My Elegant Forest-Inspired Real Wedding Details
When planning a wedding, it is easy to obsess over the details. The small details help to pull your theme together, but it is important not to overthink them. That is much easier said than done.
In creating my wedding aesthetic, I drew inspiration from vintage elegance and lush woodland forests. I wanted nature vibes with a subtle hint of glamor, and organic influences with a hint of refined rusticity. And I needed to achieve this while staying on budget.
While I have written blog posts that dive deeper into some of my wedding details, I wanted to do a round-up of all of the small details of my real wedding in order to show you how they worked together.
Hopefully you will find some inspiration for your wedding or event!
Affiliate Disclosure: Digital Molt is a member of the Amazon Affiliate Program and other affiliate programs. Some links in this blog post are affiliate links. If you click on the link and make a purchase, then I may receive a commission.
The Mossy Woodland Ring Box
The small ring boxes were purchased at Hobby Lobby. I used moss from my other crafts and inserted it to the bottom of the ring box.
The Ceremony Book
Since we wrote our own ceremony, we needed a cool ceremony book for our officiant to hold. As a way to learn the ceremony, our officiant hand-wrote the ceremony into this book.
I felt this leather-bound book fit perfectly with the woodland forest vibes, the tree uniting and binding the couple.
The Custom Vow Books
My original idea was that we would each read our vows aloud during the ceremony. After much thought and discussion, we decided we would be too nervous and emotional, so we opted to write in to our ceremony a section where we repeated the vows after the officiant.
I am still glad we have these books, and they are perfect whether you decide to say your vows out loud during the ceremony, or to give as a gift afterward.
I chose the rose gold lettering on the books, one of the main colors in my palette.
The Glamorous Wedges
I am clumsy, our venue featured a lot of decking and natural stone walking surfaces, and at 6’6″, my husband is a foot taller than me. So when I found these Badgley Mischka wedges, I knew I had to get them.
These were a splurge, but in real life, these are stuh-ning. I felt like a princess, and best of all, I was relieved of any anxiety that I was going to trip because of my shoes. I was able to shine and feel secure when the spotlight was on me.
The Something Blue
My garter set was my “something blue,” and was gifted by my maid of honor. I loved the floral elements and the pearls, which went with my nature-with-a-touch-of-elegance theme.
The Welcome Table
My welcome table was modest, but it still subtly perpetuated my theme. I included an alternate guest book, an address book to capture my guest’s addresses for thank you cards, a card box, and a sign with the schedule of events.
The Alternate Guest Book
These fun advice cards served as an alternate guest book. I will tell you, we got some hilarious responses. I think these prompts are great so you can capture your guests personalities, rather than just their autographs in a book.
My one tip if you choose to use these is to make a little sign that says for everyone to fill them out if they want to. I had some older, single relatives who could have given great advice, but did not fill out the cards because they are unmarried.
- Pictured: “Advice for the Bride and Groom Cards” on Amazon
- “Advice for the Happy Couple” Cards on Amazon
- “Advice and Wishes” Cards on Amazon
The Card Box
The distressed white card box from Hobby Lobby brought some antique vibes to our theme. The size of this was perfect, with enough room for cards and for people to put their advice cards in.
The wedding collection goes on sale often, so either wait for a sale or download a 40% coupon code on Hobby Lobby before you buy this.
The Accent Pens
I loved these pens because of the rose gold and the glamor. They are statement pens that I still use today, and best of all, they were affordable!
The Hand-Painted Schedule of Events Sign
The schedule of events sign was a last minute addition, but I distressed the paint to match the card box and incorporated rose gold metallic paint. I wanted guests to know what to expect for the evening, and I am glad that I made this affordable, DIY sign on a whim.
The Woodland Lantern Centerpiece
I was on the struggle-bus trying to come up with an affordable, elegant, nature-inspired centerpiece that I could make well in advance of our date.
After many iterations, one day, it all just clicked. Not only did I end up creating a wedding centerpiece, but I created a piece of decor that is still on display in my home.
The Wood-Burned Escort Cards
The moss-covered escort card cones were the most difficult DIY crafts I made. I initially chose a font for the wood pieces that was illegible. It took me forever to get the moss onto the cone.
In the end, I think it was worth it. Aesthetically, they were not as sleek and elegant as I had hoped. But in the end, I wanted to give my guests a keepsake, which was their custom wood-burned magnet made by the bride, and that is what they remember in the end.
Natural and Metallic Table Numbers
This was another easy and affordable DIY project. In addition to rose gold, light blue, dark blue, white, and natural green were the other main components of my palette.
I improvised with this craft, using wood planks that I had bought for the escort cards that didn’t work out, and leftover flowers from my DIY bridal and bridesmaids bouquets. In the end, using leftover materials allowed me to achieve the cohesive look I sought.
Sola Flower Initial Mantelpiece
Sola flowers were another challenging DIY project. I love, love, love the overall look of the end product, but sola flowers are so, so, so delicate.
I remade this “W” at least three times. What gave me the patience to persevere with this project was knowing that this was not just mantelpiece decor for the event, but that this would hang in our married home. And so it does!
The Cake
The cake was simple. I wanted it to be simple. We purchased our cake and other desserts from Publix. While it may not be the most Pinspiring cake you have ever seen, it was one of the best decisions I made during our wedding planning process.
The antique silver cake stand was provided by the venue. The champagne flutes and cake server were a gift from my parents that I will forever treasure as a family heirloom. Those pieces added an extra glitz that still felt appropriate for our vibes.
- Couple with two dogs cake topper from Amazon
- Victoria Toasting Set from Things Remembered
- Victoria Champagne Flutes
- Victoria Cake Serving Set
Rose Gold Dessert Serving Tray
Filled with Italian cookies, this rose gold platter brought my palette and the forest vibes to the dessert table.
These gorgeous statement pieces will be something I continue to use at my house in the spring months.
Send-Off Bubbles
This tiny detail brought our theme full circle, with light pink leaves added to the end of our DIY bubble tubes for our bubble send off.
- When I bought them, they were the “Wilton Love Knot” brand, but now Amazon is defaulting to this “Simplicity Love Knot” brand for the bubbles.
All the Details
A lot of work went into all of these details. Choosing to purchase some, DIYing others.
My advice is to pay attention to the details, but don’t get hung up on them. There is no need to have a meltdown over the color of the napkins, and most guests won’t realize if things are customized or not.
At the end of the day, do what is right for you and your love story. It is not Instagram’s day, your parent’s day, or your friend’s day – it is you and your significant other’s day. So be true to who you are as individuals and as a couple.
No matter what, the beauty of your love and this special day will outshine everything.
Image Credits: Most images in this post were taken by Frank Gibson Photography.
What are Your Thoughts?
What was your wedding or recent event theme? What details were important to you, and how did you pull it all together? Let me know in the comments!
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