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When the sun is out and the days are long, there’s no better way to spend an afternoon than at a beautiful backyard wedding. These intimate (and often budget-friendly) parties are ideal for couples who like keeping things low-key but still want to celebrate with all of their loved ones.They’re also perfect opportunities for those who enjoy getting crafty with decorations.
That said, you don’t have to be a DIY genius to create a gorgeous backyard wedding. All that really matters is that you think creatively and embrace the benefits of getting to party outdoors. “Being outside usually means you have more of a blank slate and more space to fill, so thinking about décor that will make a big statement will help define your event area,” says Sarah Crowell, lead planner at Mavinhouse Events.
Sarah Crowell and Ashley Tangerini are lead planners at Mavinhouse Events, a modern wedding planning company that offers services across the country and abroad.
To help you create the backyard wedding of your dreams, we’ve researched and rounded up romantic outdoor décor items based on their materials, durability, style, price, and overall quality. For a rustic yet elegant touch, we love the LizzieandCoDesigns Directional Welcome Wedding Sign and the EfavormartBoutique 7ft. Wooden Wedding Arch. Looking for something to light up the reception? You can’t go wrong with the lectricCrowns Eco-Friendly Balloons With LED Lights or the Aubasic Solar Mason Jar Lights.
Read on for the best backyard wedding décor ideas.
Price at time of publish: $31
These rustic wood slices act like trays, which can be used as a base to display flowers, candles, succulents, and more—they can even fit desserts! Choose from a number of different size options, and order as many as you need to fit the number of tables you’ll have spread out in your backyard for the occasion.
Price at time of publish: $24
Make your backyard celebration feel even more romantic with this set of 24 gold votive candles. They’re flameless and battery-operated, so you don’t have to worry about accidents, and they provide up to 100 hours of continuous warm light. Set them up on all your tables and stations to create a truly intimate atmosphere.
Price at time of publish: $314
Available on Etsy, this super cool customized cooler will be such a fun accessory for any backyard wedding. It can fit 54 cans at a time, and it’s crafted from a beautiful, weather-resistant cedar wood. Personalize it with you and your partner’s names or any phrase you like, and the words will get laser engraved on the front—you can even add a heart!
Price at time of publish: $5+
Add a romantic and whimsical touch to your backyard wedding with these battery-operated balloons and string lights. The biodegradable balloons can serve as a photo backdrop or as table décor, although you can always move them around as needed throughout the celebration. Pick from over two dozen color and size options for the balloons and several varieties of colors and lengths.
Price at time of publish: $20
Make a fun entrance or exit to your backyard wedding with these cute personalized sparkler tags from Etsy. Customize them with your names, initials, wedding date, or anything else you want, and choose either faux wood or white paper to display the text. You can get them in sets starting with 25 pieces to ensure that all your guests have a sparkler to celebrate with on your big day.
Price at time of publish: $19
Looking for a truly unique way to light up your nighttime backyard wedding? Pick up this set of solar-powered mason jar lights from Amazon, which contain rows of string lights inside each bottle. They’re waterproof and they have hangers included for easy set-up and installation. Buy as many sets as you need to create a beautiful, glowing space.
Price at time of publish: $580
Make a stunning statement at your backyard wedding with this huge iron arbor trellis. It’ll look gorgeous when decorated with flowers or vines, especially if you and your partner stand under it for the ceremony. Pick from dozens of color options or opt for the original rusty finish—there are so many options to ensure that the arbor perfectly matches the rest of your wedding décor.
Price at time of publish: $9
Another fun lighting option, these pretty letter lights from Amazon add a bit of playfulness to the atmosphere. Grab the letters for your initials and those of your future spouse or spell out your new last name (if you have one). They’re also available as numbers, so you can write out your wedding date to make your decorations feel even more personal and special.
Price at time of publish: $50
For backyard weddings with casual vibes, consider picking up this fun customized banner from Etsy, which reads the phrase “Nothing Fancy Just Love” above the names and wedding date of you and your betrothed. Display it outside as a photo backdrop for guests or as a simple piece of décor—it’ll look great and add a fun touch to your intimate celebration either way.
Price at time of publish: $85+
Welcome your guests with personalized directional signage. Pick from two to five signs and fill them in with any info you choose, such as you and your fiance’s names, your wedding date, the location of your event, or even details like “cocktails” or “dinner and dancing.” The words will be printed on the wooden signs in gorgeous white lettering and they’ll give your guests some convenient direction on your big day.
Price at time of publish: $.75+
If your backyard wedding includes long tables for your guests to sit and eat, think about grabbing these gorgeous hand-cut table runners from Etsy, which come in dozens of colors and lengths. They’ll look elegant and rustic when displayed across your tables, and with so many color options, you can be sure they’ll fit in with the rest of your outdoor decor.
Price at time of publish: $33
Spruce up your tables or centerpieces with these dried lavender petal confetti pouches. Each package has the words “Toss Me” on the front, making them ideal for use by flower girls during a ceremony or by guests at the end of the evening. Plus, they’re biodegradable and smell absolutely wonderful.
Price at time of publish: $20+
Instead of a traditional welcome sign, why not go with a flag instead? Personalize this sweet option from Etsy with your initials, names, and wedding year, and it’ll be printed in beautiful lettering on one or both sides of the flag. Hang the flag from the side of a house, a tree, or anywhere else in your backyard where you see fit.
Price at time of publish: $8+
If your backyard has a pool or other water feature, consider opting for these chic bamboo floating candle holders from Etsy. Engrave them with your names and wedding date for a personalized touch, or even add the names of each of your guests if you want the decorations to double as party favors when the event is over. Choose from six shapes (including hearts!) and several different size sets.
Price at time of publish: $130
For a stunning and sophisticated addition to your backyard wedding décor, look no further than this heptagonal wooden wedding arch. It’ll make for a perfect piece of ceremony decoration, but it can also act as a great photo booth spot for guests once the party gets underway. Hang candles or flowers from the top for an extra special visual touch.
Price at time of publish: $24+
How pretty are these rustic hanging ornaments? Each one features a gold puffed heart with either a bell or wind chime underneath, and they’ll look truly romantic when hung from tree branches, a trellis, or an archway. Pick out as many as you need to fit your backyard space and prepare for your guests to be wowed by the look you’ve created.
Neon signs can be used for indoor or outdoor weddings, but they can look especially romantic displayed over a table at a backyard affair. This Etsy option comes in 10 glowing colors as well as six sizes and fonts, meaning you can customize the lettering to read your initials, new shared last name, or a phrase of your choosing like “just married” or “better together.”
One of the most important factors to consider is how well the materials of the decor can withstand bad weather conditions, says Crowell. “You want to be sure whatever you are using won’t blow away, melt in the sun, or be ruined by any moisture,” she explains. To be confident that your decor will last throughout the whole event, place a test order before the wedding to check out the products’ quality, she suggests.
All kinds of lighting, says Crowell, ranging from hanging twinkle lights to paper lanterns. All of these options “do a great deal to define your event space and add ambiance to your backyard long into the evening,” she explains. Fellow Marvinhouse Lead Planner Ashley Tangerini adds that wedding tents are also popular choices, and splurging on a nicer-quality tent can add enough to the space’s ambiance to allow you to save on buying other types of decor.
For rustic weddings, go for “alfresco bistro light setups” and “farm tables,” says Crowell, with Tangerini adding that “chic flannel throws” are good additions as well. And for garden weddings, Crowell recommends “hanging twinkle light stands in trees, floral installations on stonewalls, and bench seating.”
Brides writer Rachel Simon has extensively covered weddings and other lifestyle topics for dozens of magazines, newspapers, and websites. She also just got married this past April ,and is now quite familiar with all the ins and outs of wedding decor planning.
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