A rustic wedding is a perfect theme for the laid-back bride. She wants her big day to be beautiful but not precious or fussy. She appreciates the country and vintage styles. She wants her guests to be comfortable, and she isn’t worried about every detail being perfect.
Rustic Summer Wedding Ideas To Inspire Your Big Day
Summer is perfect for a rustic wedding. It’s the perfect opportunity to be outdoors or hold a wedding in a barn that would be too drafty in winter. If you like the idea of a romantic country wedding that is cozy and warm, bring the rustic style to the essential elements of your event.
Summer Wedding Dresses
Most brides start here. It’s what you’ve dreamed about for years: the perfect dress. It sets the tone for the entire experience. You can build an entire wedding around this one piece.
Summer wedding dresses should be comfortable and made of lighter materials. Heavy silk or jewel-encrusted gown doesn’t suit the season or the rustic vibe. Start by looking at dresses designed for summer events and narrow down your options.
Elements that match a rustic feel include lace, flowing materials rather than structure, vintage styles, pearls, and sleeves. A vintage dress could be perfect for your big day. As for the color, stay away from bright white. Ivory, or even a true off-white or blush, is much better for a rustic feel.
Once you have the perfect wedding dress, choose accessories thoughtfully. An heirloom or vintage necklace, a flower crown, and even cowboy boots are all elements that add to the rustic or country atmosphere. Don’t forget to ensure your bridesmaids’ dresses and accessories match the theme.
Rustic Wedding Invitations
Set the tone for your wedding with the save-the-date cards and invitations. Guests use the invitation for the practical details of date, time, and place and to get an idea of how to dress and what to expect.
- Communicate the theme of your wedding through the invitations.
- Choose a rustic material, like a thick, homemade type of paper with raw edges (recycled paper also works well as a more affordable option).
- Add elements of nature to the invitations (a background image of a field or the rings of a tree, for instance, signals an outdoorsy, rustic wedding).
- Any nature theme will help communicate your wedding’s tone and style.
- For save-the-date, consider using an engagement photo set outdoors.
Wedding Bouquet
Flowers are among the most important and utilized décor elements at a wedding. The right choice of flowers can add sophistication, elegance, simple beauty, and a rustic touch. For your rustic summer wedding, think wildflowers.
Actual wildflowers may or may not be practical in your bouquet as they are usually not as sturdy as cultivated flowers. However, you can use wildflowers as inspiration. Summer wedding flowers with a rustic feel include sunflowers, Queen Anne’s lace, baby’s breath, cornflowers, irises, and cosmos.
- A bouquet for a rustic wedding should include carefully selected blooms and a carefully messy structure.
- A tight, round bouquet is better for a more formal event.
- Choose an arrangement that looks looser but not messy.
- Include lots of green foliage to mimic nature, and use natural materials to wrap the stems, like twine or burlap.
Rustic Wedding Venue and Décor
You can style any venue to make it more rustic, but you’ll hit home with a site that has already done a lot of the work. The classic setting for a rustic, country wedding is outdoors. A meadow, a forest clearing, or a state park can be great locations for going rustic. Nature takes care of most of the decorations for you.
You can also find more structured, slightly more formal wedding venues for a rustic event. Look for farms that host weddings, for instance. A barn set up for events is just about perfect. A simple country chapel is another excellent idea.
To your ideal venue, add more touches of rustic charm in the décor:
- Wildflower arrangements
- Fairy lights for after dark
- Straw bales
- Vintage lanterns
- Soft linens and lace
- Natural elements in place settings
- Antique vases
- Plenty of wood elements
Conclusion
Your event should be a relaxed, somewhat casual affair that isn’t fussy or overdone if you’re into the rustic feel. It’s an attitude as much as a look, so embrace it fully. Reject perfection, and focus on a cozy, warm vibe that everyone will enjoy.