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Western Wedding theme
So you’ve finally met the cowboy of your dreams and you envision a western
fairytale wedding with the two of you riding off together into the sunset when
it’s all said and done. What a perfect way to start off your life together!
Your options are many when trying to incorporate a western theme into your
wedding, and most people think of a western wedding as something more down home
country than stuffy city. Cowboy hats, boots, horses, and home style food will
welcome your guests to a wedding that they are sure to remember.
Many invitations are available with embossed cowboy boots and hats, and that is
a great way to set the ton. For something unique, consider having Wanted poster
type of invitations printed up, a fun way to call the posse together to
celebrate your day. If you want to add a bit of cowboy elegance to the event,
tie a bandana bow around your printed or engraved invitation. Use your
invitations to inform your guests of the type of clothing to wear. A Western
wedding can run the gamut from jeans to suits and ties, and they will need that
information.
And speaking of the barn, you may want to look outside of the traditional
wedding venues for your western shindig. Check out places like riding stables or
country and western night clubs in your area to see if they have banquet space
or if they would rent the club out to a private party for an evening. If you
find someplace already steeped in Western charm, you’ll be able to trim your
decorating budget substantially.
It’s up to the bride to dictate how formal your western wedding will be. Many
western wear shops carry a line of bridal clothing, but it may be as simple as a
pair of white jeans, white cowboy boots, a white cowboy hat with a veil, and a
white western style shirt, adorned with lace and rhinestones. You will also
probably find something a little dressier there, like a skirt, a satin blouse,
and fancier shoes. There are wedding gowns that reflect the old fashioned
western style clothing, and you can find them elaborately trimmed in lace and
beading or more simple like a schoolmarm type outfit from the 1800’s. Whatever
you decide, you will find many color options available in either style to choose
for your bridal attendants.
When considering the men, you can go with jeans, cowboy boots, and western
shirts or choose dark western style suits with bolo ties. Keep in mind the
location of your reception when choosing a look for your attendants. If you do
end up in a barn or at an outdoor event, jeans might be the way to go.
The first thing your guests want to see after the ceremony is the Chuck Wagon.
When people think western style cuisine, they’re thinking barbecue. You’ll
entice your guests from a mile away with the smell of a hickory pit barbecue
smoking away. You can plan a buffet of beef brisket, pork ribs, and chicken with
sides like corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans and corn bread; or you can
scale it up a little and serve your guests steaks grilled to perfection on the
grill with baked potatoes and asparagus wrapped in bacon. Either way, if you are
doing your wedding outdoors, think about using long picnic tables to accommodate
your casually dressed guests. It will add to the down home feel. When decorating
your wedding cake, think simple and country and use fresh flowers or polished
horseshoes. For guest entertainment, in addition to the country and western
music you will no doubt have playing, you might want to bring in a line dance
expert or two to get everyone on their feet and dancing.
If you want your floral arrangements to truly reflect the days of the old west,
keep in mind that there were no internet floral shipping companies then. The
brides would have used wildflowers and flowers that were easy to get. You can
certainly give your bouquet a wildflower look using the more contemporary hot
house flowers grown today, or go with a simple bouquet tied with rope instead of
ribbon. Use mason jars filled with fresh flowers as centerpieces or even fill
tin buckets with fresh flowers or fresh apples for a nice country look to your
tables. Smaller sized mason jars can hold votive candles to light up an evening
wedding, and a cowboy hat flipped upside down can overflow with fresh flowers.
Consider making your great escape on horseback, but if you are not a rider, a
horse drawn carriage is the perfect place to take that Just Married sign. And
save one of those tin buckets to soak your feet in after you’ve danced all night
to the Boot Scoot Boogie.
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