Garden weddings, much like gardens themselves, are romantic. For centuries, gardens have represented everything from new beginnings to renewal. Cultivated rose beds share their space with wild, untamed greenery — creating a space where give and take occur simultaneously — just like love.
While a garden wedding theme doesn’t require an actual garden, it should evoke the beauty of a greenery-infused space. Imagine lavish floral décor, shady gazebos, and luminous fireflies. For more inspiration, we reached out to two top wedding planners for insight into how to perfect a garden aesthetic.
Christina Currie, Lead Event Producer and Owner at Christina Currie Events, Inc., tells us, “Be inspired by the time of the year when planning your event in a garden.” Gabrielle Stone, President and Owner of Stone Event Planning, adds, “I personally love the idea of playing against nature” for a bold and eye-catching vision.
We’ve searched through thousands of real weddings on PartySlate to find our favorite garden wedding ideas. Keep reading to discover everything from romantic wedding centerpieces to garden-fresh catering. It’s time to let your wedding vision take root.
1. Plant the Seed with Floral-Forward Invitations
Wedding invitations give guests their first glimpse of the celebration ahead. Capture your garden wedding theme from the start with a custom-made invitation suite. Work with an invitations and print company to incorporate your wedding colors and flowers into the design. We especially love how floral-forward invitations can vary in color and materials, proving the rich variety of a garden-style wedding.
2. Select a Garden Wedding Venue
While a talented event designer can transform any venue into a garden dreamscape, a garden wedding venue boasts many distinct advantages. Garden venues come with their own stunning backdrops and abundant floral décor. Additionally, garden venues often feature built-in structures such as gazebos and arches that can be incorporated into your wedding ceremony.
Use PartySlate’s curated venue directory to find an available garden wedding venue near you. Narrow your search by venue type, guest count, amenities, and more.
3. Exchange Vows Beneath a Gazebo
Gazebos are easily the focal point of any garden. Keep all eyes on your nuptials with an exchange of vows beneath a picturesque gazebo. Best of all, these stunning structures are beautiful with both minimalist floral décor and lavish drapery. Ask your wedding planner and florist on how to accentuate your gazebo so it matches your wedding style.
4. Bring on the Blooms
A garden wedding isn’t complete without — you guessed it — flowers. Use blooms to bring a pop of color to the surrounding greenery. Wedding flowers are an easy and elegant way to incorporate your wedding color palette into your celebration. Work with your florist to find in-season wedding flowers that heighten your wedding décor and ambiance.
5. Capture Garden Details With a Curated Seating Chart
Continue your garden wedding theme with beautiful escort cards and seating charts. Choose a boxwood backdrop or ornate iron gate to display your guests’ names. We also love seating charts that double as party favors. Consider attaching each escort card to a vase of blooms for a thoughtful take-home gift that guests will cherish.
6. Create a Gardenscape with Greenery
The editorial team at PartySlate is obsessed with floral décor. However, we also appreciate the beauty of pure greenery. Incorporate greenery into your wedding décor for a fresh garden aesthetic. We especially love how greenery creates the perfect contrast for delicate floral details as well as lavish floral arrangements.
7. Set Your Tablescape With Wildflowers
Gardeners may favor one bulb over another, but nature always has the final say. Every cultivated garden is subject to the whimsy of wildflowers, and we couldn’t be happier. Capture the natural beauty of any garden space with wildflower centerpieces. Make sure to incorporate natural leaves and herbs like myrtle, mint, and sage for optimal effect..
8. Decorate with Garden-Inspired Dinnerware
Elevate your wedding reception tables with garden-inspired dinnerware. Guests will easily spend a majority of the wedding celebration at their tables, so it’s important to create a beautiful space for them to wine and dine. Custom dinnerware, along with wedding centerpieces, turn an ordinary dining experience into an act of celebration.
9. Pitch a Garden Wedding Tent
Create a weather-proof sanctuary, or stunning overhead canopy, with a garden wedding tent. We especially love how tented weddings can take décor to new heights with suspended lighting, foliage, and drapery. Head to our curated vendor directory to find top tent rental companies near you. You can even click into a company’s PartySlate profile to find real examples of their work.
10. Mimic Fireflies With Twinkling Lights
There’s a reason why wedding lighting should top your to-do list. As the sun sets and fireflies light up the evening sky, gardens become a place of pure magic. Recreate the luminance of summer fireflies with creative lighting installations that range from tented string lights to sparkler send-offs. We especially recommend utilizing a wedding lighting company to perfect the look.
11. Adorn Your Wedding Party With Flower Crowns
Become part of the beautiful garden surroundings with curated floral crowns. Floral crowns perfect fashion attire for everyone in the wedding party — including four-legged friends. Work with your wedding florist to create floral crowns that match your wedding colors and floral décor.
12. Garnish Cocktails With Petals and Sprigs
Keep your cocktails on theme with fresh flavors, bright floral hues, and delectable garnishes. Even serving trays can reflect your garden wedding theme with the addition of scattered petals and floral-patterned serving attire. Hire a bar service and beverage company for an Instagram-worthy cocktail hour. Make sure to include mocktail options for kids and those looking for an alcohol-free option.
13. Go With Garden Fresh Cuisine
Take inspiration for your menu straight from the garden. We recommend prioritizing catering within your wedding budget with delectable farm-to-table cuisine. Our favorite wedding caterers create dishes that emphasize all of the five senses — including sight. We appreciate how artistic plating and garden-fresh garnishes turn every meal into the perfect photo-op.
14. Please With Pressed Floral Desserts
Carryover the garden theme into dessert with pressed-floral pastries and wedding cakes. We’re not the only ones obsessed with pressed-floral desserts. See why this floral phenomenon made our list of top party and wedding trends for 2022. However, we’ll say it here first: We expect this trend to last long into the future.
15. Turn Your Stage and Dance Floor into a Garden Oasis
Every moment of your wedding is an opportunity to highlight your garden aesthetic, including the entertainment hour. Whether it’s the dance floor of your reception or a cocktail hour with a string quartet, elevate your garden vibes with all-natural landscaping or beautiful lighting and additional greenery.
16. Bring the Garden Wedding Home with Potted Party Favors
Show guests how much you appreciate their love and support over the years with thoughtful party favors that reflect your garden theme. Potted plants double as unique escort cards and will live on long after the celebration ends. Head to PartySlate’s curated venue directory to find a favors and gifts company near you.
People Also Ask…
How can you use décor and color schemes to accentuate the beauty of a garden venue?
“I always recommend using a natural color palette with garden venues,” Currie of Christina Currie Events, Inc., shares. “After understanding your color vision, then you can move forward with making decisions with your linen and all other rental items.”
Stone of Stone Event Planning continues, “If you lean into nature and florals outside, it’s always nice to use colors that will stand out against all the greens and whites (like hot pinks, oranges or yellows). Using rustic pieces of furniture always blend in nicely, as well.”
She also offers a unique twist when it comes to garden wedding designs. “I personally love the idea of playing against nature and adding luxe chandeliers for lighting, couches in different materials, velvet, satin, in dark pinks, purples or reds. Adding items that are really modern with clean lines are also fun at a garden venue because they are so unexpected. Any direction stylistically that you go, I recommend making sure you choose strong colors that will stand out against trees, bushes, and anything naturally flowering outside.”
What should I wear to a garden wedding?
First, always look to the invitation suite or wedding website for guidance. Garden weddings range from intimate backyard celebrations to grand, black-tie soirées. When in doubt, you can reach out to the couple for further clarification.
We also recommend taking weather and location into account. For outdoor garden weddings, we suggest bringing an additional layer (like a shawl or dressy cardigan) for when the sun sets and temperatures drop. Guests will also want to consider whether the celebration takes place in grassy or gravely terrains. Ask yourself questions such as, “Will I be comfortable wearing stiletto pumps all night?”
Where can I find more inspiration for my garden wedding?
PartySlate is the number one planning resource for weddings, milestones, and corporate events. Use PartySlate to find your wedding venue, talented team of vendors, and additional wedding inspiration. Click on the following for everything from classic ideas to the latest trends:
Meet the Panel
Christina Currie
Lead Event Producer & Owner
Christina Currie Events, Inc.
Gabrielle Stone
President & Owner
Stone Event Planning
featured planner
Bliss Events Chicago
We love how Bliss Events Chicago combines planning and design services to create custom celebrations that artfully transcend the typical. Their gorgeous design work is rich with carefully-curated details and imaginative backdrops. photographer: Jennifer Lynn Photography