Anyone who’s planned a wedding knows how stressful it can be. You’ve got to make sure everything fits the theme, the guests will have everything they need, the food, the flowers and so on and so forth. There are so many options these days that your head is likely to spin! That’s when you wish you could go back to a simpler time and a simpler place, like a quiet rustic wedding, far from the madding crowd.
Well, turns out you can have your wedding cake and eat it too! Rustic weddings are pretty popular now and they’re not dumpy affairs either – they’re really pretty and organized and make for some lovely pictures! You can have a rustic wedding in any weather, although most people try to avoid winter. If you’d like to know more, check out our massive list of rustic wedding ideas that covers pretty much everything!
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Suggested read: 75 simple summer wedding ideas for a memorable ceremony
50 rustic wedding ideas for a charming ceremony
Rustic wedding venues
1. Make it outside a barn.
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A barn is a great venue for a rustic wedding, and you’re likely to find several props to decorate right there! This is a great place when the weather is good, as you can have the ceremony and a bonfire reception outdoors.
2. Take it inside the barn.
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If the weather gets chilly early in the day, you can opt for a short ceremony outside (or in a church if it’s really cold), and then go for a lovely warm reception inside a nice, woody barn.
3. Find a rustic church.
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If you go into the countryside, you’re likely to find small, old churches that are well maintained, but which still have a lovely vintage feel. This is a great place to have your ceremony, and you could have the reception in the church grounds later.
4. Refurbish an old cottage.
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If as we said above, you’re having a church wedding and it’s not feasible to have the reception outdoors, it’s a good idea to find an old cottage and refurbish it – just enough so that it’s still rustic!
5. Rent a farmhouse.
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You’re sure to find a farmhouse in the middle of a large estate in your area, although you’ll have to book well in advance! Such farmhouses are perfect for large wedding parties and don’t need any refurbishment from your side.
Rustic wedding invitations
6. Use handmade paper.
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Handmade paper has a nice, coarse yet delicate nature – perfect for a rustic wedding! Make it even more personal by writing the invite rather than printing it out.
7. Use country imagery.
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A picture says a thousand words, so using a country side landscape as the background of the invite will instantly let the reader know all about your theme.
8. Tie it up with twine.
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If you’re inserting all the program invites together, tie them all up with twine made from jute. Keep the invites in earthy tones to make it all harmonious.
9. Wrap it up with burlap.
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Nothing screams rustic like burlap! So let it make an appearance right from the beginning by wrapping your programs together in a strip of light burlap.
10. Use special effects.
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Okay, we’re not talking about complicated computer animation here, but it’s nice for your guests to have a little fun with your card, like with an opening barn door, or a pop up barn!
Rustic wedding decor
11. Make a heart wreath.
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Welcome your guests with the sight of a heart wreath, woven completely out of twine. Add a checked ribbon for a cute little rustic touch!
12. Use wooden signs.
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In case your guests might get lost, guide them to the correct spot with a painted wooden sign. You can use multiple signs for the ceremony area, reception area, dance hall etc.
Suggested read: 15 naked wedding cakes that are rustic yet charming
13. Hang a pennant banner.
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Pennant banners are ideal for rustic weddings, and it’s also a great way to infuse some color. Match them with the flower arrangements for a more unified look.
14. Get out the mason jars.
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Rustic wedding decorations are incomplete without mason jars! There are many things you can do with mason jars, from wrapping them in burlap and using as vases or putting candles and using as lights.
15. Use lots of fabric.
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Adding fabric immediately softens the mood, and when used with fairy lights and twine, you get a magical rustic wedding scene that’s great for an after-dusk reception.
Rustic wedding ceremony
16. Decorate the arch with twine.
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The place of your ceremony should reflect everything about your wedding, so give it a rustic look and feel by decorating it with lots of twine and wild flowers.
17. Make a burlap ring pillow.
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You’re probably going to hear a lot of burlap, but that’s a given when you’re having a rustic wedding! Make your own burlap ring pillow, and tie up the rings with lace ribbon.
18. Decorate the guest chairs.
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Do up plain white chairs with a combination of jute, lace, twine, and flowers for a unique rustic look. You can do the same for the bride’s and groom’s chairs for the reception.
19. Get cars for the page boys.
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Let the little flower girls and page boys make an entrance in little vintage cars. You can even hang a ‘Here comes the bride’ sign in front of the last one!
20. Have a guest book ready.
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Have a custom guest book created for well wishers to write in once the ceremony’s over. You can get it done in burlap – one advantage is that it’ll last a long time!
Rustic wedding dresses
21. Add a cardigan.
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A quick way to give your wedding dress a rustic look, especially in chilly weather is to put on a cardigan. With a cardigan and wildflower bouquet in your theme colors, you’ll look the perfect rustic bride!
22. Wear a lace dress.
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Old world lace looks delightfully rustic, especially when it’s not a pure white. Go for pearl, ivory or even cream for a delicate, feminine look.
23. Wear boots.
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Here’s a sure shot way to turn any wedding dress into a rustic wedding dress – wear it with boots! Go for embellished cowboy style boots; knee high ones look great!
Suggested read: 25 rustic wedding dresses urban brides would LOVE
24. Keep bridesmaid dresses in different shades.
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You don’t need to go out of your color theme, but having different shades of the same color for your bridesmaids’ dresses adds interest and appeal.
25. Go printed for bridesmaids.
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Printed dresses or skirts in earth tones are perfect for a rustic wedding. Remember, it’s only for the bridesmaids, not the bride!
Rustic wedding flowers
26. Tie the boutonniere with twine.
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The groom needs flowers too, and an easy way to make his boutonniere is by using twine on delicate flowers like baby’s breath.
27. Wrap the bouquet in jute.
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Once the bridal bouquet is ready, wrap the ends in jute and add additional embellishments for the rustic theme – acorns, buttons, lace etc.
28. Make a flower crown.
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Flower crowns are perfectly suited to a rustic wedding, and are ideal for flower girls to wear. Add a few twigs and leaves to give it more of a country look.
29. Gather wildflowers.
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Skip a well constructed bouquet and go a little more natural with a bunch of wildflowers. Choose flowers in your color theme, and you’ll look great!
30. Put out the boots.
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For a truly rustic look, place tall flowers in boots, and put them in empty corners to liven up things a little!
Rustic wedding cakes
31. Serve on tree trunks.
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Skip a tiered cake and go for a combination of a single cake and cupcakes, all served delightfully on nice, stodgy tree trunk slices. Keep the flavors basic, like chocolate, vanilla, coconut or butterscotch.
32. Decorate with twigs.
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A plain tiered cake decorated with dried twigs and topped with a nest of love birds is both rustic and adorable at the same time! Use thin twigs to maintain the finesse of a wedding cake.
33. Use burlap.
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You can transform any simple, stylish wedding cake into a rustic one simply by wrapping strips of burlap! And when you add a layer of ribbon on top of it, it becomes rustic-elegant!
34. Go for animal toppers.
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Your options for rustic wedding cake toppers are not limited to a nest of lovebirds, you can also use woodland creatures like this adorable pair of foxes!
35. Get a sitting couple.
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The city bride and groom may stand on top of a multi-tiered cake staring into each other’s eyes, but a rustic one sits on the edge of a flat cake – barefoot and loving it!
Suggested read: 20 amazing rustic wedding cakes that are perfect for a memorable wedding
Rustic wedding table settings
36. Use a vintage drink jar.
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Rather than fancy jugs or carafes, a homely looking drink dispenser works perfect for a rustic wedding. Have different drinks in similar dispensers for a neat look.
37. Use tree trunks for the buffet.
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Serve each dish on tree trunks of differing heights for a fun, woody look. The food also looks more delicious somehow!
38. Go burlap for the table.
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A completely burlap tablecloth can overpower the table, so go for a shabby-chic look with a classy white tablecloth and a burlap runner, preferably with a lace trimming.
39. Place individual drinks in a basket.
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Skip the wine glasses and go for cute single serve glass bottles and straws, all neatly arranged in a very country-style basket.
40. Serve cutlery in jute.
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Make some jute covers for each set of cutlery and add some embellishment or maybe pin a place card on it. Gather your crafty friends in advance for some fun DIY!
Rustic wedding photography
41. Put the bride on a wheelbarrow.
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Seriously, how fun is this photo! It’ll be a great way to remember the wedding and how much fun they had on their special day. A good one for the grandkids!
42. Sit on the back of a truck.
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If the wedding was on a farm or in a barn, a truck makes a good place for a couple shoot. Just make sure there’s something to sit on or the bride’s dress might tear!
43. Hold wooden signs.
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With your wedding venue as the background, hold wooden signs that proclaim your love, spell your names or mention the date of this magical day. You can kiss as you hold the signs too!
44. Save the date.
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Photos of the brides and grooms shoes are pretty common, so make it a little interesting by mixing in the theme. Use an old bench and a burlap pennant banner with the date on it. Add flowers in your theme color, and you have a perfect photo to remember the day by!
45. Spell out LOVE.
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Of course we all know how it goes, but it’s much more fun to spell it out with your fingers! This makes for a very cute photo and reflects the informality of the rustic theme as well.
Rustic wedding favors
46. Homemade jams.
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Try an assortment of homemade jams in cute little jars with ribbons around them. Using different fruits will give you a mix of colors – you can pick and choose according to your theme.
47. Honey.
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What could be sweeter for a wedding than honey? Put wild or organic honey in cute little tubs, wrap in burlap and tie with twine for the ultimate rustic wedding favor.
48. Tealight holders.
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A chalkboard tea light holder can be customized simply by writing in the initials of the bride and groom with chalk! Tie some twine or a strip of jute around for a more rustic look.
Suggested read: 25 rustic wedding cake toppers for a dash of simplicity
49. Handmade soap.
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There’s something very charming about rustic weddings and there’s something very charming about handmade soaps too! Make sure to keep them away from water so you don’t end up with a soapy mess!
50. Succulents.
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Let your guests be reminded of you every time they look at a cute little succulent sitting on their desk! Use brown paper to wrap around the pot, so you can write your own personal message on it.
After reading this, you probably can’t wait to find a quaint little barn with lots of space outdoors and start planning a lovely ceremony with our rustic wedding ideas! Well, we’ve given you all the ideas you’ll need, so get going!
Featured image source: Flickr
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