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If you want a change from the traditional indoor wedding venue,  journey outside and create a whimsical woodland wedding!

Most weddings are complicated affairs. The couple has to make a million decisions, many of which revolve around their decorations. For an eco-friendly wedding this may mean gathering twigs, berries or flowers; making DIY planters with homegrown vegetables; or creating centerpieces out of moss and pebbles.

It can be difficult to bring the outdoors inside. It’s often rather messy as moss sheds dirt, sticks drop burrs, and flowers drop petals. Living things are dynamic and, as such, sometimes they’re resistant to a decorator’s efforts. Instead of bringing the outdoors inside for your wedding, consider taking your wedding to the outdoors.

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Nature is full of incredible decorations and none of them require a decorator’s touch. Find the perfect spot in the woods—a secret meadow, a hillock of pines, a hidden pond, or a magnificent vista—and set up shop. It may be a little tricky figuring out how to transport your accoutrements—chairs, blankets, food, etc.—but if you don’t have to worry about decorations it will be well worth it.

Wildflowers

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If you can find a spot with naturally growing wildflowers, you may only have to pick a few for your hair and your groom’s boutonniere. If the spot doesn’t have many flowers, consider your alternatives. It may not be a good idea to introduce foreign flowers to the environment (that’s how invasive species get started.) Instead, think like a fairy and collect other sorts of decorative materials like berries, cattails, tall reeds and fern fronds.

Natural Archways

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If you’re having your ceremony in the woods, look for vines and trees that arch, creating a natural trellis. Get creative with the materials at hand. Decorate the trees or vines with wildflowers or use biodegradable ribbon and paper to add some of your own color.

Cool Mushrooms, Moss, and More

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The forest is full of incredible, beautiful living things. Moss is quite versatile as a decorative tool and it tends to grow in abundance in densely forested areas. Just be sure not to collect too much or you risk damaging the ecosystem. Mushrooms, on the other hand, are the fungus’ fruiting bodies, like an apple or orange to a tree. You won’t damage the organism by picking the mushrooms, just don’t dig down too deeply into the soil. Look for interesting rocks and sticks too.

 Stumps Make Great Seats

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If you’d rather not carry lots of chairs into the woods, consider foraging for stumps, rocks, or other naturally occurring seats. You may need to mix and match if you can’t find enough, but even a few cleverly placed stumps will help you cultivate the right look. Your local tree businesses often have leftover stumps from trees they have cut down. They later grind the stumps. If you know someone in the tree business, ask them to save you some stumps before they become wood chips!

You can create your very own woodland wedding using these ideas and more. A wedding surrounded by trees, moss and mushrooms is a very peaceful and tranquil way to say “I Do!”

Editor: Lynn Hasselberger

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