With spring arriving this weekend, outdoor weddings are right around the corner and I am so excited to capture them! But first, a lot of planning has to happen, so today I’m sharing a bunch of ideas with you in this guest post by Mariam Norman. Enjoy!

Outdoor Wedding Ideas You’ll Love

When planned in the right weather, decorated, and organized well, you can have the most beautiful, picture-perfect outdoor wedding you could ever dream of!

From rustic setups to adding outdoor bars and lounges, we’ve gathered the most popular, trendy, and incredibly easy-to-pull-off wedding ideas you’ll fall in love with.

Work with natural materials.

The best way to get wedded in the outdoors? Keep it as natural as possible.

Once you find the perfect place – whether it’s a garden, beach, farmhouse, barn, mountainside, or an open field – the only thing you need to do is enhance it and make it look like a special moment is bound to happen there.

How do you do it? Simple. Incorporate natural materials that look very modern and stylish, such as:

Welcome sign with a wooden board.

Set the tone for your wedding by propping up a welcome sign for everyone to see. You can buy a pre-made sign, or have something customized for your occasion. With the latter, you can have as little or as many details as you want.

Don’t forget to decorate with flowers that match your wedding theme for a whimsical touch!

Wedding details on a wooden pallet.

Keep your guests updated with details about your wedding or the flow of your event by posting the details or schedule on a wooden pallet. It serves as a very useful decorative piece too.

Romantic quotes on chalkboards.

Outdoor weddings are all about experiences. Create a romantic, “loveful” vibe by placing chalkboards with romantic quotes everywhere, from the entrance to the food station, guest lounge, and somewhere in the dining area.

You can also use decorative chalkboards to instruct guests on where to seat, wait, take pictures, etc.

Add some outdoor lounges.

Guest lounges are popular in outdoor weddings because they’re both pretty and functional. They are perfect for “photo ops”, and for chillin’ and relaxation.

These intimate stations also encourage your guests to mingle, converse, and get to know each other while they take quick pauses from the merriment of your event.

Create a romantic lounge by placing a red velvet couch with greenery and floral backdrop, add a modern Western touch with leather seats, a wooden couch, and posh rugs, or a shabby chic lounge with used antique chairs, a sofa, and a distressed table. If you’re having a beach wedding, consider placing umbrellas over lounge chairs.

Whatever style you want for your outdoor lounge, make sure it complements your wedding theme.

Prepare a tented area.

While a sunny day makes for a perfect outdoor wedding, it can get scourging hot out there. Protect your guests against UV rays or even unexpected rain by setting up a shaded area.

The best thing about tents is that you can easily give them a facelift.

Add romantic drapery, hanging florals, whimsical decor, creative lighting, chandeliers, and a striking entrance. Make sure to install the tent on a solid surface to create an environment that feels comfortable and inviting.

Alternately, you can distribute parasols to your guests.

Feature an outdoor bar.

It’s a moment to celebrate! So make sure you’ve got plenty of food and drinks to offer to your guests.

An outdoor bar is an excellent idea to cater to the different tastes of your dear guests. With so many restaurants and catering businesses offering food bar services for events, you’ve got plenty of options. These bars are manned by professionals who prepare the drinks and snacks right in front of your guests. That’s a gastronomical experience right there.

Popular choices for weddings are cocktails (a must-have), coffee, desserts, gelato (ice cream), bread and pastry, and donuts. Yum!

Grab swings for perfect pictures.

Who says swings are just for playgrounds? They make a beautiful, romantic spot in your outdoor wedding too!

A well-decorated swing will give your outdoor wedding a unique focal point. It serves many other purposes too, such as a place to sit and relax, a “selfie” spot for your guests (and you of course), and a play area for the kids.

Make sure to incorporate a thematic element into your wedding swing to keep everything in style.

Accessorize according to your venue.

You also want to match your accessories to your venue. If you’re having a garden wedding, for example, consider floral-inspired pieces for your necklace, earrings, and tiara (if wearing one)..

To complete your wedding outdoor look, consider using hair accessories made from real flowers. Match it with a simple yet elegant women’s necklace to finish the look.

For grooms, it’s better to choose comfortable yet classic men’s dress shoes, such as a traditional Oxford style or a pair of leather dress boots.

Don’t forget the bistro lights.

Proper lighting sets the mood for a romantic outdoor wedding. Make sure to select the right lighting for your event.

Also known as strand lighting or festoon lighting, bistro lights can be installed in so many stylish ways to achieve a classy, timeless environment with a warm glow.

They can be installed in the tent frame, festooned outside from a building or other support structure, hung from the ceiling down, gathered together over a key spot (similar to a dance floor), or installed parallel to each other.

Get ceremony benches.

You want your guests to feel comfortable throughout your wedding. Thematic ceremony beaches make that possible.

Feel free to add pillows, poufs, cushions, and blankets for that cozy feel!

Of course, floral accents and some colorful centerpieces are needed to create a drama.

Let the flowers do the whole job.

Flowers will be your friend. Whether you prefer a single type or color or a variety of seasonal florals, these are timeless outdoor wedding decorations that will complete your outdoor wedding.

Create beautiful decorative elements by topping wine barrels with flowers, placing flower petals down the aisle, using them as lanterns, arranging an elegant floral centerpiece for the dinner table, making garlands or headdresses for your guests, or putting up a flowery backdrop for the ceremony. There are countless options!