I used to hate spring when I was younger. I hated pastels and the matchy-matchy Easter dresses my mom used to make my sisters and me wear. But the ’90s are back in a big way right now, so I’ve slowly given up on my long-held disdain of light colors (see: lavender hair color), and am now even starting to, gasp, like the sweetness of spring, matchy-matchy Easter dresses and all.
But when it comes to weddings, spring trends can easily go from cool to costumey in about a half a second. So today we’ve rounded up fifteen ideas for your spring wedding that won’t give you bad ’90s flashbacks. (Only good ones.)
1. Go green: Most of the spring flowers and bouquets you’ll see on Pinterest are lush pastel arrangements filled with all the expensive flowers (it is peony season after all). But for a more modern (and often way more affordable) look, go for a bouquet that’s mostly greenery with a handful of seasonal flowers thrown in, like the one above, which features just a couple of anemones, ranunculus, and tulips. (Bouquet by FlowerUp. Photo by peaches & mint. Concept, Styling, and Design by Lovely Weddings. Image via Hochzeitsguide.)
2. Do Brunch: Obviously you can host a brunch wedding any time of the year, but spring and brunch go together like eggs Benedict and bottomless mimosas. Plus, brunch foods are often less expensive than dinner. Thinking of self-catering your brunch wedding? Here are tips on recipes for self-serve brunch. (Styling by Hostess Haven. Image via Sugar and Charm.)
3. Get edgy with your pastels: Okay, so remember how I said I hated pastels? Well, what I meant is I don’t like dressing like an Easter basket. For edgier pastels, stick with muted colors (think: greyish purple instead of bright lavender) and steer clear of yellow. Also, rougher hair and flowers will keep pastels from getting too sweet. (Pastel bridesmaid dresses by Joanna August. Photo by Krista Mason. Image via Green Wedding Shoes.)
4. or Screw pastels altogether: Not every spring wedding needs to look like a Jordan almond. Instead of pastels, opt for brights mixed with organic colors and textures like wood and greenery. (Styling by Winston & Main. Photo by Marble Rye Photography. Image via APW.)
5. Fake it ’til you make it: Almost every search result for “Spring Wedding” yields the same result: row upon row of flowers. But all those cool floral arrangements and backdrops aren’t exactly cost effective. So if you want floral decor at your spring wedding but don’t want to spring for actual flowers, fake it with paper flowers. There are plenty of tutorials online, but one of my favorites is our paper flower wall backdrop. And not just because it only costs $20 to make… though that might have something to do with it. (Styling by Winston & Main. Photo by Marble Rye Photography. Image via APW.)
6. Or fake it all the way. And if you are going to fake it with paper flowers, might as well go for broke in with these giant Alice in Wonderland–esque paper flowers. Which are actually way easier to make than they look (time consuming, yes, but not prohibitively difficult). (Styling and art direction by ShopRuche.com. Photo by Elizabeth Messina. Tutorial via Design Sponge.)
7. Put a flower on it (somewhere else): But if you are going for real flowers, use them somewhere unexpected and high-impact, like this ceremony aisle runner. But be forewarned: aisle runners have a tendency to get trampled pre-ceremony if you’re not careful or don’t have aisle runner bodyguards on hand. (Styling by Christine Cater. Photo by Carlie Statsky. Image via Green Wedding Shoes.)
8. Put a flower on it (or someone else): Even if you’ve seen flower crowns a hundred thousand times already on the Internet, let’s think about how many times you actually get to wear one. Me? Never. So this DIY flower crown station is basically my favorite thing ever. It gives your guests something to do, and can be a great icebreaker before the festivities start. (Printed flower crown sign by The Romance Between. Photo by Megan Braemore. Image via APW.)
9. Go big or go gnome: There is a ton of garden inspiration around spring weddings, but these gnome centerpieces keep a sense of humor about things. (Styling: Go Haus Go. Photo by Eyes and Hart Photography. Image via Go Haus Go.)
10. Change your eggspectations: There is an abundance of egg-related DIYs in the springtime because #EasterBunny. And these calligraphy eggs are an organic, minimal way to show people where they are sitting, without being too Easter-y. And for a cool hack on that calligraphy, check out this post from Oh Happy Day. (Styling by Blue Eyed Yonder. Calligraphy by Ashley Buzzy McHugh. Photo by Ali Harper. Image via Southern Weddings.)
11. Eat your heart out: Flowers turn anything into decor, including dessert. To be safe, use edible flowers, which you can find here. (Cupcakes and photo by Alana Jones Mann.)
12. Throw it back: Not into all flowers everything? Try out a vintage tropical print instead. This cake is made with edible paper, and you can print out the pattern right here. (Cake and photo by Alana Jones Mann.)
13. crystal is the new white: If you’re renting chairs, these crystal ghost chairs are a sleek alternative to the white chivari or folding chair, and make everything look more modern. Full disclosure: this is not the cheapest idea. But if you were going with chivari chairs anyway… (Styling by Flying Bride. Photo by Angga Permana. Image via Style Me Pretty.)
14. Paint the town: While a lot of wedding decor focuses on reception details, big impact ceremony decorations are often the best bang for your buck, because they end up in tons of photos, and are often the first thing people see. You can make a simple ceremony backdrop using paint and a dropcloth with our tutorial here, or get a premade watercolor backdrop like the one above right here. (Image via Minted.com)
15. Let your suit speak for itself: Not to detract from Lindy West’s amazing 3D wedding dress, but her partner Aham is rocking one of my favorite spring wedding trends: the suit that goes for it. Because wearing a suit doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) stand out. Related: I retract all previous statements about pastels when it comes to suiting. See here and here and here and here. (Photo by Jenny Jimenez. Image via APW.)
