An Easy Guide to Summer Wedding Decorations

A beautiful red-haired bride in a lace dress looks at her wedding bouquet. Bride on a walk in the summer park.Your wedding is one of the biggest days in your life and you deserve beautiful scenery. Check out these summer wedding decorations that will impress all your guests.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love an outdoor summer wedding? When the weather cooperates and the sun shines down on a couple’s love, the day becomes magical. And even if the skies turn cloudy and everyone has to make a mad dash for the tents, then the occasion is exciting and extra memorable.

Another bonus? You can really get creative — and save some cash — by choosing clever summer wedding decorations. For some of this year’s best trends and tips, read on!

1. Bright Floral Blooms Everywhere

You are going to need flowers for the bride’s bouquet, the groom’s boutonniere, and the flower girl’s basket, so why not go all out and decorate with nature’s beauty? Using flowers as summer wedding decorations makes sense for any couple that is ecologically minded and wants to use local products. In some cases, you may be able to pick them right from your own (or a friend’s) backyard!

Live in a desert climate? Try succulents instead of importing delicately petaled flowers. Nestle small cacti and other blooming succulents in clear, straight-sided vases for maximum impact. These can also do double-duty as wedding favors!

2. Use Umbrellas to Your Advantage

We’re not talking the fold-up kind you carry on a rainy day. Think crisp white market umbrellas or the colorful style associated with a European cafe. When strategically placed over the tables, umbrellas will provide much-welcome shade as well as ambiance.

Another option? Lace parasols will create a dreamy, romantic atmosphere. Suspend them from tree branches, build a canopy of them, or simply hand them out to your guests!

3. Balloons Galore

Balloons are as versatile as flowers, and can truly reflect the theme and tone of your wedding. A traditional wedding with a black and white color scheme gets a touch of whimsy from all-white balloons, while a more laid-back and fun-loving occasion benefits from vibrantly colored balloons.

Construct an arch or canopy of balloons for a super-fun spin on the classic summer wedding trellis. Fill the space with bouquets of bright red, heart-shaped balloons. Personalized or specialty balloons make fantastic props for a photo booth, too!

4. Light Up the Night

If your wedding reception is set to begin at dusk, string garlands of twinkling lights among the trees, pepper the tables with luminaries and LED tealights, and give every guest a sparkler to light at a prearranged time. (Talk about a photo op!) Edison bulbs can work well outdoors, too.

5. We’re Talkin’ Tiki

A tiki or Polynesian theme is sure to get your guests in the party mood. Summer wedding decorations that evoke the tropics include drinks served in coconuts, colorful cocktail umbrellas, tiki torches, orchids, and leis.

6. Bring the Beach To You

Want a destination wedding but can’t quite justify the expense? Or maybe you eloped and got married by the seaside, but are hosting a reception back home. Either way, bring the beach to your reception with aqua and azure summer wedding decorations.

Scatter shells and starfish on the tables, and employ nautical touches like rope knots, semaphore flags, and buoys. You could even provide sandboxes, shovels, and pails for the littlest guests to play with!

What Summer Wedding Decorations Do You Like?

We hope this post has sparked your creative spirit and given you some great ideas. Whatever summer wedding decorations you decide on, remember that this is your special day — have fun with it!

Do you have any unusual ideas for decorating? What is the most memorable wedding you’ve ever attended? Let us know in the comments!