How to Decorate an Outdoor Wedding Reception
- 1). Light it up. Lighting is important for a backyard wedding that will run into the evening hours. Candles are inexpensive and give the yard an enchanted glow. Candelabras, candle chandeliers and more modern paper lanterns are lighting options that you can use with candles, but you must make sure to use any candles with caution by placing them carefully and never leaving the flames unattended. You can rent small battery-operated chandeliers to hang in the trees for an elegant wedding.
Accessorize your wedding with garden elements. Place centerpieces in faux stone urns for a traditional wedding or brightly-colored pots for a funky event. Coordinate the centerpiece pots with any larger garden containers that are already in the backyard. - 2). Invest in high end outdoor furniture. You might want to rent the guests' chairs and tables for the backyard. Dress up the chairs with chair covers and sashes to make them decorative and functional at the same time. A backyard wedding can serve as an excuse to spruce up where you live. For example, you might want to buy a nice patio set for the wedding that will decorate the space and serve as a memento of your wedding as you use it for years to come. Many modern weddings create lounge areas for the reception. You can get the same feeling in your backyard with a comfortable outdoor sectional, which is also something that you'll use long after the wedding. Outdoor wedding ideas can serve as mementos of your big day on anniversaries or just when you look out the window. Think about purchasing an outdoor bar for serving drinks to your guests or creating a large garden archway under which you can have your ceremony.
- 3). Divide the spaces. Space dividers help separate the yard into ceremony and reception spaces while giving a big backyard a more intimate feeling. Line the aisle runner with garden hooks with ribbon draped between each hook to guide guests to the ceremony area. Use a garden trellis or fabric backdrop to add height behind important areas of the yard such as the cake table.
- 4). Design the backyard venue around existing natural features. You don't need to buy all new decorations for a backyard wedding. Showcase the best things about your backyard, such as an existing fountain, bird bath or rose garden. Use a complimentary color palette so your wedding decor doesn't clash with natural features. Your backyard wedding decorations will need to look good against bright green grass and any existing flowers or plants.
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