching. No tying bows behind every seat. The result looks intentional, clean, and modern—especially for outdoor settings.

This is what separates “rented furniture” from “designed seating.”

Use Florals That Work Everywhere, Not Just the Ceremony

Floral fabrics do more than dress the aisle. They carry the look across the entire event.

The same Skarpo chairs used for the ceremony can move straight into lounge areas, cocktail spaces, and photo booths without feeling out of place. A well-chosen floral reads intentional in every setting—romantic up front, relaxed in conversation areas, and photogenic from every angle.

This is where florals outperform solids. They soften outdoor spaces, add depth to wide-open venues, and photograph beautifully against grass, stone, and wood. One pattern. Multiple moments. No visual reset required.

For planners and rental companies, this means fewer pieces, faster transitions, and a cohesive look guests actually notice.

Think in Sets, Not Singles

A single upgraded chair doesn’t change much. Fifty do.

When every Skarpo chair is covered in the same tailored fabric, the seating becomes part of the design. It frames the aisle. It anchors the ceremony space. It photographs cleanly.

This is especially important for outdoor weddings, where there are fewer architectural elements to rely on.

Prioritize Speed and Turnover

Wedding setups move fast. Tear-downs move faster.

Slipcovers that slide on and off easily matter. Machine-washable fabrics matter. Covers that don’t require steaming at 6 a.m. matter.

If your team can refresh chairs between events without stress, you’ve built a system—not just a look.

Why Professionals Don’t Replace the Chairs

Replacing furniture every season is expensive and unnecessary.

Custom Skarpo slipcovers let planners:

• Keep one core chair inventory

• Refresh styles seasonally

• Match different wedding themes

• Protect chairs from wear and sun

It’s not about decoration. It’s about flexibility and margin.

Finish the Look With Matching Pillow Bundles

Once the chairs are covered, matching pillows are what make the space feel layered instead of staged. They add comfort where guests linger and visual continuity where cameras linger longer.

Instead of styling each zone separately, the pillows carry the design across the entire event—ceremony to cocktail hour to late-night conversations—using the same fabric story. Fewer decisions. Stronger impact. One cohesive look that feels custom everywhere.

If you’re working with IKEA Skarpo chairs for outdoor weddings, custom-fit slipcovers are the difference between “functional” and “finished.”