Simple Budget Decorating Tips and Ideas for an Outdoor Wedding Ceremony

Outdoor wedding ceremonies surrounded by trees, flower beds, and perfectly manicured lawns don't need a huge amount of decoration. However, there are a few simple things that you can add to the wedding ceremony location to make it feel a little more special. Best of all, they are inexpensive and will help keep your wedding on budget.

Outdoor Wedding Decorating Idea: Flowers on Podiums

This one will not take a huge amount of effort, but it will add a huge amount of class to your wedding, and it will make the area feel more complete and set apart. At the back of the seating area, on either side of the aisle, have floral arrangements on small podiums. They base should be about 3 feet off the ground, and can be anything from a simple vase of 3-4 blooms to full-blown arrangements. Guests will feel like they are entering a space when they get to your seating area, and these flowers will set the tone for your ceremony.

Outdoor Wedding Decorating Idea: Tulle (in moderation)

White tulle is a very simple and inexpensive material to decorate with at your outdoor wedding. Whether you use it to hang around the upper edges of any structures such as gazebos, or fashion small bows out of it and include a flower or two to hang on some of the chairs along the aisle, it will definitely make your ceremony feel more like a wedding.

Outdoor Wedding Decorating Idea: Ribbon

If you prefer to not use tulle to decorate your outdoor wedding, you can purchase wide ribbon instead, in a satin or gauze texture. You can get one or two different colors of ribbon to match your wedding's color scheme. This ribbon can be used in a similar way to tulle, as help in creating aisle decorations, or as accents along upper edges of structures. Another fun way to use ribbon if you have low-hanging tree branches near your wedding ceremony site (or you have a sturdy ladder to reach higher branches) is to tie short ribbon pieces to the tree, perhaps using it to hang some shimmering crystals that will catch the light.

Outdoor Wedding Decorating Idea: Aisle Runner

Another way to make your wedding ceremony's setting feel more complete is to run a stretch of fabric down the aisle. It can match the color of your wedding scheme, or just be a simple white runner. If you have a flower girl, make sure the petals stand out against the color, and if you don't have a flower girl, you could consider scattering flower petals on it anyway.

Outdoor Wedding Decorating General Tips

However you choose to decorate for your outdoor wedding ceremony, make sure it fits with the overall scheme of your wedding. If you are having a simple ceremony and would prefer to let the natural beauty of the setting and the bride be the focal points, then feel free to not decorate at all. However, you should be aware that most guests expect at least some decoration, and your ceremony will feel more special and complete if you have put some effort into decorating the site.