If you take a peek at the Instagram feeds of the top event planners and photographers right now, you’re sure to see plenty of billowing wedding drapery creating a dreamy, dramatic effect at a reception. While deciding on your linens has always been part of the wedding planning process, many couples are choosing to invest in more fabric to completely transform their celebrations with swaths of cloth rather than just cover tables.

“Historically, draping has been used to soften or conceal logistical elements—tent poles, unsightly walls in ballrooms, and the like. In those cases, it functioned more like a backdrop or neutral canvas, similar to choosing a wall color or wallpaper in your home,” explains wedding planner Beth Helmstetter. “But in recent years, draping has evolved into a design feature in its own right.” She adds, “It’s no longer just functional. It’s a focal point.”

The perks of bringing fabric into your wedding design are endless. “Drapery offers softness and movement to a room, as well as a feeling of stepping into a one-of-a-kind space,” says wedding planner Alexis Eskenazi. She notes that the material can also work wonders when transforming a venue. “Draping is a great way to create a space within a space, or divide an area to create multiple chapters throughout the evening.”

Celebrity wedding planner Mindy Weiss says clients are requesting to use drapery in a number of ways we haven’t seen in the past. “I’m not just draping ballrooms and receptions now; I’m draping ceremonies and cocktail spaces, too,” she shares. “And, not only on the walls.” She points out chuppahs and wedding ceremony arches are a popular spot for adding in fabric, while other planners note hallway entrances are a prime spot for a moody draping moment.