The thing about nature is it never goes out of style. My wedding overlooked a beautiful river in Connecticut and featured some of my favorite timeless ideas for outdoor weddings.
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I love the casual yet elegant outdoorsy feel. If you go for an outdoor ceremony, make use of the natural environment. Here, the river, trees and foliage served as a beautiful backdrop to the ceremony. Very little was needed to mark the altar — just simple vases of flowers and a small stone bench. Outdoor weddings work well with clean whites and creams as they pair with natural greens to create a fresh look and feel. Try white florals and shades of green in the florals — our wedding used large vases of fresh green apples.
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The dinner was held in a white marquee tent strung with fairy lights and the pathway was lit with paper bag lanterns, mason jars and candles for when night fell. An outdoor bar and fresh oyster shucking made for the perfect cocktail hour. Don’t forget a signature cocktail! We served a watermelon martini, perfect for the season and oh-so-yummy.
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We strung twine between trees and pinned guests’ seat assignments with leaves and flowers. Don’t forget to think about the temperature changes across a late summer afternoon. We kept guests comfortable with beautiful bamboo fans for the heat and complimentary pashminas for the cool of the evening.
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No matter where the ceremony is held, I think it is important for your personalities and priorities to be part of your celebrations. For us, it was sharing the heritage we both brought to our marriage (I am from New Zealand and my husband, David, is from Canada). It doesn’t have to be elaborate! Try a touch of humor. We had many family and friends who hadn’t met before, so funny colloquialisms for table names and cocktails broke the ice and gave guests talking points. We also used our countries’ flags as cocktail picks, a subtle but fun way to say, “Hey, this is where I am from!”
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We closed out the night with dancing and music, as well as a local dessert wine paired with mini pies — our idea of the perfect wedding tiered “cake.”
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