Having a chuppah is a beautiful Jewish custom. Chuppah, חוּפָּה in Hebrew means “covering”.
On ReformJudaism.org, Rabbi Victor Appell describes the chuppah this way.
The canopy under which Jewish couples stand when they are married is called a chuppah. The chuppah represents the new home a couple establishes through their marriage. It also represents the sheltering presence of God and the wish for God’s blessing over the couple. A chuppah can be as simple as a tallit (prayer shawl) attached to four poles supported by members of the wedding party or a large piece of decorative fabric attached to four stationary poles. Some wedding venues have more permanent structures that serve as a chuppah and can be decorated by a florist. The openness and temporal nature of the chuppah remind us of that couples need to feel free to openly express their feelings to each other, and that new marriages require the support of friends and family.
G-d cast has a short, useful video about the chuppah that you can view here.
Wedding canopies are beautiful and sometimes couples who are not Jewish choose to use them to create sacred space.
For a Jew, having a chuppah is often seen as critical to their wedding. It is not required by Jewish law but has significant cultural importance for many.
