When it comes to weddings, the rustic aesthetic has shown serious staying power over the last decade.
With its cozy, natural vibe and nod to simple living, it's no surprise the the rustic or country wedding remains a favorite among couples.
In 2024, the rustic wedding trend is evolving with fresh new takes while still channeling that signature laid-back, organic feel.
If this appeals to you, we have some rustic wedding ideas and trends to inspire your wedding planning.
Rustic Wedding Stationery Trends
Your wedding stationery will set the tone for your big event. This year, we're seeing invitations and other paper elements like menus, programs, and signage putting a fresh spin on rustic style.
Recycled paper stocks in shades like kraft brown create an earthy yet elegant look.
For a romantic aesthetic, couples are going with watercolor florals and botanical prints.
We're also seeing more contemporary spins on rustic elements like geometric patterns, modern calligraphy, and mixed fonts.
Couples are also expressing their creativity with finishing touches like lace, twine, dried flowers, leaves, and feathers.
Rustic Wedding Decor
When it comes to decorating for a rustic affair, focus on organic, natural elements and handcrafted touches.
Look for decorative items made out of wood, burlap, galvanized metals, antique accessories, and greenery.
If you'd like to go all out, incorporate vintage-inspired rentals like wooden chairs, farm tables, and sofas upholstered in cozy textured fabrics into your decor.
Try playing with mixed patterned table linens, bold colored glassware, and unique vintage plates at your wedding reception place settings.
Have you thought about hanging decorative items? For a rustic wedding, strong choices include greenery, florals, luminarias--even an antique wagon wheel.
Creative rustic wedding signs are a longtime favorite for country wedding decorations. Popular choices range from antique mirror or chalkboard ceremony signs to seating charts and bar menus displayed on vintage doors or windows.
A few more possibilities for your wedding reception? Try lounge nooks with rugs, throw pillows, and outdoor games like cornhole to encourage your wedding guests to mix and mingle.
Floral Arrangements with Rustic Charm
Lush, abundant floral arrangements will always be a signature of rustic weddings.
In 2024, couples are embracing the "more is more" approach with opulent floral arrangements starring greenery like eucalyptus, olive branches, amaranthus, and grasses.
Couples are displaying fresh flowers like garden roses, ranunculus, peonies, and zinnias in soft romantic hues in earthy urns, antique boxes, or placed directly on tables and arches.
In addition to fresh flowers, we're also seeing a rise in dried and bleached botanicals incorporated into everything from bouquets to centerpieces and ceremony backdrops, complementing the rustic vibe beautifully.
Rustic Wedding Lights
Lighting sets the ambiance and brings warmth and romance to rustic weddings.
In 2024, couples are getting creative by incorporating a variety of lighting elements to create cozy, inviting rustic charm.
String lights and fairy lights remain a rustic wedding staple, but they're being used in innovative new ways. Suspend them across tented spaces, wrap them around trees, line pathways, or incorporate them into seating chart displays and bar backdrops.
Cafe string lights with their classic Edison bulbs are also popular for draping overhead or accenting spaces like lounges.
Other on-trend rustic lighting ideas include:
-Wrought-iron lanterns and candle lanterns lining aisles or tabletops
-Vintage lamp accents on bars or dessert displays
-Clusters of votive candles in antique holders scattered everywhere
-Canopies or arbors draped with streamer lights
-Luminaria bags with candles lining walkways
-Marquee letter lights spelling out the couple's names or initials
When it comes to your rustic lighting design, focus on creating pockets of warm glowing light throughout your wedding venue indoor and outdoor spaces. The key is achieving an enchanting, romantic, almost magical feel using a mix of lighting sources. This allows you to highlight architectural elements, set a cozy vibe in lounge areas, and ensure spaces like dance floors and bars are properly lit as well.
Rustic or Country Wedding Food Trends
Rustic weddings provide the perfect opportunity to embrace local, seasonal and farm-to-table cuisine.
Trends for 2024 include interactive food stations, chef-attended carving stations, artisan brick oven pizza bars, and plenty of tasty small bites like mini grilled cheese, wood-fired sliders, and charcuterie displays.
For main courses, you and your guests can dig into seasonal bounty like locally-sourced roast chicken or steak served alongside fresh veggie dishes and sides like baked potatoes, mac and cheese or loaded mashed potato martini bars.
Couples are also embracing family-style service and passing platters with sharable portions.
Craft beer and signature cocktails featuring seasonal fruits, herbs, or even veggies plus wine from local vineyards keep drinks on theme.
Rustic Wedding Cakes
The wedding cake is much more than just a delightful dessert, it's also a show-stopping focal point and décor element at rustic weddings.
Rustic wedding cakes in 2024 are all about embracing organic textures, semi-naked or "naked" wedding cake designs with hints of the cake peeking through, and fresh floral accents.
Popular rustic wedding cake flavors include classics like carrot, spice, and almond paired with cream cheese frosting as well as seasonal flavors like pumpkin, apple spice, or lemon raspberry.
For wedding cake designs, we're seeing lots of romantic and classic details in the form of buttercream finishes, artfully draped fondant sheaths with vintage lace appliques, and cakes with naturally distressed and weathered wood textures or tree bark impressions.
Adorning cakes with a cascade of fresh flowers, greenery like eucalyptus and wispy pampas grass, dried berries, and fruit like figs, grapes or apples creates a stunning rustic garden-inspired masterpiece.
Other rustic touches include wrapping tiers with twine or vines, calligraphic accents, birch wood tiers, or a trio of individual small cakes displayed on wooden pedestals or stumps.
Dessert bars with mini treats like rustic pies, fruity galettes, and rustic cake pops are also a popular alternative or accompaniment.
Entertainment With a Rustic Spin
From the wedding ceremony through the reception, there are plenty of ways to work in unique, personalized entertainment suited for a rustic wedding.
Acoustic musicians like string quartets, harpists, guitarists, or folk singers set the perfect romantic ambiance for nuptials.
For the reception, hire a bluegrass, folk, or Americana band that blends seamlessly with a rustic wedding vibe.
Other fun options include casino-style game tables, caricature or silhouette portrait artists, whiskey and cigar bars, and interactive food stations like s'mores or pie-making bars where your guests can get hands-on.
You can also offer lawn games like cornhole, jumbo Jenga, ladder toss, and bocce ball to encourage your guests to mix, mingle, and let loose.
As the night winds down, treat your attendees to campfire treats like s'mores.
Rustic Wedding Themes
There are endless possibilities for a creative rustic themed wedding that go beyond just "barn" or "country" vibes.
For nature lovers, think about enchanted forest, botanical garden, breezy coastal or lakeside setting channels to enhance your wedding's rustic charm.
Romantics will love rustic wedding theme ideas like Renaissance or Old World with rich colors, calligraphic details, tapestries and aged stone or stucco backdrops.
And for the ultimate rustic themed wedding, take cues from Mediterranean or villa-style wedding venues, incorporating terra cotta tiles, wrought iron accents, citrus and herb garnishes, and a color palette of earthy tones like soft peach, ochre, olive, and terracotta.
Rustic Weddings & Bridal Looks
For a rustic wedding, your wedding dress should feel effortless and unfussy with soft, romantic details that channel an ethereal yet down-to-earth style.
Brides are gravitating towards flowing A-line and fit-and-flare silhouettes in sheer fabrics like chiffon or lace featuring lush floral appliques, flutter sleeves, and open or illusion backs.
Simple sheath gowns with laid-back fabrics like crepe are a gorgeous minimalist option with rustic appeal.
Accessories like floral hairpieces, barely-there sandals, wispy veils trimmed with lace or flower crowns would add a boho, romantic flair.
For your hair and makeup, loose, tousled waves or updo's adorned with fresh blooms and natural, glowy makeup is perfection.
Don't forget a stylish robe or shawl during prep to stay cozy and on-theme.
Rustic Weddings & The Groom
Just like the bride, the groom's look should complement the rustic wedding vibe.
For a laidback rustic vibe, grooms are ditching the traditional tuxedo in favor of dapper suits that still feel relaxed and approachable. Light tan, soft gray, or dusty blue suits with crisp white shirts or patterned vests make for a stylish yet unbuttoned look. Suit separates, vests, suspenders and bow ties are other classic touches with a rustic twist.
When it comes to fabrics, textured linens, tweeds, herringbone, and subtle plaid prints channel that cozy, earthy vibe.
Finishing touches like floral boutonnieres, patterned pocket squares, trendy loafers, or boots polished off with dapper accessories like vintage cufflinks, watches, or Bailey hats a rustic chic element.
Grooming-wise, grooms are embracing an understated yet refined look with trimmed beards or purposeful scruff paired with a cool side-part hairstyle.
Your Wedding Party
When it comes to attire for your wedding party, relaxed yet refined is the goal for rustic charm.
Your bridesmaids will look lovely in mix-and-match dresses in shades of soft pastels, warm earth tones, or rich jewel tones made of flowing chiffon or lace fabrics.
Dresses in shorter lengths, separates like an embroidered crop top paired with a gauzy maxi skirt, or jumpsuits offer a modern bohemian look.
For a lazier rustic wedding vibe, floral patterns and prints evoke a free-spirited, romantic feel.
For footwear, flat sandals, low block heels, wedges, or cowboy boots with dresses are on-trend.
For beauty, embrace loose beachy waves, floral crowns, or hair accessories and glowing, natural makeup.
Groomsmen nail rustic sophistication in trim suits or slacks paired with vests, suspenders, bow ties and crisp shirts, or they can opt for classic tuxes softened with accessories like floral ties, printed socks or pocket squares.
Opting for lighter shades of tan, gray, navy or olive alongside the bride's maids' colors would create a cohesive yet relaxed look. Boutonnieres of greenery, berries or wildflowers will amplify the rustic charm you're aiming for.
Budget Rustic Wedding Ideas
You have plenty of wallet-friendly ways to create a rustic wedding.
Scour antique shops, flea markets, and online markets for vintage props, tableware, and furniture to rent or purchase secondhand.
Enhance your rustic wedding style with burlap, kraft paper, and plaid fabric for table runners, and incorporate DIY menus or signage into your decor.
Mason jars and old bottles make perfect rustic bud vases, while lanterns lend rustic ambiance without a sky-high price tag.
Prioritize greenery, grasses, and in-season blooms over extravagant floral arrangements.
For wedding guest favors, think about seed packets, handmade soaps, candy, or baked goods, which would tie in with your rustic wedding and would be personalized and affordable.
A Grand Exit With Country Flair
Finally, once you've danced the night away, there are so many fun ways for the newlyweds to make a grand rustic exit.
Depart in a vintage ride like a classic convertible or Ford farm truck decked out with ribbons, tin cans, and a "just married" sign.
Design an amazing light trail with glow sticks as you run through for your getaway moment.
For a playful twist, have guests blow bubbles or toss eco-friendly dried lavender, wildflower seed packets or leaves as you make your way to the vintage car.
If your wedding venue has a beautiful natural setting, stroll hand-in-hand through a garden or a tree-lined path as your guests cheer you on.
You can even make a whimsical rustic exit on a country farm tractor, bicycle built for two, or ridden on horseback for a truly memorable farewell.
The Bell Tower on 34th, one of the leading wedding venues in Houston, is known for our beautiful grounds, full planning services, and talented chef.
Our venue serves couples throughout southeast Texas.
Learn more about holding a wedding here.
The Bell Tower on 34th
901 W 34th St, Houston, TX 77018
(713) 868-2355