Today’s post on the EmpyreJewelry.com blog is an awesome guest post about easy DIY projects that you can put together to spice up your outdoor wedding. These can be for the wedding ceremony or the reception.
Weddings are a major expense, and for the couple just starting out in life, saving money on the wedding can leave a little more money in the bank. Outdoor weddings are one way to save some cash, as they don’t require you to rent a church or large meeting place for the ceremony, and the reception can often be held at the same location. Furthermore, in an outdoor garden setting much of the décor is built in. With just a few simple DIY additions, the outdoor space for your wedding can look romantic and magical without breaking your wedding budget.
Arbors
An arbor makes the ideal central focal point for the ceremony itself, and it also works well for pictures afterwards. You can purchase a simple, undecorated one at your local craft or hardware store, and with a few power tools you probably already have on hand, you can decorate it to match your wedding theme. Ribbon, flowers and even lights quickly turn the arch into a decorative centerpiece for your wedding.
Rustic Signs
Outdoor weddings lend themselves toward rustic décor, and a rustic sign directing the guests to the ceremony and reception areas is quite simple to make. Purchase some small chalkboards, add a rustic wood frame and paint the frame with the colors to match your wedding. Use chalk to write whatever message you want on the board, and you have an instant piece of décor that also serves a vital function for your big day.
Outdoor Centerpieces
If your reception will be outdoors, consider creating your own centerpieces for the tables. Using the natural beauty of your reception area, create floral designs that highlight the flowers and trees growing around you. For instance, if you are getting married under cherry trees, use cherry blossoms as the central focus of your centerpieces. A clear glass jar or vase with wildflowers arranged inside is not only affordable, but also beautiful. For an evening wedding, a large glass dish with floating candles and a few floating flowers works well and won’t cost much.
Paper Lanterns
If your wedding or reception will take place after dark, paper lanterns are an inexpensive way to not only create ambiance in your outdoor space, but to also add some light. Purchase rice paper from an import shop along with tea light candles. Paint the paper with designs from stencils to match your wedding. Then, arrange the paper into lanterns and use these as centerpieces or hang them from wire to add light to the garden. A modern trend at outdoor weddings is releasing paper lanterns into the sky as a sendoff to the couple, so you could add this tradition as well.
Your wedding needs to be a day to remember, but that doesn’t mean it should cost a fortune. Each of these ideas costs very little, but looks charming in an outdoor setting. With the right tools in hand and a little bit of creativity, you can decorate for your own outdoor wedding and save substantially, all without detracting from the ambiance of the day.
About the Author: Holly is an Indianapolis native who loves to bake, regularly tackles DIY projects and blogs for Sears in her free time.
