Outdoor Real Weddings

July 27, 2011

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Ice-Cream Cart

Ingalls Photography
See More of this Real Wedding in Rowayton, Connecticut

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

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A Bubbly Exit

Jodi & Kurt Photography
See More of this Real Wedding in Orange, Virginia

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.

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Outdoor Activities

Allyson Magda Photography
See More of this Real Wedding in Carmel Valley, California

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.

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Lemonade Stand

Jen Fariello Photography
See More of this Real Wedding in Scottsville, Virginia

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

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Inviting Entryway

Christina Richards Weddings
See More of This Real Wedding

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

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A Fireworks Show

John Dolan

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

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Aisle of Petals

Weddings by Sasha Gulish

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

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Simple and Natural

Laura Murray Photography

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

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A Grand Entrance

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

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A Mossy Path

Genevieve de Manio Photography

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

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Park Pom-Poms

Julie Lim

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

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Soft Lighting

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

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Succulent Boutonnieres

Ryan Ray

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

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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.

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A Jazzy Transition

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

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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.

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Rustic Vignettes

Ryan Ray

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.

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Window Display

Andrea&Renata

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

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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.

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Sweet Signage

Chris and Sarah Rhoads

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.

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Paper Flower Decor

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

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Cabana-Style Seating

Jose Villa

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.

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Tepee Lounge

Daniel Kiyoi

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

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Outdoor Refreshments

Jose Villa

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.

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Cozy Fire Pit

Johnny Miller

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

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Fragrant Escort Cards

Sabine Scherer Photography

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

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Paper Fan Programs

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

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Garland Greenery

Gia Canali Photography

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

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A Warm Welcome

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

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Rustic Boutonnieres

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

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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.

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