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25 Great Summer Wedding Ideas

25 Ideas For Summer Wedding

Summer is the most popular season for weddings and with so many beautiful wedding locations, fun decoration ideas and stunning flower options it is easy to see why. To help all you couples out there plan the best summer wedding we thought we would compile a list of our top 25 favorite summer wedding ideas. If you are thinking of hosting a summer wedding you might want to take a look at our 10 reasons to have backyard wedding for further wedding inspiration! See all our Summer Weddings.

1. Have An Outdoor Dance Floor

Being outside is one of the most attractive parts of hosting a summer wedding. Some couples decide to host the dinner part of their wedding inside and have the dancing outside! If having an outdoor dance floor is what you want at your wedding make sure you check out this California rustic wedding.

2. Hang Twinkle Lights

Small white lights are one of the easiest ways to add drama to a wedding setting. Making a barn wedding location feel elegant is easy when you add some twinkle lights and they also make for a great place for people to mingle. This Tennessee barn wedding showcases just how great lights can look both inside and outside.

3. Offer Flip Flops To Your Guests

Lets face it, after awhile guests just want to kick off their high heels and have a good time. Setting up a basket of flip flops is a great way to encourage your guests to dance and relax. I love how this backyard wedding offered flip flops to their guests and placed a cute sign next to them.

4. Dress Your Bridesmaids In Bright Colors

Bridesmaids play a very important role in a wedding and a summer wedding is great time to dress them in bright beautiful colors. Looking for summer bridesmaid dresses then you need to check out this post and our entire rustic  bridesmaid fashion section.

Bright Color Bridesmaid Dresses

See More From This Real Wedding / photo credit: Photographer Corryn Goldschmidt

5. Serve Ice Cream

A wonderful way to end a summer wedding is by serving up some cold ice cream. If serving ice cream at a wedding sounds like an impossible task you might need to think again. By hiring local food trucks that specialize in desserts and ice cream you and make your guests super happy. Need some vendor recommendations check out these ice cream food trucks on our Rustic Wedding Guide.

6. Host Your Wedding At A Summer Camp

There is no doubt about it – we love the idea of getting married at a summer camp. One of our most popular real wedding sections is the summer camp wedding section which is filled with inspirational camp weddings you will want to check out. Find a summer camp in your town that hosts weddings on our Rustic Wedding Guide. Need more inspiration for your summer camp wedding? See our 5 Reasons To Hold Your Wedding At A Summer Camp post.

7. Get Married On A Dock

Romance is alive and well when you say your “I do’s” on a dock or pier. From lakeside cabins to rustic retreats hosting your wedding ceremony on a dock is a super rustic chic idea. See how this couple did it at their Rustic Lakeside Wedding.

8. Host Your Wedding In A Backyard

Sometimes that special wedding venue is closer than you think – like right in your own backyard. Backyard weddings can be as casual or elegant as you want them to be and they can be dressed up or dressed down to match your wedding style. Head over to our post on 10 Reasons To Have A Backyard Wedding for more info.

9. Use Mason Jars For Drinks

You might think the mason jar idea is over with for a wedding but actually its not a trend – it has been a staple at budget weddings for a very long time. These handy hardware store buys are the perfect vessel for your drinks, flowers and candles. Check out our 5 Ways To Use Mason Jars At Your Wedding post for more insights.

10. Release Sky Lanterns

Beautiful and romantic are the two ways I would describe sky lanterns. As the night sky appears over your wedding release some sky lanterns and let them float in to the dark night sky! If you love this idea you might want to head over to our friends at Luna Bazaar and purchase your sky lanterns.

Wish Lanterns

See More From This Wedding / photo credit: Photographer Corryn Goldschmidt

11. Use A Bike For A Photo Opportunity

A bike is a practical wedding photo prop yet a super cute one too! Do as this couple did at their outdoor country wedding and take a few snaps in front of your favorite bike.

12. Get Married Outside At Night

You might think a night ceremony is out of the question but we think summer is a perfect time to host an evening wedding ceremony. This couple got married at night under mason jar lights hanging from trees. What an amazing summer night wedding idea!

13. Play Lawn Games

There is a reason why playing lawn games have become popular at weddings – they are a fun and easy way to keep your guests entertained during cocktail hour. Lawn games at a wedding range from corn hole to horseshoes and everything in between. Review our Top 10 Lawn Games For A Wedding post for more ideas.

14. Have A Popcorn Bar

Yes, we totally agree, having a popcorn bar is an excellent idea. Your guests will love grabbing some popcorn as part of their dessert and even taking some for the road. This vintage style barn wedding showcases how good a popcorn bar can look and taste!

15. Mix & Match Vibrant Colors For Your Scheme

Wedding colors can be a great place to add some fun to your wedding day. Mix and match vibrant colors to create a one-of-a-kind wedding look! See our Bright & Colorful Wedding Inspiration for more ideas.

16. Have Hay Bales Act As Seats

Hay Bales are an easy way to add seating to your wedding location. Perfect for an outdoor country wedding ceremony, couples are covering hay bales with fabrics or quilts to keep the look rustic yet comfortable. See how this couple did it at their casual rustic wedding.

17. Host A BBQ Style Rehearsal Dinner

Everyone loves a classic BBQ style dinner so why not make it your rehearsal dinner. Check out this BBQ rehearsal dinner for ideas and inspiration.

18. Hire A Food Truck

Food trucks are all the rage in cities across the country but food trucks for weddings have become equally as popular. We have a list of all the great reasons to hire a food truck for your wedding in this post.

19. Take A Short Boat Ride Together

If you ever saw the movie The Notebook we know you understand why having a short boat ride together is romantic. Several of our Rustic Wedding Chic couples are taking a short little boat ride as the new Mr. & Mrs. and we love the idea.

20. Set Off Fireworks

Having fireworks at your wedding is a great idea but let us suggest that you let the professionals do it and of course you will need to check with your venue before lighting anything off! See how this Elegant Rustic Wedding worked fireworks into their wedding reception.

21. Leave In A Fun Car

It does not have to be a Jeep but by having a summer wedding you pretty much ensure the fact that you can leave your wedding in some sort of cool getaway car. This couple took off from their wedding in a Jeep and we think it looks like a super fun idea.

22. Give Out Sunglasses

A super fun wedding favor to hand out at your summer wedding are inexpensive sunglasses. Allow your guests to enjoy all the perks of an outdoor summer wedding, like the sun in style! See how this couple displayed their sunglass wedding favors.

23. Setup Picnic Tables For Your Dinner

 Picnic tables don’t just have to be something seen at a park wedding – they can be the perfect solution for any kind of rustic wedding. See how this Country Rustic Wedding dressed up their picnic tables.

Picnic Tables For Wedding

24. Create A Rustic Ceremony Backdrop

This birch wedding ceremony backdrop is just amazing! We think any rustic chic couple would be happy to say “I do” in front of a backdrop like this one. See how this Texas Rustic Wedding displayed their rustic ceremony backdrop.

25. Have A Sparkler Sendoff

We love seeing a bride and groom leave their wedding under a sparkler sendoff and we know our readers do too. Many online retailers sell wedding sparklers and not only do they make for a great sendoff but they always make for a great picture too.

25 Summer Wedding Ideas

In Ask Maggie & Wedding Advice/ DIY Wedding Ideas/ Featured/ Latest/ Maggie's Favs/ Rustic Country Wedding Decorations/ Rustic Country Wedding Inspiration/ Rustic Wedding Ideas/ Summer Weddings/ Top Posts
February 1, 2017 By
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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Kim
    July 31, 2015 at 12:36 am

    These are all great ideas. I love the twinkle lights for an evening reception and the old truck that the bride and groom drove away in.

  • Reply
    Occasions In Print
    May 6, 2014 at 1:17 pm

    These are so great! I love the ice cream idea – who would have thought that serving ice cream would be original, but it is! Thanks for sharing these!

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