Give your wedding a rustic twist (Updated for 2025)
Welcome, Maggie! Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Rustic Wedding Chic?
I started RusticWeddingChic.com in 2008 when I was planning my own very rustic and chic wedding at my family's summer house in Northern Wisconsin. Since this was before the days of Instagram and Pinterest I found myself constantly trying to communicate the look and feel I wanted for the wedding to the local vendors but short of sharing images from a magazine I was coming up short.
I knew that if I was planning this type of wedding there was a good chance other bride's were as well so I started sharing my rustic wedding ideas online in a blog form. Before I knew it we had a strong and dedicated reader eager for inspiration, ideas, and resources. Fast forward 11 years and we have expanded to not just our daily inspiration site but we have our wedding vendor list RusticWeddingGuide.com as well.
What is a rustic wedding?
"It seemed couples were using the term "rustic" to mean everything from a backyard wedding to a lakeside event to a country farm wedding and everything in between."
I learned very early on in my days of blogging that the term rustic was more of an umbrella term for something different than your cookie cutter wedding.
It seemed couples were using the term "rustic" to mean everything from a backyard wedding to a lakeside event to a country farm wedding and everything in between. Today it seems more and more couples want their special day to reflect who they are as a couple and what their individual style is and that to me is what makes a rustic wedding so great!
Why you are focusing specifically on rustic weddings?
When I started in 2008 there really was only a handful of blogs dedicated to wedding and wedding styles so we also came into the market at exactly the right time.
For me the idea of crafting an entire company around the idea of a rustic chic wedding was very organic since I had planned my own rustic wedding - back in 2008 the rustic wedding especially the barn wedding style was just taking off and being seen in the mainstream of wedding inspiration so given the fact that I was obsessed with this look for my own wedding it only made sense to share this style. When I started in 2008 there really was only a handful of blogs dedicated to wedding and wedding styles so we also came into the market at exactly the right time.
What is the most unusual outdoor location for a rustic wedding that you are aware of?
I honestly feel like I have seen and heard of almost every type of rustic location you could pick for your wedding day. I think some of the most unusual and perhaps the coolest are the National Park weddings and the classic cattle ranch wedding locations.
For what challenges should a couple prepare when planning a rustic outdoor wedding?
"Having a plan B is super important so that the bride and groom are not disappointed on the big day."
Rain can be an issue for a rustic wedding since so many couples really want to tie the knot outdoors.
Having a plan B is super important so that the bride and groom are not disappointed on the big day. If planning an outdoor ceremony make sure you have a backup if the weather is just too bad - many venues will have an indoor option that can help to save the day but it should be planned out before the last minute.
In your opinion, how should a couple make an indoor rustic wedding feel more outdoorsy?
We see this all the time on RusticWeddingChic.com - couples have an indoor location and create a beautiful outdoorsy feel by adding greenery to the tables and to the decor, moving in trees that can be the backdrop or adding lots of birch log touches.
In your opinion, what type of wedding invitations best reflect the rustic wedding theme?
The options for wedding invitations are endless it seems today. When I first started in 2008 it seemed the "rustic" look in invitations was all about the kraft paper style invitations but now you can find almost any design or style out there to match your look and feel.
"I still have a soft spot for a wedding invitation that works some sort of rustic look into it such as pine trees, pinecones, lakes, etc."
Do you have any suggestions as to the most unique decorations for a rustic wedding?
Right now I would say it seems couples are loving the idea of having nice big wood tables as part of the reception. We are seeing many rustic tables ditch the classic banquet style tables and have something much more interesting.
If you had one piece of advice to couples planning a rustic wedding, what would it be?
Make sure you are working with a venue that has a good track record. Many couples are so desperate to have a barn or rustic location that they end up renting space from someone who has a barn or a farm but is not an actual wedding venue. This can lead to many troubles including a lack of proper permits, parking, noise ordinances and more!
