A Rustic Country Wedding

Can anybody out there please give me some ideas…
My wedding is aug of “08″. were getting married in the mtn.s the place is very rustic and it’s in ca. Need decorating ideas and colo scheme and music…
Thank you sooo much

Back again for some more advice, I really appreciate all the amazing ideas earlier. I am set for June 7, 2008 with a camping themed wedding. I am currently working on the ceremony and need some suggestions for readings. It is a semi-casual affair, outdoor ceremony, we are going to have tree branches, and little teddy bears roasting marshmallows on the tables, dragon fly string lights, brown & green with hints of burgandy. Flowers are hopefully to include white daisies. PLEASE PLEASE help. We are NOT having a religious ceremony, it will be done by a magistrate. We want to keep it simple, but sweet. THANKS!

Melanie,

I don’t live in CT, but maybe you can find a state/national park near you. There are always weddings at park and usually the venue fee is very reasonable. Also, who doesn’t love a state park. The grounds are always kept extremely nice and there are always lots of natural wildlife, flowers, scenery to work with. Also, if your reception is going to be relaxed, such as a bbq would suggest, a park/natural area would be a perfect place to hold a wedding/reception. If you are unsure about a location of a state park, I am sure you could call CT state parks main number and recieve info about locations. Hope this helps.

Ooh, another lovely picture of a barn wedding. Love it!

Tina, a few photos/pics to get you started … first, a highly renovated barn, with really cute touches: hay bales, gorgeous ‘fall fruit’ cake, and personal photos of family & friends displayed with clothespins …

okay so my colors are Black, White, and Silver, but i want it to look cowboyish not to country but just touches here and there, are the colors i choose okay for a country themed wedding?

Hey thanks Blake! I didn’t get to take any pictures outside on our wedding day because it had poured rain for 2 days before my wedding. I was very disappointed. Not only that my hair was a huge disaster. I would love several different kinds of photos. I love black and white so definetly some of those and any other ideas you might have are very welcome. Thanks agian!

Would it be too tacky for me to take pictures in another dress than the one I got married in? I bought a dress for my store and it’s exactly what I wanted but didn’t get. Let me know what you think.

tashina,
i think sage green and brown will look great. i hope they dont clash they are my wedding colors for june 2008. chocolate brown tuxes and bridesmaid dresses. green flowers. green hydrangeas, cymbidium orchids and jade roses.

Hi Jessika, Giselle! I love that CP, Giselle, thanks for posting it.

Here are a few bouquet pics … after this I found a few more general wedding ones.

Jessika,

I love your idea of wheat and red roses, if you don’t mind…I might borrow this. Now I have seen a variety of decorations with wheat, where…I don’t remember. You can try good old Marth Stewart, I recall some items there for table decorations. I recall stacks of wheat about 1 foot high tied with ribbon in a fan type of fashion. Sorry but it is really hard to describe. I will keep my eye open as I search for my own ideas. Good luck

Susie, I believe those are very cleverly made with some double-sided tape, painted tires and large garbage bags. But if anyone knows where to get pre-made ones, please post …

Christin,

I have the same dilemma to a degree as yours. We have decided to have our guests walk over to the town hall after the church ceremony for refreshments and bites to tide them over before the reception on our home farm in the barn. This will give us time to take pictures and be on site in time to greet our guests back at home. If you are certain this is where you would like your events to take place I would keep it as is and come up with additional plans. You can have folks meet at destination close to the church to give you time to get there and perhaps to take of other things. And having a 5:00 dinner might be called for instead. I think this is acceptable by any means. You can create some interesting points along your travel route, signs, posters etc…just to provide an extra something. Our town church is about 15 minutes from our home and this is also an appropriate amount of time to expect guests to drive. We also plan to do some car pooling just to help out here. The church to the hall is only a few minutes walking distance. I will plan to have umbrellas available should the weather turn on us this day. Good luck.

i’m having a john deere themed wedding, and i need ideas. it’s going to be inside, and i need ideas for the tables and what goes on them. also in the church there’s not really to much room for decor, so i only have a few windows that i can decorate or set something in them. also i need favor ideas. i thought about green and yellow colored popcorn kernels in a mason jar with john deere fabric at the top.

OK, here are a couple of camping theme ideas, but please add yours since these are only a few!

Food: shish kebab, barbeque, or gourmet hot dogs. There are some truly outstanding hot dogs, especially from the east coast: offer people gourmet mustards and cheese to combine them with, carmelized onions, etc. … try to get your guests to stay over and do a pancake breakfast the next morning with bacon and OJ.

Decor: lanterns like you said, leaves are nice here, birch branches (you can use these in centerpieces or lash them to a wedding arch). There are some beautiful rustic invitations that use twigs. Moss is a great material for “campifying” centerpieces.

If you can get an attractive canoe prop it up and fill it with ice buckets and drinks (or if a really old canoe, fill the whole thing with ice, it will look great). Also see a Fishing Theme wedding.

For favors, there are these little gourmet s’more tins you can hand out (not sure where to get these). Or put gourmet trail mix in small cello or organza bags. Here is a decadent type of trail mix, or you can make your own from fine chocolate, macadamia nuts, whatever floats your boat. bird nest holders for Jordan almonds are a classic for ‘rustic.’ For the kids, put gummi worms and gummi fish in little bags.

A camping wedding is a great excuse to have gourmet s’mores over a campfire. Homemade marshmallows are really a revelation, one that most people might not ever experience otherwise. Upgrade to gourmet chocolate. You can make available all kinds of other toppings too like caramel squares, raspberry sauce, peanut butter. There’s an entire (fun) book dedicated to gourmet s’mores by Lisa Adam at Amazon. Hope this helps!

I just wanted to through this out there. While looking for decorations and items that had a country/rustic feel, I cam across this website that had many wonderfull items. The website is www.collectionsetc.com

Also, the items are inexpensive but great. There is nothing over $20.00. I ordered a couple of wagons and quilt racks and love them. You would never guess they were so cheap by the quality. There are lots of items and lots of seasonal items but it is worth the time it take to go through the items. Hope this can help someone.

Crystal

Giselle, I know a lot of people use plastic cutlery and paper plate for informal-style meals like a pig roast, even at a wedding. Sometimes even at garden weddings. Of course you can go fancier if you want to, but if you don’t, you’ll have plenty of company.

Also, you’re right about not wanting guests to pitch in and work. Teens are cheap and glad for the work! If you can hire two or three for the afternoon it will be SO much easier to serve the food, keep the beverages stocked and keep people moving. They can also help you with set-up and tear-down. It will make a big difference.

I am thinking of getting married late July 2008 in a rented rustic cabin. It has a nice big room that they tell me is often used for wedding receptions and such. i thought I would have the food and dancing in this room, and the ceremony on the front porch. Here is my problem . . . I would love to have my colors be a pale pink and sage green (predominantly), and I’m afraid this will clash with the browns and earthy tones that will be needed to make it “rustic”. What do u think????? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to post their ideas. I am also having a July 2008 county barn wedding, in my own yard!. I have several timing concerns as we are hosting our own wedding and hope someone will be kind enough to share their thoughts with me. The majority of our guests (50 max) will need to travel at least 2 hours to get to us. As an additional thought I would love to have our guests travel by horse and wagon to the church from the house but this would take under an hour each way. Our little town is only 10 minutes by car but the wagon will take longer. Does this sound too long to put a group of folks through?

However, this time for my guests travel would allow me to have an hour on each end. I am thinking I can finish little details around the house or myself as the company is gone and still arrive to the church in time and have most of the pictures finished by the time they get back? Or so I hope. I am concerned that they will all arrive back to our home and we are not here to assist with their welcome. And if they do, any ideas how to get them to settle in and get comfortable without us here? And how should I handle the serving and lining up of food?

We are having a pig roast buffet for early evening. As the hostess and host, we would like for our company to come and have a great time and feel awkward asking for someone else to get up and dish food, serve etc. etc. . I suppose we should eat first according to every other wedding I have been to, but we feel like we should be eating last as hosts to our company. We would in any other event with people in our home, so I am not sure how to do this one. Also…I see many other folks here are doing picnics, bbq’s and well we are having an old fashion pig roast with all the classic trimmings. Can I use plastic cutlery, paper plates etc.??? Any thoughts out there ladies? Much appreciated.

planning a fall 2008 wedding. So my aunt thought we could plant white pumpkins to carve Bride and Grooms names in -one way to scratch into before harvest-the scar will heal, also carv part way through and put tealight inside to use for a luminaire. you could punch the holes all the way through then pop little mini white lights in holes. I use battery operated lites. Use mini pumpkins to hold name /place cards- just cut a small slice in top of stem to slide card into. Also use your pumpkins carved out for vases fill with water or floral foam. Dont forget gourds.. Plant your own to lower budget.

If you need hay bales. just stop at a farm with cows and they may let you borrow them without a fee as long as you return them. We actually have a farm and loan out bales. Little pumpkins are cute with the tops cut out leaving stems on as you would for a jack-o-lantern except you dont carve a face.–just re attach the top at an angle on the side with somethine ,i used a cut nail( like they use in putting down pine floors of reproduction homes) leave it showing at the top tie raffia bow on to the nail -insert a votive candle. Adorable at each place setting-beware of children. Also carve guests name into mini pumpkin or gourd before done growing so it can heal. Depending on number of guests this could be used for showers or rehearsal dinners.

I also went on line and searched for apple and pumpkin desserts and used family recipes. Let friends and relatives help u if your ‘e on a tight budget. My brother even built a cinder block fireplace at his outdoor wedding in october it was cold but he had a rental tent and it worked great. No concrete to put it together. He just stacked them. And took it apart after.

fall wedding I used wildflower/daisey country cowboy/girl theme. Bride in white w/white cowboy hat/bootsGroom same.Bridesmaids in brown skirts with pink t shirts and cowboy boots/hats Asked guests to dress in country attire. Colors were pink and brown. White tablecloths with 3 squares of scrapbooking papers variety of each spread out in center of table. Next on top burlap square with smaller size. Then Paper bag rolled down to hold vase of daiseys. pink gerber and other wildflowers, bag then tied with jute. you could use small brown rope .

Ideas for party favors. black picture frames with b&w picture of bride and groom. Or homemade mini albums of black cover using card stock-beige paper inside add b&w photo slideshow of couple. also for fall-using unbleached muslin sew small bags with recipe of mulling cider. also served at reception. (opt. herbs for making dips,just add cream cheese,s.cream etc.

Walls were covered with burlap. Ropes hung to hold photos with clothespins, wildflowers hung from stems. Many props of antiques. Wheelbarrow, wagons. tin cans to hold flowers. jugs, Wooden pitchforks, rakes. baskets ,wicker and wire. Ive also seen barn with all wooden beams. Wide pine floors. Stained wooden fold up chairs but using all white tulle, china. and crystal and candles-very elegant. I picked up alot of wine/water goblets at Goodill. Many serving trays. white, crystal, silver sooooo cheap! Even ice cream sunday cups-clear glass. I used strawberry & cream topped with whipp topping and vanilla mirangue.

Check dollar stores too. Use many tiers. Servers-just use white or glass plates . Stack up those cake plates for hordervs or desserts. One more tip for all you daisey lovers. Candy melt molds made for daiseys/black eye-susan. individually wrapped tie off with raffia. very cheap. Enjoy

We think we are having our wedding in mid May. Do you guys think Lavendar and Silver would go good with a sort of county theme? I was thinking the groom in a wetern tux and just not to dressed up as far the bridesmaid and groomsmen. I wanted counrty like decorations though. Do you think these would clash? Please let me know. Email me at gwarthen@hotmail.com and let me know. THank you?!

Lynn,

I would try garden centers or craft stores like Michaels. Also, try going to www.etchesinstone.com. It might be a bit more money, but he may give you a significant deal on quantity.

Jessika,

I think if you add a little yellow that would be completely summery. More important then colors is the texture of the colors and how you will be using them. The bouquets and flowers could have pink and red, with a little yellow here and there and hand tied with a cream ribbon. The Tables could be covered in red and cream checkered gingham, you could but another color with the ribbons, with napkins. I think even the worst possible color combinations can work if you think about texture.

By the way. I looooove the idea of the barn and am totally envious. The posibilities seem endless. I saw this barn reception site online where someone made curtains around the barn doors, with a gauzy material and had hay on the floor under the tables. I don’t know any one with a barn like that so I am going for a rustic goddess garden near a brook. My centerpieces are going to be herb baskets. I am even naming the tables after herbs. I wil be sitting at Thyme, you know… Because it is about thyme I got married.

Good luck. I think if you are stuck, just add one other accent color and work with textures.

amanda,

If you google Calvin Klein Cadbury brown Tuxedo it should come up. Heads up. If your dress is off white, make sure all of the male attendants wear off white shirts or the photos of your dress will look muddy. Also, the off white shirt looks much better with this tuxedo; in my opinion.

Im getting married in late Julyin Texas. O yea and its going to be outdoors ( I know so hot) I have found a color that I love but I cant find it anywhere but Davids Bridal. Its called Pool. I also wanted the guys to wear brown but can you mix a black tux and brown? I dont know, any ideas on flowers or anything will be a great help!

Well I’m having a spring wedding (may more than likely) and I live in northeastern oklahoma. I would like it to be outside, but with living in Oklahoma there is never a guarantee on what the weather will be like, so I am torn as to go ahead and try for an outside wedding or try to bring the outside inside and what kind of facility to have it in. I’m going with a country theme, by colors are white and baby blue, with daisies being white and just an assortment of light blue flowers, kinda like wildflowers. I don’t want to have to pay two deposits on places just so I will have a backup and then loose the money that could have went to something else. Cost is a big matter. So if anyone has any suggestions I would really really appreciate it. Thanks!!!

Am having a rustic, mountain, country, Scottish, Autumn wedding. Whew! Hard to keep on track without becoming tacky. We rented a stone lodge in a state park. Decorating with burgandy and cream mums. Twinkle lights, swags of autumn leaves, pinecones and autumn flowers. Having cocktail tables covered with white linen, then tartan toppers on them. Center pieces are lanterns that are really candle holders (www.collectionsetc.com). Beverage table with galvanized tubs full of ice and beer, tea jars with lemonade and tea. Favors are mason jar mugs. Might have fans since October in Maryland is iffy, could be cool could be hot and this place doesn’t have AC. Trying very hard not to have Harvest Festival look (no pumpkins or cornucopias), not a Christmas look (easy on the pine and twinkle lights). We are having an hammered dulcimer as guests arrive. Bagpiper for the recessional, old time string band for the music. Any other ideas? This forum is great!

My hubby to be doesn’t like suits and wants to bring a bit of country into the wedding and so wants to have himself and the groomsmen dressed in moleskins (cream or black), cowboy hats and boots. The bridesmaids will be in royal blue dresses. Any ideas what colour shirts the boys can wear. Also not sure how to tie in the ‘country boys’ with the girls dresses

i’m having a john deere themed wedding, and i need help with ideas for the centerpeices, i thought about mason jars, and any other ideas would be great!

I had a beautiful outdoor wedding 4 years ago in early october. We used a local park that had a pond. It was no charge and the park manager was good enough to even bring in chairs. For table decorations, I rented glass candle holders and bought taper candles, which were really inexpensive (about .25 per table). Then, we sprinkled rose petals around the bases, although I really like the idea of a votive in a mason jar. I had green wheat in my bouquet to set off the hydraengas, lillies and autumn colored roses. Bunches of the same green wheat were wrapped with ribbon and hung along the isles. This would also be pretty for a centerpiece. We rented a huge white plactic archway, that was so sterile looking, but the florist put ferns all around the base and lined the columns with those wavly looking twigs, tying thin wire around the twigs to secure them to the columns and weaving flowers and leaves around the wire. Luckily my Dad made all the food and we recruited family and friends to serve guests. That was probably the biggest savings. Good luck and enjoy every minute!!!

for a twig arbor look at www.lingrowfarm.com and look at the photos there is one there. good luck

Sara, just a thought…don’t waste money on linen napkins, get some beautiful paper ones that have your wedding colors and roll them up and tie them with raffia. Also for a special table, like your cake table, use a quilt for the table cover… You also can go to the local thrift stores and get all different fabrics in cremes and whites and make it very rustic looking for the table covers.good luck

THANKS FOR THE TIPS!! IHOPE TO GET MORE IDEAS FROM ANYONE HAVING A FALL WEDDING. THIS DOESNT REALLY GO WITH MY RUSTIC THEME,HOWEVER WE ARE HAVING WEDDING DVD’S FOR OUR TABLE NAMES.(HUBBY-TO-BE IS A MOVIE LUVA) HOW COULD WE TIE THAT INTO A RUSTIC FALL THEME?? SOME PICKS ARE: FATHER OF THE BRIDE,WEDDING PLANNER AND SO FORTH.MY DAD IS MAKING WOODED PLATE EASELS TO DISPLAY THEM.AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO PLAY “MUSICAL DVD” AND GIVEM ALL AWAY @ RECEPTION!

hi, my daughter is getting married on sept 1 of this year, we are going rustic colors of brown, rusts, our tables will have rust colored tablecloths and i found wrapping paper with a cream and shiny rust print to lay down the center of the table as a runner, also am using fall flowers in old mason jars , plus i found small carvable pumpkins and am planning to carve their initials in them with battery lights in them as a luminary. at the door we are making a twig arbor with grapevine and white lights, really easy to build the more irregular the better it will look. may have caramel apples at each place setting, depending on the cost. hope this gives you some ideas. v.step

My fiance and I are planning a July 2007 western themed informal wedding outdoors next to a beautiful river. We are trying to make it as cheap as we can. Do you have any ideas for easy to make wedding favors, etc that go along with our western theme? Please let me know as soon as possible.

Missie, how are you going to do the BBQ? My wedding is county fair theme also it’s going to be Oct. 6, ‘07 and I still don’t know how I want everyone to get their food. I don’t know if the BBQ should still be cooking when everyone is getting there or have it already done. We are having servers to walk around and make sure everyone has want they want but should I have them server the food to everyone as well? We are going to have about 150 people.

My wedding is going to be indoors, but we are using a facility that is on a lake and looks like a log cabin with exposed beams and hardwood flooring. It is going to be in March of 08, so we will just begin to see flowers and spring blooming in the southeast. I plan to use mixed spring colors of gerber daisies, bulb flowers like daffodils, tulips, lillies, etc. We are having a country fair picnic theme w/ checked tablecloths, BBQ, plasticware and paper plates. We are adding touches like using raffia to tie plasticware together, goldfish in a bowl with colored glass beads on bottom and archways with lots of greenery and silk flowers to add to the spring picnic feel. My wedding planner is calling it Spring Wedding Fling: Bringing the ourdoors inside.

Janice. If you have an outside wedding in the fall and the wheather is cold, you can rent space heaters and opt to have sides on the tent. Look into it.

Just because I love the idea too check out Magicmud.com for custom made wedding toppers. Sooo cute. A little expensive, but it is a keeper you can put on display.

i have a few questions. I am going to have an outdoor country themed wedding. One questions is i am trying to decide when i want my wedidng…early summer, late summer or early fall…and the time of day….i really want sundowm do you think that will cause any problems?? i really want to give each guest ot each family a disposable camera to take pictures with and leave with us when they are leaving so we can catch a lot of moments…is that ok to do and is it really expensive?? please help me out!!

hey im getting married in october 7th and i want a outside wedding but i dont want it to cost me an arm and a leg either please help me

I want a simple, fall, outside wedding! Any ideas?

Hello - trying to decide between a fall wedding or a winter wedding. I would love an outdoor fall wedding - with a large bonfire with smores after, but what do you do about the weather!!! In VT there’s no guarantess and what do you do with folks - and okay, having a tent is a fun idea, but I am not sure about guests using portolets… I’m struggling!!!!

I’m having a Oct. wedding and I want sunflowers and daiseys, flowers that are seasonal. We’re getting married outside and everyone will be sitting on bails of hay and behind that is a white picket fence and I’m walking through the gate. I’m kinda stressing abou the colors…I don’t want a ton of brown and orange. What colors should I use?!?

i am having trouble trying to figure out ideas for a wedding in october of 2008 and i dont know of any specific colr that i want of theme that i want so if you have any ideas let me know at Dawngarywedding@yahoo.com

This website was great. I have been planning my wedding for awhile now and these tips just put the finishing touches on my June wedding! Thank you!!