Wedding Themes & Decorations for Summer

There’s nothing quite like a summer wedding. In many ways, it’s the season of romance, perfect for leisurely walks in the warmth and sun, or evenings spent taking in the balmy night air.

It’s no surprise then that the summer is also an incredibly popular time to get married. With cloudless days abounding, plenty of gorgeous sunshine and languid evenings… what’s not to love in a summer wedding?

So, if you’re looking to celebrate your big day during the warmer months, here are some helpful tips and things to consider so that you can make the most of the season.

How to decorate your summer wedding

Summer is the perfect season for an outdoor wedding. And if your ceremony or reception is destined to take place under the blue sky and shimmering stars, then it’s important to consider how your decor will work in the outdoor space.

Arches and arbours can be gorgeous additions to an outdoor summer wedding and can serve as the focal point for the ceremony or to frame important spaces throughout the reception. They can also be used as statement pieces to showcase your decor motifs or flower selection.

Loosely-woven fabrics like linen work particularly well outside at a summer wedding, as they catch the breeze easily and have a relaxed look.

If you’re hosting your ceremony or reception outside, try to incorporate the surroundings into your decorative scheme. This will help you emphasise the natural beauty of your setting and make the most of the outdoors. Low tables can be nicely framed by taller trees, while more broad, generous settings fill open spaces well.

Alternatively, if you’re planning to have your summer wedding indoors, it’s generally a good idea to bring as much natural light into the space as you can. Rooms with glass ceilings or tall windows are great for bringing the warmth, light and energy of the summer inside.

Summer wedding colours

While there’s no definitive colour palette for a summer wedding there are a couple of things to keep in mind when deciding on your decor and wedding attire.

Generally, bright and eye-catching tones work gorgeously in a summer wedding. These tones are well-suited for the more casual, energetic ambience of a summer wedding, especially if you’re celebrating outside. Rich coral, blush or bright yellow hues work well as scattered motifs, especially against the backdrop of traditional wedding white.

You can also go for gentler tones like mint green, baby blue and pink for a more relaxed (even retro) summer wedding vibe.

Don’t be afraid to break out the darker tones though! Some well-placed navy, maroon or even black amidst warm, bright colours can have an incredible impact and bring a sophisticated touch to the more casual summer wedding setting.

Wedding themes for summer

Choosing an overall theme for your wedding also makes a lot of sense. A theme can be a helpful organising principle when you’re trying to coordinate the many different aspects of your wedding. A strong theme also helps to ensure continuity across all the different decorative elements and design choices that you make — and after all, it’s often the small things working together that make a wedding stand out.

So what are some popular wedding themes that complement the balmy air and sunny skies of the summer?

• Greenhouse Wedding - Whether you host your ceremony and reception under the sky or under the clear roof of a greenhouse, this style of wedding is perfectly suited for the warmth of summer. Think an abundance of lush, green foliage and flowers in full bloom. The organic textures of plants make for a gorgeous contrast with the traditional wedding whites, so this theme works well for those inclined towards classic elegance.

• Vintage Wedding - Soft colours and rustic textures abound at a vintage wedding. And since there’s no better time than summer to have your special day outdoors, a vintage wedding theme should certainly be on your radar. And whether vintage to you means a fabulously extravagant garden party or a quiet and simple celebration of love, integrating this theme into a living, outdoor space is a sure winner.

• Beach Wedding - What setting evokes the joy of the summer quite like the beach? With the rippling waves as your backdrop and the open sky above, the classic beach wedding screams out simple elegance. Unfinished wooden textures and loose-weave fabrics that catch the gentle seaside breeze are the go for a wedding in the glorious beach setting.

• Garden Wedding - Suave, scented and sophisticated — the classic garden wedding is one of the more traditionally elegant summer themes. There’s plenty of flexibility in this theme, however, as it’s all about letting the gorgeous surroundings shine on their own terms. For example, you could integrate the natural colours of the surrounding flower beds with your decor, or dress up some of the surrounding trees with fairy lights for a truly enchanting event.

How to make your summer wedding unique

Even if you are considering a strong overall theme for your wedding, there’s still plenty of variation within and between themes. There’s no rule book for your big day, so you can make it as uniquely you as your heart tells you.

• Keep it colourful - Wherever you are in the world, the summer always brings a festive, energetic vibe. Filling your celebration with beautiful bursts of colour is the perfect way to embody the essence of summer. Consider breaking from tradition and colouring up your own wedding attire, or encourage your guests to get as vibrant as they like.

• Make your mark on your decor - While your decor choices are most likely going to reflect your taste as is it, it doesn’t hurt to get really demonstrative about it. This might mean something simple like using your absolute favourite blossoms throughout your wedding. You could also set your table decorations to evoke something that is important to you, like your career, craft or hobby.

• Create continuity - Another subtle trick to make your wedding uniquely you is to make sure there’s a sense of continuity between your decor and attire. If you’re decorating your hair with berries, foliage or flowers, for example, you could also incorporate these elements into your bouquets and decor. You could even maintain a textural motif, like lace or distinctive frills, throughout the fabric elements of your wedding decor, to match with an element of your attire.

• Personalised table settings - Chances are your wedding guests will spend a good deal of time in their seats during your wedding reception. That means whatever is on the table is most likely going to get quite a bit of attention throughout the night. Make the most of this by setting your tables with memorable callouts to you and your partner. This could be extravagant silverware with sweeping curves to evoke your love for the fabulous art deco era or personalised menus that tell your love story in the food descriptions.

However you choose to embody yourself and your love throughout your wedding, just remember that even the subtlest details can make a huge difference. After all, the people who are gathered to celebrate with you are most likely those who know you the best, which means they’re bound to pick up on all your small touches and cheeky personal references.

And whether you’re planning to celebrate your love in the gorgeous outdoors, or you’re bringing the life and energy of the summer inside, follow these helpful tips to make sure it’s a moment to remember.

‘Til next month. XX