Planning the best Country Western Wedding

For all folks—whether they live in small towns or big cities---a Country Western Wedding could be the perfect excuse to kick up their boots and enjoy an evening of food, drink, and great fun. When thinking of planning the Country Western Wedding of your dreams, first you must think just how western you want to go? Do you want your guests dressed in cowboy boots and overalls or should the tablecloths be the only things dawned in denim and gingham? Do you want saloon or upscale ranch? Texas Country or Southwestern Zing? Depending on the western flavor you choose, you then begin to plan accordingly.

Setting the tone: Invites and where to tie the (western) knot

Save the dates and Wedding invitations set the tone of a wedding. They will announce to your guests just how western the wedding will be. Perhaps you can take a little more thematic risk with the save the date, and send a variation of the normal square mailer (link to Western Boot Die-cut Invitations). However, for the actual invitation perhaps you wish to send something more traditionally shaped, but still Western in theme. An invitation like the Bluebonnet invitation (link to: South Western Bluebonnets Invitations) also offers a western themed color palette to use as a base, as well as an idea for flowers.

In terms of where to celebrate getting hitched, there are so many great options, each adding its own spice to your big day. A barn could act as the perfect hall for a square dance, offering a boot-scootin’ good time, whereas a ranch could be more appropriate for a more formal version of a Country Western Wedding. Whether you will have an outdoor or indoor reception will depend on the season, but either could offer a unique opportunity for decorations, including white twinkle lines, hardwood floors, and plenty of good company.

In apple pie order: good grub is key

If you are tying the knot in the winter, think about how to heat your space…and guests (spiced cider, chowders). If you are marrying in the summer, think about cooling foods (lemonade, popsicles, watermelon), assuring a wild, but not too hot of a time.

Barbeque can be done classy or down-home, the big difference being whether knives and forks will be involved. If your wedding will be small and more casual, a potluck could add a bit of backyard simplicity to the event, while a steak dinner could be the centerpiece of an upscale Western buffet. Corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and cornslaw can also be apart of your country feast, where apple pie can leave the classic white wedding cake playing second fiddle for dessert. Root beer can be served alongside alcoholic beer, and can be used for root beer floats for the kids.

A bang-up good time

To have a wild good time is key to any reception, but with a Country Western wedding, the trick is incorporating your theme into your post-hitch celebration. Ideas abound when thinking of how to celebrate your big day, using a Western theme. Square dancing is a must, especially if led by the bride and groom (this may entailing adding “practice line-dancing” to you already long list of things to do).

A country western wedding may be a perfect reason to plan a more informal wedding, letting your guests enjoy the tastes and treats of a West long ago won, but never forgotten. Play on themes of nostalgia and you’ll be sure to delight even the toughest city slickers!