Garden and Gun Wedding

Are you the outdoorsy type? A Garden and Gun wedding will suit your tastes perfectly! This wedding theme is all about the beauty and the bounty of nature, and incorporating some of the elements into your nuptials and the after party will be easy.

Where are you planning to say your vows? A ceremony and the following wedding reception in Southampton, for example, embodies the outdoor lover’s theme. From the ocean to the lovely green parks, this locale has it all. Any of the New England states are picturesque choices. Let’s see how to put your Garden and Gun wedding together.

Details for a Garden and Gun Wedding

A Garden and Gun wedding isn’t so much about shotguns and ammo as it is about Southern traditions. However, it’s a great wedding theme for couples that love the great outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing. Some couples will include antlers, fishing gear, and waterfowl decor at the reception, while others really play up the garden aspect of this theme.

A Garden and Gun themed wedding works really well in an outdoor garden setting, particularly in older gardens that are lush and in full bloom. In fact, the more floral decor brides add to the Garden and Gun wedding, the better! A Garden and Gun wedding can resemble the very popular rustic style weddings in the Southern U.S.

What to Look for in a Venue for a Garden and Gun Wedding

If brides are intent on an indoor venue, consider a barn, a repurposed camp house, or a building on the grounds of a state park (many of these resemble rustic cabins). These buildings lend to the rustic Garden and Gun wedding theme just as they stand, and brides who don’t care to deal with elaborate decorations will appreciate this factor. Keep in mind that many venues such as this already offer neat extras such as tables, chairs and linens that already fit the Garden and Gun wedding theme.

However, the Gun and Garden theme is perfect for an outdoor wedding, particularly in older, established gardens with tall, lush shrubs and flowering bushes. Again, decorating would be at a minimum as Mother Nature is the best decorator ever at a garden wedding! Be sure to ask the venue representative about any extras included in the price of the venue rental, and also ask if there is a back-up location on site in case of inclement weather.

Color Palettes for a Garden and Gun Wedding

While many weddings utilize gold as an accent color, when planning a Garden and Gun wedding, brides may opt for silver or even a more gunmetal color of gray. Silver goes perfectly with any color a bride could choose, from blush pastels as well as deep purples and royal blue. There are those who will also add wooden decor, so brown is also an acceptable color to use in a Garden and Gun wedding.

For an outdoor Gun and Garden wedding, blush pinks and shades of rose pink are perfect. Brides may coordinate the shades of pink to the flowers blooming at the outdoor venue. White also goes well with the blush pinks of a Garden and Gun color palette.

Food for a Garden and Gun Wedding

Food for a Garden and Gun wedding should be inspired by the tasty dishes of the South. There are a wealth of food choices available, and they are appropriate for weddings held any time of the day and any season of the year.

Some Southern brides providing a sit-down meal will offer grilled chicken or steak, with a fresh garden salad as a side. However, brides hosting a Garden and Gun wedding might jazz it up a bit by offering a potato bar as well.

Some brides will offer some highly traditional foods such as pimento and cheese sandwiches, tea cakes, shrimp and grits, fried chicken with mac n cheese as a side, and even green beans.

A few neat and modern ideas involve slider sandwiches. Choices include pulled pork sliders (BBQ IS a Southern tradition, by the way), but this can be varied with pulled (BBQ) chicken sliders. Consider chicken and biscuit sliders, great for weddings taking place around lunch time. For a crowd-pleasing menu, try serving chicken and waffles.

Wedding Dresses & Accessories for a Garden and Gun Wedding

Since the Garden and Gun wedding is often a variation of the vintage rustic wedding theme, Boho wedding dresses are often very popular for brides. These flowy dresses are comfortable, and, if the nuptials are held outdoors, these dresses are often much more comfortable than a traditional wedding gown.

Consider a variety of fabrics when opting for a boho-style dress. Colors often range from white to antique white to off-white. Some brides want a more traditional wedding dress with a short train and a fitted bodice. A-line dresses are perfect for a Garden and Gun wedding dress, too. Or, you may prefer a dress that is semi-formal with antique white lace adorning the gown.

Menswear for a Garden and Gun Wedding

This is a time for the groom and his party to let their personalities shine. Grooms who enjoy outdoor activities such as horseback riding may want to wear a suit jacket, dressy jeans, and a cowboy hat as well as cowboy boots. Some grooms will opt for a tux, but they’ll also choose a vest and tie that are camouflage to note their love of the outdoors.

Some grooms and their party will opt for a tan Sunday suit with a vest - jacket optional. Dress khakis and a button down shirt are also appropriate for a more casual ceremony.

Wedding Cake Ideas for a Garden and Gun Wedding

The Gun and Garden inspired wedding cake should be one that is simple with some hints of tradition too. Often, this means a tiered wedding cake with simple decor. In fact, a two-tiered white cake with antique white-colored icing and simple floral accents can be topped with an antique cake topper are perfect for a Gun and Garden themed wedding.

A classic wedding cake also works well for the Gun and Garden wedding cake. Piping is done in the same off-white icing as the simple wedding cake, and greenery can be used to accent the cake. Of course, another great cake for a Garden and Gun wedding is a naked cake. This cake is often light on icing (hence the name) and topped with sugared fruit.

Ceremony Decor for a Garden and Gun Wedding

At a Garden and Gun wedding, flowers should be the anchor decorating piece, so arrangements and greenery are the most important decor for the ceremony.

Whether you choose to host the Garden and Gun indoors or out, you’ll need a ceremonial arbor that is filled with these floral arrangements. Be sure to utilize silver or gunmetal gray as an accent color throughout the venue – this can be in the form of frames (a pic of the couple at the entrance is very popular), silver ribbon, or tulle draping the arbor.

Many brides are using antlers as part of the decor (you can find faux antlers if you desire). These make a great outdoorsy touch to the decor and they also say something about the couple’s hobbies.

Reception Decor for a Garden and Gun Wedding

Again, flowers and floral arrangements in the ceremony should continue to flow to the reception. You can add some garlands using the flowers chosen for the ceremony.  However, that’s where the similarities end. It is time for the couple’s personalities to shine at the reception.

Seat your guests at long tables decorated with white runners, floral centerpieces, and mason jars as dinner glasses. Use chairs as one might see in Grandma’s Southern kitchen, those with wicker seats and slat backs. Couples can really play up outdoor interests here. There may be antlers, fishing gear, and even waterfowl decor at the reception.

Wedding Reception Music and Entertainment for a Garden and Gun Wedding

A Southern wedding utilizing the Garden and Gun theme is going to involve some great love songs as well as some fun dance tunes. When it’s time for the Father of the Bride dance, “Butterfly Kisses” or “I Loved Her First” are both great choices. The couple’s first dance could be to “Remember When” by Alan Jackson or “She’s Everything” by Brad Paisley.

Of course, there should be some fun songs played at the reception as well. The Electric Slide as a group dance is still as popular as it was a few decades ago – and even Mom and Dad may bust a few moves when you play “Mustang Sally” for the electric slide dance. Of course, the “Cha Cha” song and dance makes for a great line dance, and so does the “Cupid Shuffle.”

Garden and Gunmetal Wedding Inspiration

With a divine color palette of soft greens, neutrals, and gunmetal pewter – today’s garden and gun themed wedding inspiration shoot from Melanie Gabrielle Photography is nothing short of perfection.

There are so many effortless chic, classic, and timeless details to adore in this shoot. It combines the feminine and the masculine in a most romantic way. The table setting and greenery garden create a gorgeous focal point along with a trio of wedding cakes. The guitar and banjo are a nice nod to this editorial setting – Nashville, and that gunmetal colored dog?! Too precious!

Credits: Photography: Melanie Gabrielle Photography // Event Planning: Lauren Emerson Events and Design // Floral Designs: Brocade Designs // Paper: Dauphine Press // Cake: The Frosted Affair // Rentals: Please Be Seated // Guitars: Nashville Guitar Center // Tabletop Details: The Registry // Beauty: Affinity Salon // Rentals: Music City Tents and Events // Venue: Private Residence in Nashville, Tennessee.