Add Rustic Charm to Your Wedding with Wood
Natural elements are always popular at weddings, from the flowers to the food, the more local the better. Wood, of course, is at the forefront of this theme and, thankfully, isn’t going away anytime soon. Best of all, wood can be found almost anywhere, is affordable, and will always be unique. Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to go play in the woods to find the best pieces of wood for your wedding?
Read on as wedding expert Jesi Haack takes us through some of her team’s most inventive ways of using wood!
1. Bride and Groom Chair Signs
Find any old fence post, use a simple saw and cut it into whatever size plates you want. Spray paint them a color of your choice, use regular sand paper to give them some texture, then paint on your saying (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
2. Bark-Wrapped Vases
Find any cylinder vase. Buy strips of bark from your local flower mart or floral supply company. Use hot glue to adhere the bark to the vase. Trim the excess. (Source: JL designs, Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
3. Wood Bouquet
Make your own bouquets that will last forever by using wood flowers, pine cones, etc! Check out our DIY here, and browse Save On Crafts for ideas. (Photo: David Stubbs)
4. Ring Bearer Wooden Box
Buy a wooden box from your local arts and crafts store like Michael’s or Joann Fabrics. Fill it with your favorite flower. Hand off to the groom tot! (Source: JL Designs, Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
5. Wood Aisle Runner
Bring a bunch of reclaimed wood together to create a CRAZY aisle runner. Go dumpster diving to find old palates and thrown away fence wood. Purchase pieces of OSB board at your local hardware store or Home Depot. Buy as many you need to cover your aisle. Dismantle the palates keeping most of the pieces that are clean. Place pieces on the OSB and drill them in place. You may need a saw to cut them to fit. (Photo: Annie McElwain)
6. Branch Slices as Place Cards
Use a saw to slice branches into silver dollar size pieces. Drill a hole in each one. Tie a string through. Use a paint marker to write your guests’ name and table assignment. Hang them on a pegboard to display. (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
7. Cake Stand
Find a big ol’ tree stump from a house that is having a tree trimmed or cut down. You’d be surprised how often these turn up on the side of the road. Sand off the top and throw a cake on it! (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
8. Guest Book
You need a serious saw for this one, or the good luck of stumbling onto a perfect slice of tree. Slice a tree stump into a slim large plate. Nail in nails. Place cute tags on guest book table for guests to sign. (Photo: Gabriel Ryan)
9. Wood Wedding Rings
You love wood so much that you want to wear it all the time, till death do you part. Go for a pair of wood wedding rings! (Photo: Wood Wedding Rings)
10. Wooden Accessories
While you’re at it, make up some wooden cuff links for the groomsmen and wooden necklaces for the bridesmaids as well! (Photo: David Stubbs)
11. Laser Engraved Wood Signs
Keep your event cohesive with all wood signs. Do this in a new and innovative way by laser engraving wood to get your point across. If you don’t have access to a laser cutter (most of us don’t!), we recommend Pitbulls and Posies. (Photo: David Stubbs)
12. Wood Wedding Cake
Ok, it’s not made out of wood but it sure looks like it! Admittedly, we have no clue how to do this. Find an awesome cake shop and see what they can whip up. We recommend Sweet and Saucy Shop. (Photo: Sarah K Chen)
How might you get creative with wood? Want more details on any of these ideas? Leave us a note in the comments below or say hi on Twitter or Facebook. Happy Woodworking!
Jesi Haack is the Owner and Lead Designer behind Jesi Haack Design. She has worked with clients from all over the globe including Miley Cyrus, the writers of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and Kadee Strickland of Private Practice. Her signature is creating stylishly dramatic events that capture the flair of each of her wonderful clients and creatively communicates their story to their guests.