Executing a dreamy and elegant outdoor wedding requires a delicate balance of creativity and practicality. In this guide, Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center explores some outdoor wedding ideas to help you celebrate your love surrounded by nature and, of course, the people who matter most.

As you dream about marrying your partner in an environment that perfectly captures the unique charm of your relationship, you might be overwhelmed by all the outside wedding ideas you come across — but worry not, lovebirds!

From choosing the ideal venue to selecting details that highlight natural beauty, these tips will make planning a storybook-worthy celebration feel like a light breeze.

This guide will cover nature wedding ideas to spark your imagination, including…

  • Rustic Venue Backdrop
  • Fairy Light Canopy Over Dance Floor
  • Woodsy Decor And Signage
  • Mason Jar Centerpieces With Wildflowers
  • Vintage Lounge Area With Antique Furniture
  • Handwritten Vows Exchanged Under A Flower Arch
  • String Quartet For Ceremony Music
  • Lanterns And String Lights For Night Reception
  • Polaroid Guest Book Station
  • Blankets For A Chilly Ceremony Or Reception
  • Garden Cocktail Hour
  • Elegant Hydration Stations
  • Outdoor Wedding Doors For Ceremony
  • Chalkboard Welcome Signs With Calligraphy
  • Floral Aisle Runner
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Rustic Venue Backdrop

A rustic venue with raw beauty and natural simplicity creates a warm and inviting atmosphere for guests. A few venues with beautiful backdrops include colorful flower gardens, serene forests, expansive mountain views, and elegant refurbished barns.

One of the most compelling aspects of a barn venue is its versatility. It serves as a blank canvas waiting for your personal touch. Whether you envision an elegant French countryside wedding theme or a more casual affair, a barn’s rustic charm meshes seamlessly with virtually any aesthetic.

Interested In A Minnesotan Rustic Barnyard Backdrop?

The Heritage Center’s outdoor wedding space features lush trees, immaculate flowerbeds, two fountains, and expansive grassy areas just begging to host your celebration.

Woman with wedding floral arrangements

Fairy Light Canopy Over Dance Floor

Picture a dance floor bathed in a soft, ethereal glow, with a canopy of fairy lights delicately suspended overhead. The soft, diffused glow creates an intimate and dreamlike ambiance, encouraging heartfelt conversations and stolen glances between newlyweds and guests alike. Fairy lights bring a touch of magic, charged by love!

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Fairy Light Canopy Over Dance Floor

Picture a dance floor bathed in a soft, ethereal glow, with a canopy of fairy lights delicately suspended overhead. The soft, diffused glow creates an intimate and dreamlike ambiance, encouraging heartfelt conversations and stolen glances between newlyweds and guests alike. Fairy lights bring a touch of magic, charged by love!

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Woodsy Decor And Signage

The right woodsy decor can make an outdoor marriage ceremony feel like a romantic garden wonder. Raw, natural textures bring warmth and authenticity, making guests feel like they’ve stepped into a serene woodland retreat. From natural arches adorned with lush greenery to tables embellished with wildflowers, woodsy decor, and signage makes the atmosphere all the more enchanting.

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Mason Jar Centerpieces With Wildflowers

Repurposed mason jars have a down-to-earth vibe that resonates with an outdoor wedding setup. Once used for preserving jams and pickles (often on farms), filling mason jars with wildflowers transforms them into vessels of beauty! The eclectic arrangement of flowers in jars makes it seem like you hand-picked fresh flowers and created the centerpieces just before guests arrived. Whether you actually did so or hired a florist, each bouquet will add personality and charm to your tables.

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Vintage Lounge Area With Antique Furniture

A snug, vintage lounge area decked out with swanky antique chairs, weathered wooden tables, and timeless details gives guests a charming spot to rest. Here, they can have intimate conversations, sip on cocktails, snap photos, or enjoy a few quiet moments before returning to the celebrations.

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Handwritten Vows Exchanged Under A Flower Arch

Imagine you and your partner standing under a beautifully adorned arch of flowers, pouring love into each other while reading vows you wrote by hand. The words you write down will not be just spoken and forgotten; they will serve as a tangible reminder of promises made in front of loved ones. 

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String Quartet For Ceremony Music

A string quartet transforms any outdoor wedding into a symphony of love! The violins, viola, and cello have the magical ability to evoke emotions that words often fail to capture. As the musicians play timeless tunes or put a classical spin on modern favorites, no one will be able to deny the elegance a string quartet brings to your special day.

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Lanterns And String Lights For Night Reception

Lanterns and string lights are the perfect way to illuminate an elegant outdoor night wedding – they create warm pockets of light, illuminating tables and pathways and your guests’ faces with a soft, romantic glow. Strategically placed lanterns look like twinkling fireflies or fairies flitting around the event, while string lights seem to bring the night sky closer, transforming the outdoor space into a starlit paradise.

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Polaroid Guest Book Station

A Polaroid guest book station is a delightful addition to your outdoor wedding setup. Consider a rustic table with a few Polaroid cameras, a few backup stacks of instant film, and a rustic backdrop where guests can snap photos to commemorate their presence. This adds a playful element to your wedding and makes the traditional guest book a visual representation of laughter and love.

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Blankets For A Chilly Ceremony Or Reception

In places like Minnesota, where spring and fall can bring unexpected chills, providing blankets for guests at an outdoor wedding is a thoughtful touch! The simple gesture is a memorable detail that can add a layer of warmth and coziness to your special day.

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Garden Cocktail Hour

Make your cocktail hour feel like a scene from Alice in Wonderland or A Midsummer Night’s Dream! Tables adorned with delicate floral arrangements invite guests to mingle, sip on refreshing cocktails, and clink their glasses in harmony with the sounds of nature. The relaxed ambiance, combined with the beauty of nature, sets the stage for the captivating ceremony to come.

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Elegant Hydration Stations

In the heat of summer, the importance of hydration stations at a simple outdoor wedding ceremony cannot be overstated – especially in Minnesota, where it gets humid! Glistening pitchers of fruit and herb-infused water, refreshing iced teas, and cool lemonades are functional and serve as a visual delight that blends seamlessly with your rustic wedding theme.

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Outdoor Wedding Doors For Ceremony

Outdoor wedding doors at the top of the aisle add drama and grandeur to the ceremony! As the doors open, you step over the threshold, symbolizing walking into a new life with your forever love. This creates a breathtaking moment that guests will chat about for the rest of the night!

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Chalkboard Welcome Signs With Calligraphy

Welcome signs written in calligraphy on chalkboard or wood have a certain nostalgic appeal that fits perfectly into any simple outdoor wedding ceremony. You can use signs throughout the event to point guests in the right direction, make requests (such as “grab a Polaroid camera and snap some pictures!”), and provide details about food, drink, and more.

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Floral Aisle Runner

A floral runner leading up to the altar looks like nature rolling out a carpet for your momentous walk down the aisle! The delicate petals can add a burst of color that ties into your outdoor wedding theme while the scent of fresh flowers fills the air and creates an immersive experience for everyone present.

Have Your Memorable Minnesota Outdoor Wedding At The Heritage Center Of Brooklyn Center

As we wrap up this exploration of outdoor wedding setup ideas, we hope you have a clearer vision of what you want your special day to look like. Ready to start planning your dreamy wedding in nature? Explore our facilities map to find the perfect wedding spot on our vast property, and contact the Heritage Center of Brooklyn Center for more information about planning an outdoor ceremony.

Your dream wedding awaits—let’s bring it to life together!