13+ Outside the Box Garden Wedding Ideas

What could be more British than a good old fashioned Garden Party?! With flowers in full bloom, the Pimms on ice, and the holiday season putting everyone in a good mood the garden makes for a perfect setting for a summer wedding.

Gardens have always been magical in so many ways. They serve as good picnic venues and great thinking spots for creatives. Most of all, though, they’re great spots for romantic weddings!

Need some inspiration on how to make your big day stand out? We have several brilliant garden wedding ideas outside the proverbial box, so stick with us to the end.

Some ideas are pretty simple but don’t underestimate the power of small tweaks; that’s where the secret lies. Let’s get into it.

Dress for the occasion

Whether you’re walking down the aisle in a stunning gown or a handsome suit, add a touch of greenery and florals to match your garden wedding theme. Instead of a plain white dress, consider incorporating embroidered buds into the bodice or base. Even adding some butterfly designs to your veil helps tie your outfit to your theme.

For suits and tuxedos, make a big splash with a floral shirt… or a smaller statement with a flowery tie. Not your thing? A jewel-toned tuxedo made with a velvet material is a fine touch too. The lush fabric speaks to a garden wedding of romantic vibe while the rich shades mimic the blooms around you.

Use Flowers Instead of a Hairband

If you’re sceptical about adding some florals to your wedding gown, then flowers in your hair will do the trick.

One great hairstyle idea for the occasion is a romantic hair updo with flowers (some small white blooms go well with style).

Loose waves with a flower crown also go beautifully with the overall romantic garden wedding theme. You can use colourful flowers or simple greens for your crown.

Design a Program that Doubles as a Fan

Forget about the boring booklet traditional program; this is a chance to give your wedding a different style.

Create a wedding program that doubles as a fan. Incorporate flowers or plant drawings throughout, then add small wooden handles.

That could help with reducing your budget because you can easily make them yourself. Plus, it serves as a nice favour for guests to remember your special day.

Be Creative with Your Wedding Venue

The most important thing in making a garden wedding successful is by choosing the right venue. Here are some ideas.

Choose a Historic Wedding Venue

A historic venue makes it easier for you to decorate and create the vibe you’re looking for. Great venue ideas include botanical gardens, museums, or historic homes. But what if all these venues are too costly? That brings us to our next big ideas.

Make Use of Greeneries and Moss

You can use greeneries to create a garden wedding themed altar at any venue. Add some lush ferns or other ornamental greens on the fence, then some mossy plants to surround the area where you’ll stand when saying ‘I do.’ You can mix up the moss with some vines to spice it up a little.

Use succulents and clay pots

When we think of garden wedding ideas, we usually picture flowers galore. However, bright buds aren’t the only garden plants! If you live in a dry climate that doesn’t offer up many natural flower garden choices, succulents and clay pots can make the difference you’re looking for. Don’t shy away from adding other plants of various sizes to the collection. Not only do the pots and succulents create a natural feel, but they also make a great photoshoot spot.

Transform a greenhouse

That old greenhouse structure may be all you need to achieve your dream garden wedding setup. What if it’s in the middle of a garden with other vegetables and fruits? Even better because it creates a great view for your wedding guests.

Transform Your Concrete Wall into a Romantic Jungle

Suppose the only venue you can find is one with a concrete wall. You don’t have to give up your dream of having a garden wedding. With a professional’s help, you can carefully ‘plant’ some succulent on the wall and add some blue and pink flowers to the mix. Having more greeneries in pots at the bottom creates a great nature illusion.

Have an Indoor Garden Wedding by Using a Big Greenery Chandelier

What if there’s just no way at all that you can have your wedding outdoors? For example, if you don’t want to give up your modern exquisite wedding venue, but you also love a garden wedding – you can have it all. One way to do this is by keeping everything else modern but designing a huge greenery chandelier with some white florals. The combination of vivid white and lush greens is amazing.

Serve Fresh Garden Food

Don’t you love it when everything in a wedding is in sync? Like having a royal wedding with chariots, a bridal party with corset dresses, and a master of ceremony with a British accent. Kind of like being in the Bridgeton show?

You can do the same with your garden wedding by serving some wild fruits and other “fresh from the farm” food instead of serving processed food. Bonus- choose fresh produce that’s in season, and you’ll significantly reduce your food costs, too! Work with a caterer that uses ingredients from local farmers for an even greater impact. Not only will you save some cash, but you’ll also be supporting your community.

Dine at Winding Tables

Instead of having small tables of five, why not have all guests dine together? The weaving design flows with the garden décor, and it has become a common trend for garden weddings. Use small round tables and place them next to each other in a wavy pattern. Then, either uses the same table cloth colour for all of them for a more uniform look or alternate colours with shades that complement the blooms around you.

Go Big with the Blooms

There can never be too many flowers at a garden wedding. The more, the merrier. If you’re tying the knot in an actual garden, nature will take care of the decor for you. If you’re planning a garden wedding at another venue, talk with your florist to add native flowers to your wedding. For example, having some bougainvillaea draped on your table only makes a statement of your gardening wedding theme.

Create a “Chilling Out” Spot

Regardless of your wedding venue, having a great dessert lounge for your guest to relax after the wedding ceremony is a great idea.

Fabrics in earthy colours, rugs and woven umbrellas, and some textural succulents should do the trick. You can even use colourful boho pouffes (instead of traditional chairs) as seating.

Incorporate Nature into Your Décor

One thing about garden weddings is that they’re both cost-friendly and environmentally friendly.

Instead of using plastic flowers, use some greeneries as décor and find ways to make them unique. For example, instead of having a bar menu for available wedding drinks, you can have a big leafy giant palm with a list of available drinks.

Right Choice of Music

Many people underestimate the power of choosing the right kind of music based on their wedding theme. Here’s an example: you know how you listen to one type of music when vacuuming the house and a different genre when studying or working? You do this because it creates the right mood for the occasion.

The same case with the wedding playlist and choosing the right music – probably calm, soothing, and relaxing, will boost everyone’s mood at a garden wedding. You can also have a live band that has soothing music to create a more traditional feel.

Have a Greenery- Decorated Wedding Sign

You want your guests to know they’re walking in a gardening wedding the moment they enter the venue. Having a sign decorated with some greenery and florals will set that tone right away. If you have an artistic flair, make your own by using stencils and paint on a rustic wooden board, then add your florals. If you’re not steady with a brush, online stores like Etsy have tons of amazing designs.

Have a Natural Arch

A natural arch is designed by simply pulling branches of two trees to form an arc and adding a few flowers to brighten it up. Sometimes the best way to achieve the natural look is by making a few adjustments and using what it already offers. You can add a few florals to give your arch a more exquisite look. Just take a look at these simple yet gorgeous wedding arch ideas for outdoors for more inspiration.

Choose the Right Wine

A garden wedding is somewhat like a fairy tale wedding. And one thing that you can’t afford to compromise in a fairly garden wedding is the quality of champagne.

You can even welcome your guests with a glass of wine at the entrance to keep them busy before the ceremony begins.

I mean, this may put you at risk of having a few drunk uncles but well, what a wedding without a little family drama?

Steal: Garden Wedding Hydrangea Ideas

Hydrangeas are in their prime in the summer months, so we’ve teamed up with Hydrangea World to bring you some brilliant hydrangea wedding ideas to style up your garden party wedding reception with seamless finesse.

Centrepieces

For a formal, elaborate hydrangea centrepiece, contrast oversized showstoppers in ornate vases with smaller, more simple arrangements; but if you’re seeking something with a more country or vintage vibe, place delicate domes along tables in jam jars or rustic wooden planters. The effect is stunning.

Cakes

Mouths watered when we discovered these sweet beauties online! Follow Sugar Hero’s tutorial to make your own hydrangea wedding cake (pictured below, left), or serve up some hydrangea dome cupcakes.

Bouquets and Buttonholes

Hydrangea blossoms are so versatile; use three domes for a simple bouquet, some blossoms from a dome for a buttonhole, or pair contrasting pastel flowers to create a striking, formal bouquet.

Posy Domes for the Aisle and the Entrance

Styling up your venue with an abundance of flowers can add a more luxury feel to your day. And it doesn’t need to be expensive. Add posy domes to aisle-hugging seats and wedding arches, and hang them from the doors to your ceremony or reception venues. You’ll be surprised at just how much it can lift the look of your venue.

Showstoppers

Wear them, suspend them from the ceiling – think outside the box and lavish your venue with beautiful hydrangeas. Not only will they add to your wedding day theme, they’ll become a real talking point for guests. Here are some of our favourite hydrangea showstoppers.

Final Words

Our wedding day is one of the most special days in our lives. Some of us live the day from the time we learn the meaning of getting hitched.

If you’re a nature lover, chances are you want a garden theme wedding. But again, you don’t want it to be boring. You want everyone to feel the passion you have for nature and enjoy it with you.

And you can achieve all of it by choosing the right décor, food, wine, dress code, and most importantly, the right venue.

If your partner wants a modern wedding, you can find common ground to have a taste of both.

I hope you learned something about how to make your gardening wedding more tasteful. If you have more ideas, please share them with us.

Mentions

This feature was written as an advertorial in collaboration with Hydrangea WorldHydrangea World & LoveYouWedding.

Credits

Centrepieces

1. Silver Vessel filled with Blue and Purple Hydrangeas via himisspuff.com
2. Ypsophila with Hydrangeas in jam jars via himisspuff.com
3. Blue and White Hydrangea runner via himisspuff.com
4. Tall and Short Hydrangea centrepiece mix via Hydrangea World

Cakes

1. Hydrangea wedding cakes via SugarHero.com
2. Hydrangea Cupcakes by Society Bakery

Bouquets and Buttonholes

1. Simple Blue Hydrangeas via pinterest
2. Hydrangea buttonhole via pinterest
3. Pink Hydrangea wedding bouquet via Hydrangea World
4. White Hydrangea wedding bouquet via Hydrangea World
5. Pink Hydrangea wedding bouquet via Hydrangea World

Posies for the Aisle and the Entrance

1. White hydrangea domes hanging aisle side via ModWedding.com
2. Blue hydrangea domes to decorate entrance doors via himisspuff.com
3. Hydrangeas hanging from a chair image by ShoreShotz Photography featured on WeddingWire.com
4. Hydrangea wedding arch via himisspuff.com

Showstoppers

1. Wearable oversize hydrangea corsage via Hydrangea World
2. Suspended hydrangea displays via pinterest
3. Grand displays to decorate your garden venue via Fusion Flowers / Hydrangea World, (Styling: Wendy Andrade, Photography: Kristine Krupenny K2 photography)
4. Lantern night displays via himisspuff.com