A backyard wedding offers many advantages. You can save money that normally would be spent on renting a church or hall. And a wedding in the backyard also provides a sense of comfort if the wedding couple is getting married at home. With the right decorations, a backyard ceremony can be the elegant and romantic wedding that the bride and groom have dreamed about.
Color Scheme
One key to a beautiful backyard wedding is choosing the right color scheme. The time of day and even the time of year will help determine what colors to use for the ceremony.
For a daytime wedding in the spring, pale colors work best: light pink, lilac, baby blue and pale yellow. For a springtime evening wedding, pick more intense colors, such as deep purple, midnight blue or deep green.
Brighter colors will complement a backyard wedding in the summer. For daytime, pick color schemes that focus on colors you might see in a garden: purple, yellow, turquoise or red. For a summer wedding held in the evening, choose deeper shades of red, purple or green or even black.
In the fall, choose an earth-tone scheme that harmonizes with the colors of the season. Fall colors generally work well, no matter what time of day you hold the ceremony. For daytime, try pumpkin orange, dark brown or deep yellow. For evening weddings, go with burnt orange, deep red or a rich brown.
If your backyard is in a tropical climate, you have the added advantage of holding your ceremony outside at pretty much any time of year. For winter weddings outside, you can opt to stick with a spring or summer color scheme. However, you also could choose colors that will complement the season, such as red, ice blue, silver, gold or green--even if you're a long way from ice and snow.
Flowers
Flower choices will depend on the time of year your wedding is scheduled as well as the time of day. Of course, your flowers should fit into your chosen color scheme. Flowers that complement a daytime wedding in the spring are lilacs, lilies, tulips or carnations. Cockscomb, red roses and calla lilies work beautifully with summer weddings. For fall ceremonies, look for flowers with rich autumn hues, such as roses in burnt orange, crimson calla lilies or dahlias. No matter the season, evening weddings call for deeper hues than ceremonies held during the day. Roses, a traditional wedding flower, come in a variety of colors.
While color is an important consideration, also look for interesting shapes and textures. You also can opt for using silk flowers, which are readily available in the right color, shape and size.
Other Decorations
There are many important elements to a backyard wedding. Plan the layout of the ceremony to determine everything that is needed. Create an aisle for the bride to walk down by placing a long, white runner on the chosen pathway. Place a "rug" of this material at the spot where the ceremony will take place. Decorate an arbor with flowers to boost the backyard's romantic appeal. Rent white chairs from a local party supply store as seating for your guests; place large bows on the chair backs in a color that coordinates with your overall scheme. You also can rent tents from the party supply store to provide shade and shelter for guests. For an evening wedding, hang strands of white lights around the tent to provide soft lighting. If the reception also will be in the backyard, set up buffet tables covered in white linens. Place strands of beads that match your color scheme on the tables to tie them in with the overall decor. Hurricane-style candle holders will provide romantic lighting and also will help ensure that a gust doesn't leave your reception area in the dark.
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