Outdoor Wedding Decoration Ideas

Planning the decorations for your outdoor wedding is a big part of the overall process of making your wedding a success.

Unfortunately, because of the fickle nature of weather, you usually don't want to put up outdoor decorations ahead of time. But as long as you have all the materials on hand, and an idea in your head for where you want everything to go, it's not difficult to pull off great decorations in a short amount of time. Just make sure that you have plenty of helpers!

This is the backdrop, against which the actual ceremony took place. We were lucky to already have a frame structure for grape vines to grow on in our backyard, so we simply tied some tulle to it with gift ribbon in white and blue (the wedding colors). Then we lined up some homegrown wedding flowers, and voila! A big part of the outdoor decorating was complete.

1. Marquee. Are you renting a marquee? Will it fit in your space? What kind of decorations should it have?
2. Tables and chairs. Do you have these, or do you need to rent them? How should they be decorated?
3. Ceremony backdrop and seating. If you're having the ceremony outdoors as well, make sure you have a plan for the backdrop, if needed. It's convenient if you can use the same chairs for the ceremony and the reception/dinner.
4. Bridal entrance. It's nice if you add a little pizzazz to the area where the bride will be entering from.

There was so much going on that day, my head was spinning. It was an hour before the ceremony, and I hadn't even showered yet!

The Rental Was Totally Worth It

Renting a marquee was a great investment for the wedding. It really made the space feel more "ceremonial," and it was great to have in case of rain (although we also could have hosted inside). In addition, the company we chose also provided tables and chairs.

To decorate the marquee, I simply used some crepe streamers and threaded them along the marquee framework. It was a little dicey, as it had rained the night before, and crepe really doesn't like getting wet (remember this!) Later, we hung a few battery-powered paper lanterns, and the marquee was ready!

(For more information about decorating the tables, check out my page about DIY Table Centerpieces for Weddings.)

I Do Wedding Favors Is The Place To Go!

Why stick to the same old wedding favors when you have the option to choose something that will truly set your wedding apart? I Do Wedding Favors, my new site sponsor, has some of the adorable and unique wedding favors you can imagine. In addition to the cute cupcake lip glosses pictured, you can also find candles in other trinkets in a variety of colors to suit your wedding theme.

Looking to add a personal touch? I Do Wedding Favors offers customized favors as well! Whatever your favor needs, this cool shop has you covered.

The bride exited the house through this arbor. A little bit of tulle draped over it really made it look "wedding-y."

The trick is to get as much bang for your buck as possible.

The candle wedding favors from I Do Wedding Favors add a particularly nice touch to your tables.

Image source: Flickr.

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