The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Country Wedding

There are lots of different trends or styles when it comes to weddings. From boho to old fashioned elegance, there is an aesthetic for every bride.

Then, for every theme, there are different trends, color schemes, and more that fit underneath that umbrella to achieve the perfect wedding day vibe.

For instance, in this article, we will be going over all of the details for planning a country wedding. Think color palettes in shades of terracotta, white wedding dress, natural sage bridesmaid wear, and laid back venues like barns or ranches.

Choosing the Right Venue

As we mentioned previously, the venue has a lot to do with a country wedding.Typically, a venue helps to select the theme that makes the most sense for the wedding. You wouldn’t throw a glamorous, chic wedding in the backyard— you would probably choose a fancy hotel.

It’s the same for rustic, country weddings. Certain venues fit the ideas and motifs of this theme much better. It’s important to be sure that you select a venue that will be a great backdrop for the style of wedding you have in mind for ultimate cohesion.

After all, if you pick a venue that doesn’t work with the style of your wedding, it will be obvious when you get your photos back!

Types of Rustic Venues

There are a few types of venue that are very popular for rustic, outdoor weddings. One of the most popular is a barn.

Barn

Getting married in a barn, or having your reception there, brings in the elements of a country wedding with the wooden interior and high ceilings popular in these sorts of spaces.

Usually, the barn has a lot of space for tables and dancefloor, and can be a great blank canvas for stunning florals. Barns also lend themselves well to family style seating and catering, where larger platters are brought to the table for guests to share.

Vineyard

Another popular rustic venue is a vineyard. Outdoor venues compliment country weddings well. In nice weather, the ceremony and reception can be held outside, and guests may even be able to wander between the vines during cocktail hour!

Indoor spaces at vineyards are usually similar to the barn, being open spaces with a lot of wood. They could also be like wine cellars, where they are darker and more cozy— perfect for continuing the party after the ceremony.

Farms

Farms are another popular rustic venue. These may encompass vineyards and barns, but there are also farms out there that have animals that guests can interact with during cocktail hour, or who have larger grounds for guests to roam.

Farms are a great option for an outdoor venue, and many offer catering themselves. This is perfect for a country wedding, where the bride and groom might want to keep things as fresh and local as possible! Plus, farm to table eating has become very on trend.

Outdoor Gardens or Parks

Outdoor gardens or parks are another beautiful location for a country style wedding. Some of their best features include the views, naturally growing greenery— so you may spend less on florals, and expansive grounds.

Some even have a greenhouse or conservatory where you can host your reception and have your dancing after the ceremony!

The biggest perk of these sorts of rustic venues are how cozy they are. They can also be made more casual or more elegant, depending on decor, florals, and lighting.

Considerations for Venue Selection

Perhaps one of these venues in particular sparked your interest. It’s important to do your due diligence when choosing your venue, though. You can’t rely on the visual aesthetic alone.

Accessibility

One of the most crucial factors to consider is accessibility, especially if you have older or disabled guests. Some outdoor venues may not have ramps for those who have wheelchairs, or might have stone and paver walkways that may be a tripping hazard.

Tripping hazards are especially important to consider if you have guests who use canes or walkers— or who simply aren’t very steady on their feet, due to age or a medical condition.

Distance

You may also want to consider how far guests have to walk from the parking lot to the ceremony, and also from the ceremony location to the reception location, if they are different parts of the venue.

Outdoor venues often have more square footage, so those who have trouble walking may not be able to do this comfortably.

Number of People

You should also consider the amount of people you are inviting and ensure that your chosen venue has the proper capacity for the amount of guests.

For instance, some barns and small farms may not have the ability to host very large groups and may be better suited to an intimate wedding. Other outdoor venues, like parks or vineyards, may have more space for larger weddings.

Amenities

Then, last but not least, you will want to think about the amenities that a venue offers. Some more rustic farms, for example, may not have proper bathrooms for a large wedding, so you may have to hire a vendor to bring in luxury mobile bathrooms.

Electrical outlets and similar amenities will also be important to note for decorations and music, as well as for the food if you are doing buffet style and need the food to stay hot.

Setting a Budget

When planning any wedding, not just a country wedding, you will need to understand your budget. Setting a budget is one of the first things you should do when you begin to wedding plan, so you do not end up overspending on your big day.

The amount you budget for each factor in your wedding will depend on your priorities, so there is no one size fits all list for every bride. For example, some brides may spend more on photography, while others may prioritize hiring an expensive, popular DJ.

Key Expenses to Consider

Though the amount you want to spend on these factors may vary depending on what you think is most important, the key expenses themselves are the same.

Venue Rental

First is the venue rental itself. It may be different depending on the venue, but most venues charge one fee for the reception, with an additional fee added on if you are having the ceremony on site, too.

Oftentimes, you can also add on some time to your rental to extend the reception— this is an additional fee. Different locations in the venue may have different rental fees, too.

Catering

The next expense is your catering. Food is often the most expensive part of the wedding. You can choose to do a full plated meal, shared family style, or buffet style. Some weddings do cocktail style catering where there is no full meal, only small bites— though this is not as common.

Catering encompasses drinks, too. You can choose to offer a fully paid bar, a partially paid bar with certain beers and wines free to guests, complimentary signature drinks, or a cash bar where guests have to pay for all of their drinks.

Decoration

You will also want to budget for the decor on your wedding day. This may include florals, lighting, candles, centerpieces, and arches, which are some of the most common decor items at a wedding. You can choose to forgo some of these, or use them all to achieve your vision!

Wedding Attire

Another key wedding expense is your attire. The bride’s dress and accessories— like her veil, if she chooses to wear one— can be fairly expensive! Then there is hair and makeup to consider as well.

The groom will want to have a properly fitted and tailored suit, which can be pricey as well, depending on where he shops, whether he buys or rents, or if he has a custom suit designed.

Tips for Budgeting Effectively

The first thing to do when trying to budget effectively is budget before you start planning and putting deposits down! Having a structured plan will make a big difference in the long run.

You should also factor in your daily or monthly payments to your budget so that you are not overspending. This can include car payments, mortgage payments or rent, any debt or loans, and necessities like groceries or utilities.

Another tip is to go through all of the elements of the wedding and choose your top three, in order. What is most important to you?

For example, if your first priority is your dream venue, followed by food, and finally florals, then you know where you need to allocate the most of your budget. It also shows you where you are more willing to price shop for a better deal, and what you are not willing to budge on.

Rustic Wedding Decor

The decor really makes or breaks a wedding theme, and it is no exception for a country wedding!

The hallmark of the country wedding theme is earthy or rustic decor. Lots of natural elements, florals, or shabby chic style decorations will keep the event right on trend. Below, we discuss some of the most popular rustic wedding decor elements.

Natural Elements

Country weddings thrive off of natural elements. Typically, the venues are located in nature, so it makes sense for the theme to carry through into decor, too!

Flowers and greenery are big parts of rustic weddings. Depending on the venue, you may need less flowers and greenery. For example, a vineyard or outdoor garden is already a classic backdrop with lots of florals and greenery.

On the other hand, a barn has lots of gorgeous wood to contribute to the theme, but will need to be dressed up more with flowers and greens.

You will also want to think of the style of your floral decor and bouquets. For country weddings, they are not pruned into shape. Rather, a more organic shape that mimics how they occur in nature is popular.

Other decor elements for country weddings include burlap, wood, and lace. This ties into the shabby chic or country chic aesthetic and keeps the wedding from feeling too fancy and off theme.

DIY Decor Ideas

Some brides like to DIY their decor, either to have a hand in creating their special day or to save a little money. With the country wedding emphasis on homemade, locally made, and crafty elements, this is the perfect type of wedding to do a little DIY for.

There are plenty of things you can DIY for your wedding day. One is the signs, like for the entryway or the seating arrangement. There are many tutorials online for these types of crafts, and you can get stencils and markers, chalk, or paint at your local craft store!

You can also make your own centerpieces. Find inspiration photos online, or on sites like Instagram or Pinterest, for some unique ideas for centerpieces.

One easy thing to do is decorate the vases to match your theme. You could wrap them in burlap, ribbon, or lace— or a combination of these textiles— to bring the rustic theme together.

You can also DIY your lighting by making or purchasing your own candles. Many venues will not allow real flame candles, so be sure to check with your venue first. You can also purchase LED candles or vintage style hand lamps and lanterns for additional lighting options.

Attire and Accessories

Your attire and accessories should match the wedding theme as well. The attire of the groom and the bridal party is also crucial to pulling the whole aesthetic together on the big day!

For a country wedding, you will want to make sure that the style of apparel and the colors chosen work with your idea of a rustic event. This can come down to the silhouette, material, and design details on the garments.

Bride’s Dress Options

For the wedding dress, you will want to look for a boho or vintage inspired gown. These typically match best with country style weddings. These styles of dress often have silhouettes like A line or mermaid, rather than a full, princess style silhouette.

These types of wedding gown are often more embellished than the dresses chosen by brides looking for a classic elegance wedding theme, for instance. Boho or vintage inspired dresses often feature lots of appliques or lace.

Tulle is a popular fabric choice, especially for the skirt. Other popular fabrics for a country style wedding include lace, as mentioned previously, or chiffon. A country style wedding dress is often whimsical, with a lot of movement.

Groom’s Attire

We always think of the bride’s dress on the big day, but what the groom wears is important, too! Typically, a groom is expected to wear a suit, but some country weddings are more laid back, seeing the groom ditch the suit jacket.

Instead, he might wear dress pants with a nice button-down and accessorize with suspenders. Sometimes, the suspenders are even one of the colors from the wedding colors! He might also decide to forgo the tie, unlike a groom in a black tie wedding.

Many country wedding grooms experiment with different colors of suits or slacks instead of the classic black. Some of the most common are gray or khaki.

When it comes to boutonnieres, they can be a great way to accessorize to tie into the rustic theme of the wedding day. They might have the sprigs of florals wrapped in burlap to match some of the decor, for example.

Invitations and Stationery

Invitations and stationery are something that needs to be considered early, when you are sending out those save the dates!

They are the first impression that guests will have of the upcoming event, so this is your chance to make it count and set expectations from the beginning.

It’s important to choose stationery that properly reflects your wedding aesthetic.

Design Ideas That Reflect a Rustic Aesthetic

There are so many different designs out there for wedding stationery, so the sky’s the limit! You’’ want to focus on different designs that reflect a rustic vibe and, ideally, contain your wedding colors too.

Look at the materials being used. These can often help you convey the wedding theme. For example, a handmade paper or vellum provides more of a rustic look.

You could also include finishing touches to wrap up the invitations with a bow made of burlap, lace, or twine— all of which are popular in country wedding decor.

Another thing you could do is have a custom illustration of your venue included on the invitation. This will show guests the country style venue and is a beautiful touch for an invitation!

Eco-Friendly Options

If you are planning a country style wedding, you may be more attuned to the environment, too. Luckily, there are some eco-friendly options for wedding stationary that you can look into.

One of the biggest is recycled paper! Often, it has that rough, handmade look too— this option pulls double duty because it is eco-friendly but also has a rustic look to match your wedding theme.

You can also be eco-friendly by reducing the amount of wedding related stationery you have printed and sent out. These days, many brides choose to forgo the RSVP card that guests are to send back.

Instead, they send the save the dates and final wedding invitations, including a link to their wedding website for guests to RSVP and choose their meals! This saves on paper and postage, but you also don’t have to worry about ant responses being lost in the mail!

Catering and Cake

As we mentioned before, your food costs are some of the most expensive parts of your wedding. You will want to choose food that is delicious, of course, but there are certain ways to make sure your food and desserts fit the theme, too!

Below, we will go over some of the ways to keep your food on trend at a country wedding.

Rustic Food Options

For your meals, embrace the venue and the seasons! Farms, barns, and other country style venues are the perfect backdrop for seasonal menus.

You can structure your dishes around the local produce of the season your wedding takes place in. This is fun for guests, but it also ensures that the food will be at its freshest and most flavorful! It’s a win-win.

Plus, a seasonal menu dresses up the same old tired wedding meal options that guests might be used to from other venues. It is a way to make your meal more memorable, while keeping it rustic.

If you are having your wedding at a farm, these sorts of venues often offer farm to table dining options. This is where the wedding menu uses ingredients like produce, dairy, and more that come straight from the farm.

Other venues offer this, too, and source from local vendors rather than on-site if they do not have access to these ingredients directly. Farm to table eating has been popularized by the elite, but it is healthy, delicious, and definitely on trend for your country wedding!

Cake Styles and Flavors

You can choose any flavor you want for your cake— the most important way to make sure it matches your country wedding theme is to decorate it accordingly. However, there are some flavors that really tie into a rustic wedding.

Fruity cake flavors like lemon or berry are great choices for a country wedding. Carrot cake, strawberry basil, and lavender would work well, too. This ties back into the idea of seasonal or farm to table menus— these flavors could easily have been sourced from your venue.

Naked cakes, where the cake is essentially bare, are a popular choice for country weddings. The cake is often accented with some frosting on the tops or sides with the cake itself still showing through. It is a casual, rustic design.

Other rustic themed designs that are often seen at country weddings are simple cakes decorated with florals or greenery. Sometimes, naked cakes are accented with a smattering of florals to add some rustic elegance.

Entertainment

Once the ceremony is done, you will want to make sure you have proper entertainment for the guests at the reception. After all, you want your guests to enjoy themselves on your big day.

Music is important at most weddings, but there are some other more unique entertainment ideas you can consider, too. For instance, games can be a great interactive touch to counteract all of the dancing that will be taking place!

Music Options

You will likely want to have music at your event, but there is more than one way you can check this element off the list.

Many weddings hire a live DJ. One of the best things about live DJs is that they can also help to keep the event running smoothly and on schedule. They typically make announcements for events like cake cutting, first dances, and can even announce which tables should go up for food or dessert.

This can help to make sure your guests don’t miss out on anything. The wedding couple won’t have to worry about making these announcements on their big day, either. They can just enjoy themselves!

Plus, DJs will play all of the songs you like, just as you know them, to keep the party going until it’s time to head home.

The other main option is to hire a live band. This can feel more personal and is popular for country style weddings.

However, live bands often don’t sound the same as the original versions of songs. If you want to dance to your favorite song exactly how the original artists plays it, a live band might not be right for you.

When it comes to live musicians, there are so many styles of music you can choose from. You can even hire an acoustic musician! This can be a great choice for music when you are walking down the aisle, during cocktail hour, or during the reception dinner.

The soothing music fades pleasantly into the background to heighten the experience of your country wedding.

Unique Entertainment Ideas

Image source: Pinterest

Lawn games are the perfect casual entertainment idea for a rustic wedding. You can set up games like cornhole, horseshoes, bocce, and more outside for guests to enjoy after dinner.

Not all guests like to dance, so this is a welcome entertainment idea for those who would otherwise just be sitting at their table. Plus, if your venue is indoors, like a barn, it gives everyone a good excuse to get out and enjoy some fresh air!

The lawn games themselves also contribute aesthetically to the vibe of your country wedding, based on their color schemes and materials. You can even have game boards— such as the ones for cornhole— monogrammed with your initials or the wedding date.

Another thing you can do for your reception is get a photo booth. This can be set up through a rental company very easily. Many photo booths also come with fun props or accessories to pose with.

It gives your guests a great excuse to be silly, goof off, and have fun. Plus, then they have the photos to keep as a memory of the night!

Photography and Videography

Photography and videography are both crucial considerations for your country style wedding. Some couples may choose to forgo videography and only have photos taken, but regardless of this decision, the images from your big day are one of the most important things you’ll receive.

This is because these photos and videos capture the memories of your big day. They are what you will have to look back on years after the wedding has concluded.

Choosing the Right Photographer for a Rustic Style

Firstly, you will want to make sure you get along with your wedding photographer. The next thing you should consider is their style. You want to love and treasure these photos, so if you aren’t a fan of their style of work, it won’t be a good fit!

Photographers who have a documentary style or use warmer or moodier tones in their editing are a good fit for the country wedding aesthetic. Wedding photographers with the bright, crisp, and airy style may have beautiful work but aren’t as in line with the rustic aesthetic.

Choosing a photographer who is not experienced in the kind of work you want is a mistake. You want someone who has the experience of taking these types of photos and editing them well, versus someone who can take photos in one style and will try their best to pull off a totally different style to align with your wedding vision.

Tips for Capturing the Essence of a Rustic Wedding

An experienced photographer will do a great job capturing the essence of your rustic wedding.

Some of the things you could ask for are organic shots, documentary style shots, and warm or moody tones. Show your photographer your Pinterest board or inspiration photos so that they can get a feel for what you’re picturing.

They will likely have some great suggestions that you can incorporate, too, whether it is photo op spots at the venue, poses, or more. This is why it is so important to have a conversation with your photographer.

You should also pick a photographer you feel comfortable around so that you can fully be yourself in front of them. This will allow for the best photos, rather than pictures that feel stiff, staged, or awkward.

Final Touches

Finally, you’ve considered everything from wedding venues to stationery. It’s time to think about the little details that will perfect your day, now that all of the big stuff and logistics are out of the way.

Many couples may have specific ideas on how they want to personalize their wedding to make it true to them. This can be something like writing your own vows, which is becoming increasingly common.

Personalizing Your Wedding

When personalizing your wedding, you will want to add in some elements that are unique to your story. Often, this is done through food and decor. Perhaps you met in a bookstore, so you have placed books among the florals as centerpieces.

Or, for a couple that loves to travel, maybe they’ve designed the menu to reflect the cuisines for some of their favorite places they’ve traveled together. Many couples even name the signature drinks after their pets or a special part of their love story!

You may also have family traditions you’d like to incorporate for your special day. This could be anything from a specific piece of jewelry that is worn by every bride on her wedding day, to a special set of vows that pay homage to the family heritage.

This is a special way to celebrate the union of two families, by celebrating each family’s important traditions.

Day-of-Coordination Tips

The day of your wedding can be hectic, even if you think you have everything planned out! A wedding planner or day of coordinator can be extremely helpful on the big day.

If you don’t have either of these— or even if you do— you can still keep things under control! One big tip is to have a wedding day timeline, starting with getting up and getting ready, and ending when the event ends.

Everybody should get a copy of this— your bridal party, the groom, the DJ, etc! That way you keep everything from taking more time than you expected and you make sure the day stays on track.

You can also designate specific wedding related tasks to family members, friends, or members of the bridal party. This can help you to prevent everything from falling on your shoulders when you are trying to get ready for or be present during your special day.

But, above all, have fun! This is a very special day for you, and you deserve to enjoy it to the fullest!