Rustic Wedding Ideas on a Budget: Themes, Decorations, Flowers and Dresses
Wedding reception table set with rustic decor for Pinterest.
If you’re trying to stick to a budget, a rustic themed wedding is the perfect choice. A rustic wedding is stylish and pulled together, but still simple and easy to plan. The easy going nature and less formal style makes it fun for everyone. You can put together a fantastic wedding with inexpensive or even DIY options. There’s lots of ways to save money when you’re planning a rustic wedding.
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How Do You Plan a Rustic Wedding?
First, decide what style you want for your wedding: formal, semi-formal or casual. A rustic wedding can be upscale and elegant or down home and easy going. Remember, the more formal your style, the more expensive your wedding will be. If you’re on a budget, the rustic theme is perfect for a semi-formal or casual wedding.
Choose a Theme For Your Wedding
Of course, you’ve already decided that your theme is rustic. But that covers a lot of ground. A rustic wedding can be elegant with roses and chandeliers. Or it can be sunflowers and cowboy boots. A rustic theme is a good starting point, but your planning will be easier if you add some more description words to your rustic theme.
For example: if you search for rustic wedding invitations, there are millions. Literally - google will give you over 78 million rustic wedding invitations!
But maybe you love barns, fireflies or mason jars. You can choose one of them as the look for your rustic wedding. Now, if you search for rustic barn wedding invitations, you’ve only got 4 million to choose from. Ok, so it’s still a lot. But deciding on a look for your wedding will help narrow down the choices, save time and make all your decisions easier.
You can choose a look, an item or a season that you love. If you’re not in love with a certain idea, you can wait till you find your venue. Then choose a look that matches it.
Themes For a Rustic Wedding
Sunflowers
Daisies
Wildflowers
Dragonflies
Cowboy boots
Barns
Boho
Vintage
Romantic
Eco friendly
Birch Trees
Campground
Lake
Pond
Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fourth of July
Barbecue
Bride and groom sharing a kiss on the dance floor at their rustic barn wedding.
How to Choose a Wedding Venue
When you start looking at venues, take your time. The room rental and catering for your reception is usually the most expensive part of your wedding. If you choose your venue carefully it’ll be a lot easier to stick to your budget. Once you find a venue that you like, do a bit of math before you sign the contract:
How much is the room rental fee?
How much are the food and beverage packages?
Does the venue have a minimum guest requirement?
Does the venue have a preferred vendor list or can you hire less expensive vendors?
Outdoor Venues for a Rustic Wedding
An outdoor venue is perfect for a rustic wedding. Especially if you’re planning a natural or easy going style. Look for venues that offer outdoor space:
Ranch
Meadow
Campground
Nature reserve
State park
Garden
Beach
Lake
Gazebo
Indoor Venues for a Rustic Wedding
If you’re worried about the weather, or just feel better with an inside venue, there’s lots of great choices for a rustic themed wedding:
Barn
Lodge
Cabin
Cottage
Greenhouse
Planning Your Rustic Wedding Ceremony
An outdoor ceremony is perfect for a rustic wedding ceremony. You can make the most of the natural surrounding and use the view as your backdrop. If you plan your ceremony indoors, there’s lots of ways to bring an outdoor feel to it. You can highlight the altar space with a gazebo, a canopy or an arbor. Decorate your altar and aisle with flowers, greenery and wood for a natural, rustic look.
What Food Should You Serve at a Rustic Wedding Reception?
Rustic wedding reception tables set with flowers, candles and wooden decor.
One of the most expensive parts of your wedding reception is your food. With a rustic theme, you can choose more affordable options and it will fit the style perfectly. Buffet or family style are less expensive ways to serve your meal and it matches the less formal feel of a rustic wedding.
You can also choose a more affordable menu. Comfort foods are a good fit for a semi-formal wedding. Chicken, roast beef and pasta are great choices for a rustic meal on a budget. If your wedding is casual style, you can even serve barbecue, food trucks or food bars and save even more money.
For more ideas on choosing your menu, read this next: Affordable Wedding Food: Menu Ideas for a Small Budget
Rustic Wedding Decor
A good way to save a ton of money is by planning DIY for your decorations. For your ceremony, you can decorate the altar and the aisle. At your reception, you can make centerpieces and decorations for the entrance, the guest tables and the head table. With a rustic style, it’s easy to find items to use as part of your decor. You can check thrift stores, dollar stores and craft stores for inexpensive glassware, fabric and accessories.
Wooden signs
Hay bales
Watering cans
Tin buckets
Chalkboards
Wood slices
Branches or bark
Wood ladders or shelves
Barrels
Pallets
Crates
Lanterns
Lace
Pin of a rustic picnic table set for a wedding reception.
Ideas for a Rustic Fall Wedding: Real Wedding
This real wedding from the Knot is a fantastic rustic barn wedding. The couple planned an outdoor ceremony, served up comfort food, great music and dancing. With a gorgeous color palette of green, orange and burgundy, this adds up to a perfect fall wedding:
An Autumn Barn Wedding at BoBrook Farms in Roland, Arkansas
Ideas for a Rustic Summer Wedding: Real Wedding
This real wedding from Kennedy Blue features gorgeous summer colors: pink, peach and mint. Plus bright pink and apricot flowers in loose, easy bouquets and centerpieces. The string lights and glassware add the perfect decoration for a rustic barn wedding reception.
McKenzie & Adam's Rustic Blush Pink Wedding
Wedding Dresses for a Rustic Bride
Plus Size Wedding Dress For a Rustic Bride
Menswear for a Rustic Wedding
Menswear should match the formality level of your gown. If you’re wearing a formal or semi formal dress, it’ll look best if your partner sticks with a traditional suit or more dressy clothes. If your dress is less formal or casual, choose more casual looks for your groom and groomsmen.
Traditional suit
Khakis
Jeans
Dress shirts
Suspenders
String ties
Vests
Cowboy hats
Cowboy boots
Bouquets & Boutonnières With a Rustic Style
If you want to save money on flowers, the casual style of a rustic wedding makes it easy to DIY your bouquet. You can buy silk or sola wood flowers and make all your bouquets and boutonnieres ahead of time. Or you can order fresh flowers to be delivered the day before and put them together yourself. Whether you do them yourself or order from a florist, some flowers are a perfect fit for a rustic wedding:
Sunflowers
Tulips
Roses
Anemones
Ranunculus
Peonies
Dahlias
Carnations
Daisies
Rustic Wedding Invitations
Want a closer look at the invitations? Order a free sample from Minted. You can choose a free sample kit with assorted styles, colors and swatches. Or you can order a free a kit with a personalized save the date.
If you’ve got your eye on a certain style, you can order samples of invitations, menus and programs. Most samples cost $1 to $2, but for a limited time, you can receive $10 worth of free samples.
Browse the website, choose your favorites and add the samples to your cart. When it’s time to check out, use the code 10FREE to receive $10 off your shopping cart.
Unique Guest Books For a Rustic Wedding
Rustic Wedding Favors
Wedding Planning Book For a Rustic Wedding
Ready to start planning? The DIY Rustic Wedding Planner has everything you need to plan your wedding. There’s pages for figuring out your budget, finding your venue and planning your menu. Plus tip sheets and checklists for everything in between. Available now on Amazon:
