Gorgeous Outdoor Wedding Decorations and Tips For Any Budget

There’s nothing more San Diego than saying “I do” among the palm trees, cool ocean breeze, and the unparalleled beauty of our coastal desert. There are many benefits to an outdoor wedding, and if you’re thinking about celebrating your big day in the great outdoors, then you’ve come to the right place. 

When it comes to decorations for an outdoor wedding, there are a few unique considerations to take into account. Fortunately for you, our team of experienced San Diego County wedding planners are some of the best in the industry. Planning and executing outdoor weddings for budgets both small and large, we have the inside scoop on all things wedding planning. 

Today we’re focusing exclusively on outdoor wedding decorations and tips for any budget. 

Outdoor Wedding Ideas On A Budget

The architecture, design, and style within an indoor wedding venue strongly influences the overall aesthetic of your wedding ceremony and reception, which is why some of the best indoor venues carry hefty price tags. The magic of an outdoor wedding is that the natural beauty of Southern California lays the backdrop of your wedding. The gorgeous sky filled with cascading colors comes free of charge! Because of this, less is often more when it comes to outdoor wedding decorations. You don’t have to dive deep into your budget to create a jaw-dropping wedding venue. Mother earth has done that part for you already. 

Many DIY low-budget wedding centerpieces and decorations can be created at home before your big day. If you’re having trouble brainstorming outdoor wedding ideas on a budget, here are a few ideas:

 

Upcycled Arch

Create a rustic, minimal, and creative wedding arch using upcycled material found at home or through your local community. Not only is this easier on the wallet, but the planet thanks you too. Using a few pieces of wood, build an archway that stands on its own. Find or purchase a sheet made of lightweight material like silk, cotton, chiffon, or lace and drape it over the wooden archway. Gather a bouquet and attach it to the top corner of one side of the archway. 

If you don’t have those exact materials, it’s okay to get creative, too! Cement, cinder blocks, wire, branches, and other materials can pull off a great-looking archway. 

 

Potted Plants

For outdoor wedding aisle decor, line the aisle with small potted plants. This style is both affordable and trendy and echoes the classic beach bungalow front porch aesthetic as seen above. If you already have potted plants at home, this could be the perfect opportunity to have them shine in front of your family and friends. If you plan to buy plants, don’t worry about them being big or extravagant, little details will be equally seen and appreciated. 

Consider intertwining battery-operated sparkle lights throughout or a few candles for an additional spark of romance. 

 

String Lights

Simple and elegant, string lights are a great way to set a romantic mood for an outdoor wedding ceremony or reception that draws out beyond the sunset. Take advantage of the natural beauty around you, including the stars in the sky above. 

That’s exactly what we did with this wedding reception here at The Centre. As seen in the photo above, we were able to transform our outdoor Starlight Terrace into a beautiful outdoor wedding space with minimal decorations. The string lights truly were the cherry on top, tying the event’s decorations together beautifully. For a peek into all of our North County wedding venue spaces, click here. 

Other Considerations

Now that you have a few ideas to build from, you’ll want to adapt them to match your wedding theme. Here are a few additional tips for creating the ultimate outdoor wedding. 

Color Palette 

When choosing what colors to use in your outdoor wedding decorations, it helps to work from a specified color palette. Not only are you ensuring an aesthetic that matches across all of your wedding things (from save-the-dates to invitations, to bridal party dresses, to decorations, etc.), but you’re also taking the pressure off of your shoulders to make a new and unique decision along your entire wedding planning journey. 

Choosing your color palette should happen early on in the planning process, but should not be finalized until after you’ve booked your wedding venue. The colors surrounding your wedding also highly influence the overall style of your wedding. Especially when planning an outdoor wedding, the nature around you may sway you towards specific colors over others.

Durability

An important detail that can easily be overlooked is how durable your wedding decorations are. Unlike an indoor wedding, some venue-related details are beyond your control, like the weather, wind, and direct sunlight. You’ll want to ensure that all of your decorations are built to withstand potentially unpredictable shifts in the weather.  

If you’re based in Southern California or are looking to plan a destination wedding here, reach out to our wedding and event planners. Since we’ve hosted countless weddings and events at our outdoor venue spaces, we have San Diego-specific advice to help you pull off your dream wedding. With 11 indoor and outdoor wedding venues here at The Centre, we have the perfect venue for micro weddings and big weddings alike. You can reach out to us here. We look forward to hearing from you!