Skip to main content

Rustic Wedding Decoration Ideas: 22 Perfect Styling Tips

Wedding decoration outside bunting

If you’re looking for rustic wedding ideas, nothing beats the quaint charm of a rustic wedding theme. These simple yet stunning rustic wedding decorations have been chosen by whimsical couples for years, and their simplicity never dates. Embracing the beauty of the natural world and keeping the ambience light, warm, and relaxed is what a rustic wedding is all about. So if that’s the backdrop you’d like for your special day, here are 22 rustic wedding decoration ideas that’ll help set a romantic scene.

Rustic Wedding Venue Decorations Ideas

1. Soften your space with drapes

Whether you’ve chosen a fashionable tipi, picturesque barn or country manor, you can soften your rustic wedding venue and create a cosy atmosphere by adding rustic wedding drapes. Rustic wedding ceiling drapes can brighten a room while creating a snug, intimate feel. They can be coloured to match the rest of your rustic wedding theme, and they can even hide features that just don’t work with your overall rustic wedding look. Walls can be draped too, creating a dream-like feel and transforming dull or boring room exteriors.

Chandelier with white drapes on the ceiling
Soften your wedding venue with drapes

2. Add a touch of mother nature

Creating a rustic wedding theme, it’s important to incorporate natural elements and embrace the simplicity and beauty of nature. This can be achieved through the use of rustic wedding decorations like softly coloured floral arrangements, rugged foliage, and blooming trees. These natural elements can be used as standalone decorations or added to room features like archways and used to construct floral frames for important moments like the vows and the signing of the register. To add even more impact and highlight the natural beauty of these elements, consider entwining fairy lights in your arrangements. You can also use up lights to create dramatic lighting on majestic trees.

Married couple stood on a stage decorated with draping fairy lights
Use natural decorations to create an enchanting scene

3. Make the most of your venue’s character

If your rustic wedding venue has a lot of character, be sure to make the most of it by highlighting key features with rustic wedding decorations like floral arrangements, foliage, and cleverly placed lighting. Up lights can be used to flood features like archways with ambient light, and column lights can add sparkle to pillars and partitions. These rustic wedding lights will help to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your special day.

Light bulbs hanging from roof beams
Highlight natural features with clever lighting

4. Go whimsical with bunting

Colourful bunting feels laidback but uplifting at a wedding. Strings of coloured and/or playfully patterned bunting are a cute way to brighten up ceilings and walls.

5. Create stylish Rustic photo displays

Rustic wedding photo displays are a charming and stylish way to decorate your rustic wedding venue. You can showcase pictures of you and your partner, your guests, and even those adorable baby pictures that your parents love to show off. To create a classic look, consider presenting your beloved snaps on wooden pegs and twine. Alternatively, you can stack old crates and adorn them with your favorite framed photographs for a rustic and vintage feel. These rustic wedding decorations will add a personal and intimate touch to your special day.

close up of Polaroid pictures laid on a bed
Photo displays are an intimate decoration idea for your wedding day – Photo by sarandy westfall on Unsplash

6. Create Rustic feature tables

You can make country-chic feature tables too for desserts, the guest book and seating plans using recycled materials like barrels, planks and crates. Don’t forget to complete the look with natural elements like leaves and flowers.

Wedding candy bar with sweet treats in a rustic style
Make rustic feature tables with barrels and crates – Photo by Victoria Priessnitz on Unsplash

7. Continue the rustic theme outdoors

It’s always nice to have a relaxed outdoor space where guests can retreat during a wedding, whether to catch their breath or spend some quality time with their favorite people. To create a charming and picturesque scene, consider adding hay bales and blankets to your rustic wedding venue, and perhaps even a guitar for impromptu sing-alongs. Soft lighting, like rustic wedding fairy lights, can also be used around features and trees to complete the laid-back and rustic atmosphere.

Rustic Wedding Lights Ideas

8. Sparkle with fairy lights

Fairy lights are a popular choice for rustic weddings because they add a touch of magic and sparkle to any space. They work particularly well when used across the ceiling of your rustic wedding venue, creating a starry, fairytale-like sky for your special day. These rustic wedding lights can be used in a variety of ways to add ambiance and charm to your rustic wedding theme.

You can also team fairy lights with ceiling drapes to add an even more dreamy feel that’ll warmly light your first dance and your guests’ hearts.

Wedding venue lit up with pink lights and draping fairy lights
Add sparkle to your wedding with a fairy light canopy

9. Charm with lanterns

Lanterns can add warmth, soft light, and a rustic feel to your rustic wedding venue. Alternatively, you can choose a full lantern canopy to cover your venue for a whimsical and charming effect. Brightly colored lanterns can create a playful and upbeat atmosphere, making them a perfect choice for rustic wedding lights.

Wedding venue decorated with pastel hanging lantern canopy
A lantern canopy adds playful charm to a wedding

10. Go classic with chandeliers

For a more classically rustic look on your wedding day, chandeliers can be an elegant choice. You can soften their look with natural elements like flowers and foliage or dress them up with chic drapes and rustic wedding fairy lights. These rustic wedding lights can add a touch of glamour and sophistication to your rustic wedding theme.

chandelier with fairy lit drapes over a wedding venue with chairs
Classic chandeliers add elegance to a wedding venue

11. Make a statement with letter signs

Make your declarations loud and proud on your special day with oversized illuminated letter signs. ‘Love’ letters, for example, make a statement and create focal points in your venue. They work fantastically beside key areas like the guest book table or photo features.

Large LOVE letters lit with lights
Letter signs make a statement at weddings

12. Go all out with a rustic light bulb canopy

For a subtly rustic look, you can go for a bare light bulb canopy. Whether you want to add a contemporary touch with Edison bulbs or you prefer the classic party look of festoon bulbs, there are lots of options available to brighten your special day with simple beauty.

Light bulb canopies decorating a barn interior
Light bulb canopies are subtle but so effective.

Rustic Wedding Table Decorations Ideas

13. Add rustic floral embellishments

No rustic wedding table would be complete without mother nature’s embellishments. Foliage garlands can make stunning runners for your tables. And, as well as the usual floral centrepieces, you can add flowers and vines around your tableware, slotted delicately into your menus and round your wedding favours.

Wedding table decorated with blue table cloth, wooden details, plates, cutlery and wine glasses
Add natural decorations to your rustic wedding table – Photo by Mitchell Lawler on Unsplash

14. Choose rustic wooden table accessories

Woody accents also look fabulous on a wedding table. Dot pine cones around your table, and use log slices as placemats, candle stands and centrepieces for a timeless country look.

Close up of bottle vases with flowers in.
Use alternative tableware like old bottles and jars – Photo by Elisabeth Arnold on Unsplash

15. Upcycle old rustic jars & vintage pots

There are many options for rustic wedding table decorations and flower vases, as just about anything goes at a rustic wedding. Glass jars, wine bottles, and vintage pots can add a playful and quaint touch when paired with floral arrangements and candles. For a more nostalgic and rustic look, you can use old watering cans, jugs, and buckets filled with rugged foliage and muted toned flowers. These rustic wedding decorations will add a unique and charming touch to your special day.

Rustic Wedding Cake Ideas

16. Go for a naked or semi-naked finish

Dark and interesting wedding cakes that are simply dusted in icing sugar or lightly coated in buttercream are firm rustic favourites. The simple, unpolished finish of naked and semi-naked cakes work perfectly with relaxed wedding themes.

Rustic wedding cake with simply finished icing and pine cones
A simply finished wedding cake is a rustic favourite – Photo by Luis Quintero on Unsplash

17. Wrap your Rustic cake in hessian

For a vintage-inspired cake, choose a simple white icing and wrap your cake in country-style fabrics like hessian and even lace. Effortlessly effective!

18. Decorate your Rustic cake naturally

Natural decorations are the best way to dress up any rustic cake. Fresh flowers in warm colours, leafy foliage, fresh fruit, pine cones and log cake stands or crates are excellent ways to finish off a showstopping wedding cake.

Rustic wedding cake decorated with flowers and pine cones
Decorate your wedding cake with pine cones and fresh flowers for a classic look. – Source: The Cake Guru

 

Rustic Wedding Favour Inspiration

19. Rustic Glass treat jars

Fill recycled glass jars with sweet treats wrapped in twine with natural coloured card labels – they look beautiful at rustic weddings. Popcorn, cakes, chocolates and mints are all perfect choices of sweet treats.

Close up of a Grooms wedding favour- a jar filled with sweets.
Rustic wedding favours are simply sweet – Photo by  Wedding Photography on Unsplash

20. Rustic Natural card boxes and hessian wraps

And if you don’t want to go for jars, dinky natural brown card boxes or hessian and twine wraps are charming alternatives for presenting your favours too.

21. Rustic Local produce

Jars or bottles of local produce are classic favours. Honey is very popular but choose the delights that are local to you. Whiskey, cider and even handmade soaps can all be adorable wedding favours. And again, embellish with twine and brown cards to complete the look.

a wooden table decorated with foliage and white plates and cutlery.
Local produce is a cute wedding favour idea – Photo by Jordan Arnold on Unsplash

22. Natural mementoes

Log slices with your names and special date are popular wedding favours. And even small plants or dried flower arrangements can look stunning as small favours when dressed up with rustic touches.


 

Lighting Hire to Complete a Memorable Rustic Wedding

So there you have it, 22 simple decoration ideas for a truly rustic wedding day. At Party Lights, we hire stunning lighting that’ll add magic and sparkle to your special day. We’ve worked on countless country-style weddings and can advise on what lighting will work in harmony with your venue, taste and style.

Contact us now to see how we can help you create an unforgettable wedding day or browse our wedding lighting for inspiration.


What are some rustic wedding themes to consider?

Some popular rustic wedding themes include country chic, vintage, barnyard, bohemian, and rustic glam.

How can I add rustic elements to my wedding ceremony?

You can add rustic elements to your wedding ceremony by using natural decor like wooden arbors, barrels, and branches, and incorporating natural elements like greenery and flowers into your ceremony space. You can also use rustic wedding lights like fairy lights or lanterns to add ambiance and charm.

How can I add rustic elements to my wedding reception?

You can add rustic elements to your wedding reception by using natural decor like wooden farm tables, barrels, and crates, and incorporating natural elements like greenery and flowers into your reception space. You can also use rustic wedding lights like fairy lights or lanterns to add ambiance and charm.

How can I incorporate a rustic theme into my wedding attire?

You can incorporate a rustic theme into your wedding attire by choosing wedding attire with a rustic or vintage feel, such as lace or denim. You can also add rustic accessories like cowboy boots, wooden jewelry, and flower crowns.

What Colours go with a rustic wedding theme?

Colours that often go well with a rustic wedding theme include neutral shades like beige, white, and cream, as well as natural shades like green, brown, and blue. You can also incorporate pops of colour with rustic wedding flowers or decorations in shades like burgundy, purple, or orange.

What is a rustic wedding theme?

A rustic wedding theme is a type of wedding theme that is inspired by nature and incorporates elements of the outdoors and rural life. It often features natural decor like wood, greenery, and flowers, and can have a vintage or country chic feel.

Leave a Reply