Outdoor Real Weddings

Ice-Cream Cart

This bride's sister, a pastry chef, stocked her bike cart with ice cream sandwiches for late-night snacks.

A Bubbly Exit

At the end of this couple's ceremony, bubbles were on hand for a festive walk back up the aisle. The fun touch helped transition from the service to the party to come.

Outdoor Activities

Prior to this couple's 4pm ceremony, guests partook in an afternoon of crafts, riflery, and archery. Even the bride and groom picked up their own bow and arrows before it was time to change into their wedding attire.

Lemonade Stand

Guests at this outdoor celebration enjoyed lemonade and ice tea set out on a rustic wooden table.

Inviting Entryway

The "entryway" to this venue's dining area consisted of an old door propped perfectly in position to hold escort cards.

A Fireworks Show

At the end of the evening, this groom's family surprised the couple with a grand fireworks display.

Aisle of Petals

This couple exchanged teary vows in a Napa olive grove on a white-rose-petal-covered aisle.

Simple and Natural

The backdrop for this Colorado ceremony was kept simple and airy to showcase the mountain scenery. Hanging garlands of ombre carnations did the trick.

A Grand Entrance

Giant white pom-poms strung from trees embellish the entryway to this picnic-themed wedding in California.

A Mossy Path

A path lined with river rocks, moss, and roses lends an earthy, natural feel to this wedding.

Park Pom-Poms

A tree by the pond is adorned with festive tissue-paper pom-poms to help anchor the ceremony area.

Soft Lighting

Simple strings of light at this daytime wedding added an ethereal elegance to the outdoor ceremony.

Succulent Boutonnieres

Boutonnieres that feature lush greenery and fragrant blooms are perfect for an outdoor wedding. These are made of cotton blooms, succulents, and lavender.

Custom Corn Hole Game

A brightly-colored corn hole game, made by the best man and painted by the bride, entertained guests at this outdoor reception.

A Jazzy Transition

A four-piece band led guests from the ceremony to the reception space, filling the air with music.

Outdoor Huppah

Heirloom garden roses, wax flower, passion vine, Echinacea, thistle, amaranthus, and lavender hung from this wedding canopy, which was made of a printed cloth and bamboo stalks from the backyard of the bride's family home.

Rustic Vignettes

Small vignettes of greenery and other decorative elements were set around the property of this couple's wedding. Here, they displayed a plant-filled wheelbarrow for a rustic touch.

Window Display

An old window was transformed into a unique display, showcasing the wedding day's outdoor itinerary.

Elegant Ribbon Aisles

At this backyard ceremony, wide satin ribbon was attached to the back row of chairs to rope off the aisle and attached floral arrangements to alternating rows.

Sweet Signage

Vintage-style signposts, made by the bride's dad and painted by the bride and groom, direct guests on to the reception and around the resort for the weekend.

Paper Flower Decor

Paper flowers climb the sprawling oak that marked this couple's ceremony spot.

Cabana-Style Seating

To create relaxed cabanas like these, hang curtains, shelves, and shutters over tables from ladder-like structures. For a rustic chandelier effect, mason jar lanterns filled with candles are suspended from antique riddling racks, once used to store wine.

Tepee Lounge

These tepees were decked out with chairs and pillows inside to give guests cozy hangout areas.

Outdoor Refreshments

This couple stocked a beverage station with carafes of cucumber-, melon-, and mint-infused water and basil lemonade. A vintage cabinet that belonged to the bride's mother anchored the display.

Cozy Fire Pit

Guests roasted marshmallows and kept toasty around a fire as the evening wore on and the temperature dropped.

Fragrant Escort Cards

The bride tied together lavender bunches from a local farm with calligraphed name tags for a colorful and aromatic escort card display.

Paper Fan Programs

Guests cooled off with brightly-colored paper fans, which also served as their ceremony programs and table assignment cards.

Garland Greenery

Olive-leaf garlands and satin ribbons adorned the back row of chairs for a crisp, green look.

A Warm Welcome

This couple kept guests cozy at their outdoor wedding with pashminas displayed at the entrance to the ceremony.

Rustic Boutonnieres

Simple bunches of lavender, kangaroo paw, and Echinacea tied with frayed fabric strips give these boutonnieres some outdoorsy flair.

Picnic Wedding Reception

At this fall, outdoor wedding blankets complete with oversize throw pillows and arrangements of blooms were set out for partygoers to relax. "The weather could not have been more ideal," says groom Tim of the wedding hosted by Martha Stewart.

Rustic Huppa

The huppa at this rustic wedding ceremony, is built from Aspen tree wood and topped with a simple cream fabric, which doesn't distract from the beauty of the wedding ceremony surroundings in Jackson, Wyoming.

Fan Favors

Ornate wooden fans kept guests cool during this outdoor summer ceremony.

Personalized Signs

In a nod to the groom's Hungarian roots, this wedding weekend is christened "Eskuvo," which means "wedding" in his native tongue. The Eskuvo theme encompasses everything from the wedding website to the stationery, including this sign, carved by the bride's uncle, which hangs on a tree at the wedding location.

Rustic Ceremony Setting

Benches covered in burlap are set out for this mid-afternoon ceremony overlooking the lake at Snow Moon Ranch in Maple City, Michigan. Rocks collected from northern Michigan hold a program down at each seat.

Outdoor Reception

For this outdoor reception, tables are set up with each guest's place outlined in chalk on a roll of black paper. Red artist's tape secures the corners to the tablecloth, and single-flower arrangements rest in milk bottles, latte bowls and ceramic tumblers. Votive candles illuminate paper bags trimmed with scalloping shears.

Glowing Lanterns

Attendants at this morning wedding assemble around the guests to create "a cloud of witnesses," and instead of traditional bouquets, the bridesmaids carry glowing lanterns.

Outdoorsy Wedding Invitations

Tiny Pine Press's stationery suite uses a mix of textures and natural elements for this outdoor wedding in Jackson, Wyoming. A handmade folder houses the different pieces, with a twig and twine closure to go with the rustic theme.

The hand-colored photograph of the house and the pond is the save-the-date and a preview of the wedding location.

A Rustic Aisle

The bride's father, grandfather, and brother rolled up their sleeves to help make the family farm in Virginia perfect for the wedding, even building the natural steps leading down to the altar. They also re-made the pond, leveled out the land, installed a 30-foot fountain and built the area arbor. It was a complete DIY family affair, and the result is a setting that seems to be made just for a wedding.

Wedding Signs

The bridesmaids in this beach wedding stand by a sign leading the way to the ceremony; each chose her own dress.

Country Ceremony

Guests prepare to take their seats on canvas-covered bales; a ring of sunflowers outlines the spot where the couple said their vows.

Bird's Nest Altar

A family friend of the couple officiated their ceremony under a canopy of oak branches topped with an oversize bird's nest, which was crafted by another friend.

Outdoor Decorations

The trees under which this couple said "I do" were draped with white and Tiffany-blue ribbons (the bride's favorite color and the palette of the day).

Bicycle Getaway

During the reception, these newlyweds, in full wedding attire, took a spin on the gifts they bought for each other: bright-red retro-style bikes.

Outdoorsy Dessert Table

The irresistible treat-laden dessert table at an outdoor ceremony, in all of its sweet glory.

Flower-Covered Huppa

A mass of hydrangeas covers a huppa and provides a natural frame for the bride and groom.

Clothesline with Escort Cards

A bag for each guest included a name tag and a book featuring recipes from the caterer. The bags were carefully hung on a clothesline at this California wedding.

Blackboard Guest Book

Guests stepped up to doodle and write notes for the bride and groom at this blackboard guest book station. The blackboard then became a backdrop for the instant Polaroid photos that were placed in the guest book.

Lawn Games

Lawn games such as croquet and badminton were set up on the sprawling lawn for wedding guests to enjoy at this wedding held at Martha's Bedford home.

Dinner Bell

This dinner bell outside the bride's family's kitchen is festooned with fern fronds; when rung, the bell lets the guests know that it's time for dinner under the tent.

A Sailboat Getaway

A canvas flag with felt lettering made by friends decorates the vessel on which the bride and groom set sail at the end of the evening.

Guest Book Table

The bride set up a makeshift study with inks and quills for guests to sign the guest book during the cocktail hour.

Ceremony in the Garden

This couple exchanged vows in the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden. The stunning triangular layout, gazebo, and ornamental latticework were designed in 1916 by Beatrix Jones Farrand, a noted landscape designer.

Branch Aisle Decorations

The mother of the bride, escorts her daughter down the aisle, which is lined with fallen birch branches.

Indoor Furniture Used Outside

Every part of this Virginia wedding was personal and unique. Here, an antique French desk holds the guest book.

Walking to the Reception

The bride and groom, with their bridal party, take the scenic route to the brunch reception.

Mechitza on Outdoor Dance Floor

For their interpretation of a mechitza (a curtain that separates men and women during dancing), this bride and groom suspended several canvas panels between fabric-wrapped birch branches.

Bride's Entrance

For her outdoor September wedding, this bride made her entrance on a hay wagon.

Drink Cards

Illustrated cards listing the ingredients of each drink hung from tree branches next to the bar at this casual, outdoor reception.

Ribbon Decorations

Hanging satin ribbons frame the ceremony site at this lakeside celebration in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Wedding Ceremony Location

Guests at this Brooklyn, New York, wedding gathered beneath the arbor at Prospect Park's Audubon Center before the ceremony.

Festive Fruit Decor

A cocktail area's tall bistro tables are topped with Italian bay topiaries in copper pots, with local fuzzy peaches, nectarines, apricots, and tiny crabapples at their bases.

Dance Hall Sign

The bride and her crafty girlfriends made all the signs for her wedding festivities, including this one for the barn, where a hoedown was hosted the night before.

Pinecone Decorations

Pinecones wired to a tree mark the entrance to this real wedding site.

Morning Ceremony

The bride and groom were married during a morning ceremony in a pavilion overlooking the vineyard where they chose to hold their wedding.

Casual Wedding

In keeping with the casual setting of this outdoor wedding, some guests sat on quilts and pillows during the ceremony and reception; others gathered at tables. Parasols, paper fans, and bottles of sunscreen were set out on a table near the entrance for guests to use during the outdoor festivities.

Natural Processional

The bride and her father walk through a canopy of trees to the ceremony site.

Natural Escort Cards

These escort cards are clothes-pinned to twine hung between pine saplings.

Reception Setting

To go along with the rustic setting of this ranch wedding, the reception took place outside and the tables were decorated with basic linens and arrangements of various sizes and flowers.