Bride's Guide: Giving Your Ceremony a More Rustic Feel

By Oscar Collins

If you catch yourself daydreaming about countryside sunsets and strolls through the forest, you’d love a rustic wedding. These ceremonies pull elements from the surrounding environment and whatever feels like home for you.

Here’s how to give your nuptials a more rustic feel and create a laid-back event with an enchanting vibe.

1. Consider Your Cake Decorations

Anything with a rustic feel cuts back to the bare essentials. Many brides integrate this theme into their wedding cakes by skipping traditional toppers and elaborate decorations.

Talk with a baker about crafting a naked cake that matches your flavor and color preferences so it’s picture-perfect without breaking away from your theme.

2. Host Your Ceremony at Home

Getting married at home gives you more control over your rustic decor. You could create specific decorations you can use after your wedding, like building a budget-friendly chicken coop or a flower arch that becomes the focal point of your backyard. Think about what would merge homesteading decor with your wedding planning to give your ceremony a more down-home feel.

3. Tailor Your Appearance

Even if you want a flowing ballgown for your wedding dress, you and your fiance can still tailor your appearance to match the theme. Men can achieve a rustic look by picking a beard style that matches their fashion preferences. Wear a flower crown beneath your veil or choose a dress made of lace. The different textures lend well to rustic themes and the laid-back nature of the day.

4. Utilize Natural Materials

Anyone can utilize materials found naturally in the world to add to their rustic theme. Ask someone to saw thin wood slices and carve your guests’ names on them for reception name cards. Create miniature rosemary wreaths to indicate where everyone should sit at dinner. Anything that uses natural materials will fit perfectly with your theme.

5. Look for Rustic Flowers

Bright red roses and yellow lilies will look out of place in muted, rustic settings. Meet with a florist to talk about potential shades that match your theme. Pastel colors and varying heights will create gorgeous arrangements that look right at home in mason jars or watering cans.

Give Your Ceremony a Rustic Feel

Focus on giving your ceremony a more rustic feel while you’re flipping through pictures in bridal magazines for inspiration. Combining elements like flowers, wood and even the right cake decorations will pull everything together and give you the ultimate laid-back ceremony.