More personal than a banquet hall, country weddings can be some of the most beautiful and inventive of all. Maybe it's the mix of informality and elegance, the day-to-day and the once-in-a-lifetime, or how impressive it is to see a place so transformed. Regardless, let these ideas stimulate your imagination to dream up your singular celebration.
A demure alternative to a veil, a horsehair hat provides relief from the sun on a bright day, and its wide brim can be easily folded back for cheek-to-cheek dancing. An organza column dress, crisscrossed with ribbons and dotted with tiny daisies, echoes the pattern of garden lattice.
If your favorite song is performed by the birds and your favorite scent is that of fresh air, then a garden wedding is a natural choice. Sunshine and a profusion of flowers are the only appropriate decorations. In this charming setting, flower girls are a must, but formality is entirely optional.
The cake is decorated in a variety of basket weaves inspired by patterns of antique wicker and is crowned with ivy and flowers gathered from the garden, including geraniums, sweet peas, Queen Anne's lace, and lavender and purple roses.
Clusters of blue-black privet berries stand out against sweet peas, narcissus, and star-shaped ornithogalum in a charmingly rustic bouquet tied with ivory grosgrain ribbon.
A two-dimensional calico print comes to life on a cake with diminutive hand-sculpted flowers, leaves, and fruits.
Fresh strawberries top stacked pound cakes instead of the traditional biscuits, with mascarpone cream sandwiched between the layers. Platters piped with royal icing in a basket-weave pattern lend a country feel. They sit on ribbon-wrapped columns that elevate the dessert from its rustic origins and allude to the shape of a conventional tiered wedding cake.
Baskets brimming with fruit imbue a reception with rustic charm. We filled Nantucket baskets in various sizes with warm-toned fruits: pears, apricots, and two kinds of apples. Small baskets laden with blond cherries are arranged at place settings for guests to take home -- tiny bows are a graceful touch.
Ripe fruits symbolize abundance and fertility -- and make delicious favors. Tomatoes look beautiful and enticing in this rustic Italian display.
A sumptuous Italian buffet sets the tone for a reception in the country.
Wheat represents bounty and wealth, and the horseshoe shape is good luck. Let this decoration work its powers at your ceremony or reception site.
A table arrangement of grains celebrates the bounty of the harvest. In addition to wheat, which symbolizes a fruitful life, this textured display includes other dried grasses (available at crafts stores), so it can be made weeks ahead. The final flourish? A luxurious satin bow.
Send wedding guests home with fresh strawberries and scones to enjoy the morning after. Wrap scones in cellophane, and line a wooden berry basket with parchment paper. Tie on a note stamped with a strawberry design.
With a puff-pastry blossom resting atop a flaky crust, a miniature pot pie makes a delightful and delicious first course at a wedding. This favorite home-style dish is filled with a medley of vegetables, including asparagus, carrots, and pearl onions, and baked in a ramekin. Wonderful for a country-themed reception, it would be appropriate to serve at a shower, too.
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