Fairytale Garden Weddings
No Fairy Godmother Necessary
You can plan garden weddings in numerous different ways but before you get carried away, you have to find an appropriate garden. The wonderful thing about gardens is that they can be anything from a friend's beautiful yard, to a local botanical garden or park. Here locally, we don't have a botanical garden, but we do have some amazing public park settings and people get married there all season long.
When my brother and his wife married, they tied the knot under one of the Willow trees on my parent's river property. To make it festive but still keep it simple, we brought in long white-painted wood benches for seating (borrowed at no cost) which made for great contrast against all the green of the grass and trees.
Then we made an arch out of the Willow canopy by weaving flower garlands into the branches with ribbon. It was absolutely beautiful for a summer's afternoon wedding and the only expense for decor was in the flower garlands.
One of my favorite things about doing an outdoor wedding like this is how creative people can be. We once turned a dilapidated old rock pump house into a gorgeous backdrop for a friend's wedding.
Fairy Lights Equal Fairy Tale
If your wedding is set in the evening, or your party will stretch into night, lighting is a key ingredient in setting the stage. Lighting can turn even the most ordinary of backyards into a wonderland with some creative thinking.
Here are some great lighting ideas:
- Twinkle Lights in trees and on shrubs (not just for Christmas)
- Patio lights strung like they're lighting an intimate little Italian Bistro
- Inexpensive craft store lanterns hung in the trees
- Make your own lanterns with jelly jars, some pretty silver wire and a few glass beads
- Luminaries along pathways
- Solar lights along paths or spotlighting trees or an arbor
If you would like to add intimacy to your gathering, renting a tent or gazebo and stringing lights on it can be very effective. My favorite rental company here rents a gorgeous domed gazebo for only $30 per day. (Extremely reasonable.)
Putting it All Together
Okay, here's where the fun comes in...
Have your friends and family brainstorm ideas together and assign someone to write them all down. Then get together with your closest friends and decide which ideas would work best for the atmosphere you want to create.
If one of your friends is really creative and you trust her or him, put them in charge of the decorating, give them some people to help and work together to decide how to budget your alloted funds. This is a great way to achieve the results you want without having to micromanage and stress yourself out.
If you decide your decor will involve making something in large quantities, then get a group together and turn it into a party. Have some simple food and drinks there and before you know it, your project will be finished and you will have created some great memories with your friends. (This is also an awesome way to make your wedding favors, but we'll save that for another time.)
Remember to be creative and think outside the box. Have fun with it and before you know it your wedding will be as unique as you are. For more tips you can click on the "Theme Wedding" link in my recommended sites list, or if you have a question you would like to see answered here email me at petuniagirl.janet@gmail.com
Happy planning!
Categories: Event Facilities
Tags: Theme Weddings Budget friendly Weddings Garden Weddings How to Budget your Wedding Event Facilities
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