Are you in the midst of planning a wedding with a rustic theme? Congrats! Rustic weddings are so on-trend right now, and for a good reason – they're timeless and oh-so-charming.
The perfect mixture of outdoorsy whimsy and vintage romance, this aesthetic suits couples who adore nature and want their guests to feel warm and welcomed.
To help make your big day unforgettable, we've selected some of the best suggestions around. From decorations to clothes to locations, these ideas should inspire you as well as give you a little practical guidance.
Short Summary
- The appeal of rustic weddings lies in their simplicity, charm, and raw beauty.
- One way to add a rustic vibe is by using objects like mirrors or old-fashioned jars.
- Many people choose outdoor locations such as barn venues when planning this type of celebration.
- Earthy and neutral tones are usually chosen from the color palette to match the rustic wedding theme.
- A rustic-themed wedding provides a warm and cozy atmosphere for couples.
What Is a Rustic Wedding Style?
A rustic wedding is all about simplicity, nature, and charm. It takes inspiration from farms, barns, and the great outdoors. Think wood, burlap, and mason jars filled with wildflowers. Picture twinkling lights strung up in trees.
It combines romance with an organic feel to create something warm and inviting – a day that's intimate rather than grand. Rustic weddings are usually held outside somewhere pretty, like a vineyard or garden (although you can use a barn too).
Colors tend to be earthy ones like brown, green, and gentle neutrals – whatever fits best with your surroundings.
People getting married might choose floaty boho-style dresses or vintage lace numbers. Guys might wear smart-casual things such as tweed suits or braces instead of jackets. All in all, it's about relaxed sophistication: love on a day that feels home to everybody there!
Rustic-Themed Wedding Ideas
As you plan your rustic wedding, consider charming additions to bring personality to your big day.
1. Boho Wedding Ceremony Decor
Decorate the ceremony space at your rustic wedding using elements like dream catchers, macramé backdrops, and lots of flowers in whimsical colors. Add comfy cushions and rugs to wooden benches for an eclectic and relaxed feel.
If you'd like to give things even more of a bohemian vibe, walk down an aisle covered with vintage rugs or tapestries. Try hanging geometric lanterns or paper versions from tree branches – this can look magical!
And don't forget about the plants: add pampas grass, eucalyptus leaves, or wildflowers to arrangements for extra boho-chic points. The idea here is to create an ethereal atmosphere that's also romantic.
2. Barn Venue
A barn is pretty much the ultimate blank canvas if you're searching for a rustic wedding venue – warm and full of character, too! Inside the barn, light up dark corners by draping fairy lights across wooden beams: it'll be magically twinkly once daylight fades.
For seating with farmyard feels, try hay bales; barrels as co*cktail tables also look great (plus they save space). Outside, think about making use of what's already there (hey there, nature!) by dotting around haystacks, wagon wheels, and signage from yesteryear.
3. Lace Wedding Dress
A lace wedding dress can give your rustic bridal look a feeling of timeless romance and sophistication that will never go out of style. One of the best rustic wedding ideas!
Whether you choose a gown with an overlay of lace or just have lace appliques on the bodice and skirt, this kind of detailing adds instant texture and visual appeal.
Opt for an off-the-shoulder neckline to show off your collarbone without baring too much skin–it's still demure enough for church weddings! Or consider illusion sleeves if there are any tattoos (or tan lines) you'd rather keep hidden until later.
To soften things up even further, why not adorn yourself with flowers? A boho crown would work beautifully here, as would subtle earrings – anything too big might detract from all those lovely fabric folds going on elsewhere!
4. Fresh Flowers on Your Wedding Cake
For many couples, getting married outdoors, surrounded by nature, is the ideal setting for their special day. There are few better ways to embrace the setting than using the ground around you to decorate the cake.
Having something like cascade delicate roses downside plain undecorated tiers creates a strikingly pretty picture, especially when contrasted against different textures at play here.
You could even use the same kinds of blooms throughout the rest of the floral scheme, tying everything together beautifully to achieve that rustic charm!
5. Rustic Ceremony Seating
To create a charming and comfortable ceremony area, consider rustic seating options such as wooden benches or mismatched chairs adorned with burlap sashes.
Hay bales covered in old quilts would also work well. These elements add to the outdoor feel and will make everyone feel welcome.
Imagine saying your vows beneath an arbor while loved ones sit on old church pews – it's intimate and so romantic! The mix of textures (wood, faded fabric) is just right for this kind of setup.
6. Long Wooden Tables
For a reception that feels both fancy and relaxed, use long wooden tables instead of round ones. They're perfect if you want guests to serve themselves (buffet style) or pass plates around family-style.
Drape each one with a burlap table runner; put candles inside mason jars down the middle, along with flowers arranged casually in metal pitchers.
It'll look amazing together! People can move around them easily, too – no assigned seats here! This makes talking easier between friends who may not know each other yet but have something important in common: knowing you two well enough already!
7. Traditional Country Wedding Menu
Add a taste of homey comfort to your rustic or country wedding with a classic country wedding menu. Think savory dishes like barbecue ribs, fried chicken, cornbread, and homemade pies.
Consider serving signature co*cktails – spiked apple cider or mint juleps come to mind – in mason jars for an extra hit of countryside charisma.
For that extra-special touch, you might even include recipes passed down through the generations from both families: sentimental value and full stomachs. Win-win.
8. Rustic Wood for Table Names
Rustic wooden table names are one way to bring nature's elements into your reception decor. Have personalized pieces cut showing places you've traveled together, like city names or landmarks, alongside meaningful phrases that resonate as a couple?
Not into cutting wood? Consider using tree stump slices instead; they double nicely as markers while adding some woodland whimsy to each setting.
This simple idea works well across other visual planes, too – tying everything together under one theme allows beauty without being overwhelming!
9. Macramé as Table Runners
If you want to give your tables a stylish, textured look, consider using macramé table runners – this look is super hot and has heaps of boho appeal.
You could drape the intricate knotted creations along banquet tables or place them vertically on round ones. Either way, they'll add an eye-catching feature to your reception.
Choose plain macramé for a chic finish, or go for colored versions if you want to inject extra vibrancy into your styling scheme.
The artistry involved in making these delicate items will lend an artisanal feel to your décor, too – great for couples who'd like to bring traditional rustic vibes up-to-date.
10. Light-Up Backdrop
Make things magical at your rustic wedding by opting for a backdrop that lights up once darkness falls. Hanging fairy lights and lanterns (or even chandeliers if there are some already installed at your venue) adds romance to any ceremony or reception space.
For something quirkier still, why not erect a wooden archway covered in long-lasting festoon lighting or vintage-style bulbs? This will frame photos beautifully and also draw attention towards whatever lies beyond – perfect for creating a focal point if you're saying vows outside before moving indoors later.
11. Foilage on the Tables
Emulate an outdoor feel by placing abundant plants on your tables at a rustic wedding. Trees, such as eucalyptus and olive branches, can be used to decorate tables in bunches or as table runners.
Using wooden elements like tree trunk pieces or crates will help to pull everything together – creating both freshness and texture in how things look when set up.
12. Dried Rustic Floral Centerpieces
Select dried flower centerpieces that enhance your rustic theme for a shabby-chic style at your ceremony.
To achieve this nostalgic farmhouse effect, consider arranging dried baby's breath alongside lavender sprigs, wheat shafts, or pampas grasses inside old-fashioned vases (or perhaps even mason jars or tin cans).
These kinds of displays typically last longer than fresh versions. What's more is that once the festivities are over, they make pretty souvenirs, too!
13. Printed Linens
Make your rustic wedding more special by using tablecloths that reflect you as a couple, such as ones with flowers, check patterns, or lace touches. Mixing different designs creates a memorable look that suits the surroundings.
These unique linens add texture and interest to your reception tables; when guests feel them, they'll appreciate how much thought went into planning everything!
14. Hanging Lanterns
Set an enchanting mood at your outdoor wedding with hanging lanterns: suspend them from branches, beams, or shepherd's hooks for a warm glow after dark. You can mix things up by combining various sizes and styles, too – think about using both candles and fairy lights to make it feel extra romantic.
Another idea? Decorate these fixtures with greenery and florals so they double up as eye-catching focal points or aisle markers during ceremonies held outside (adding even more magic).
15. Homemade Cookies
Delight your guests with homemade cookies at your rustic wedding – either as favors or dessert options. Think classic choc-chip, indulgent oat, and raisin, or iced biscuits – it's a sweet-toothed person's heaven!
Package singles in mason jars, little paper bags tied up with twine or garland-decked boxes, all of which give off an air of "rustic." Consider matching colors to any theme you have going on already; ask older relatives for their cookie recipes, too.
16. Vintage Decorative Arrangements
Add vintage decorative arrangements to your wedding day revival mix – they're elegant and nostalgic. Classic examples include birdcages filled with blooms (the more battered, the better), old books stacked high as centerpieces, and tables topped in pretty lace doilies.
These timeless touches will make loved ones feel right at home, plus they look great in photos, too. Go further by renting props from this era, such as typewriters (for guest books) or picture frames.
17. Lawn Games
Entertain your guests with lawn games at the wedding reception. Adding cornhole, giant Jenga, or ring toss activities can be really fun to get both the young and young at heart out of their seats and out onto the grass all day.
Spice up the celebration of your guests with some good, playful spirit from these interactive games that entertain all age groups. Lawn games are sure to create memorable moments and liven up the party atmosphere.
To add a little more rustic twist, have them customized with wooden finishes or have them located amidst the natural surroundings of your choice at the venue.
18. Rustic Wedding Arch
A wedding arch of rustic vibes is fabulous for your ceremony backdrop, which frames the romantic spot for your vows to exchange.
Draped with flowy fabric, with lush greenery and wildflowers, or in garlands decorated with some vines and twinkle lights on the arch, it looks just stunning.
Whether you opt for a simple arbor made of branches or something fancy, bedecked with lace and burlap, the rustic wedding arch is the epitome of love in its purest form against the incomparable beauty of nature. It makes for picturesque photos and enhances the overall aesthetic of your ceremony space.
19. Warm Bonfire With Cozy Seating Area
A warm bonfire with a cozy seating area lights up the perfect rustic and intimate aura for your wedding reception. Picture your guests perched around a crackling fire, warm and buoyant, laughing.
They tell stories and catch the glow of the flames. Make that cozy setup cozier with hay bales topped with plaid blankets or comfortable seating, complete with plush blankets and cushions.
Have personalized wooden or metal signs directing the guests to the area of the bonfire. This little touch will be considerate and really set the mood for the bonfire area.
20. Pampas Grass
Pampas grass is becoming popular in the industry as a bohemian and rustic wedding themes. In total neutrality, the foliage is done with feather-like structures that bring out the soft and dreamy aesthetic characteristic of the rustic themes.
Use pampas grass in various ways throughout your wedding design—be it table centerpieces intertwined with bouquets and floral arrangements, background decor for photo booths or ceremony arches, or even dried out and used on signage or invitations.
You can easily use pampas grass in a variety of decorations at your wedding. This is a great and luxurious way to give some volume to the celebration with the help of this elegant and earthy plant.
21. Mason Jars
A very versatile and iconic element within rustic weddings, mason jars are appropriate to be used as candle holders, vases for wildflowers, or even as drinking glasses for your guests.
Hang mason jars with twine from the branches of the trees to fashion whimsical lighting, or fill them with fairy lights for an even more magical ambiance. Use them as centerpieces for tables with candles or fresh blooms as a cute, simple, rustic touch.
Glass mason jars may also be personalized with labels or ribbons of your choice that fit in with the theme of the wedding. These classic jars with a country look will instantly provide a rustic touch to your decor.
22. Mirrors
Mirrors are another great classic yet atypical addition to your rustic wedding decoration. Vintage mirrors add an elegant touch to your venue and add depth and visual interest at the same time.
Use an antique mirror as a table number or seating chart by writing directly on the glass using elegant calligraphy. Mirrors should be used sparingly under centerpieces or tea light candles for a romantic ambiance to reflect the warm light of candles.
Large ornate mirrors are perfect for setting up photo booths or dessert tables and should be used as backdrops to give the overall feel of your rustic celebration a lift. Incorporating mirrors adds sophistication and a touch of glamour to your rustic wedding decor scheme.
Conclusion
Each specific aspect – from mirrors to mason jars – helps make it special and unique; it is just that touch that captures exactly what is so cool about rustic elegance.
Whether you say "I do" under an ancient oak tree or in a converted barn, these ideas will upgrade any kind of celebration (and will also linger in guests' memories long after everyone has arrived home!).
Keep things simple yet stunning by using natural materials and embracing Mother Nature as one of your prime make-it-look-delicious-for-less designers. So, consider rustic style during your wedding planning!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are Rustic Weddings Becoming So Popular?
With a cozy, laid-back vibe that showcases simplicity and natural allure, rustic weddings are all the rage. These get-togethers take you away from conventional ceremonies and toward something homier.
What Is an Example of a Rustic Wedding?
Picture this: a wedding straight out of a fairytale. Instead of a traditional venue, imagine exchanging wows inside an old-fashioned barn festooned with twinkling lights and fragrant blossoms – pure magic!
What Makes a Rustic Wedding Theme?
If you're planning a rustic wedding, be prepared to embrace the great outdoors! Couples who choose this theme include natural elements such as wood and wildflowers in their decor. They also tend to stick with soft, neutral colors for an overall casual yet romantic feel.
What Is a Rustic Chic Wedding?
Rustic-chic nuptials meld the rustic's allure with refined elements—a crystal chandelier here, fine linens there—for an elevated take. The resulting ambiance is a laid-back yet polished rustic appeal—and totally captures that blend.
