We’ve seen backyard weddings and rustic hoedowns, but do you know what it really takes to throw a country wedding?

When you think of country you might automatically start thinking Nashville. It’s all cowboy hats, chewing tobacco and bourbon but there’s a lot more to throwing a country wedding than a banjo and an Elvis impersonator. Even though many brides have country roots or may aspire to throw a country wedding they might be put off by all the cheap or tacky associations. Well don’t let images of a shotgun wedding bring you down. If we’ve learned anything from Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere on the hit television show Nashville it’s that this iconic city can really put the glamour back in country. Take a cue from the drama, and add some spice to your country wedding because even though you’ve seen country often done very badly we’re going to show you how to get it just right!

For starters, remember that country has a lot of different meanings and associations for people. Country can be referring to country music, the countryside or to just a rural aesthetic. Decide what country means for you. For people who live on the East Coast or in cities like Boston or New York going to the country usually means a weekend of rest and relaxation in the mountains. People flock to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts or to upstate New York year round to get away from the noise and pollution of the city. If this is what country means to you then think shabby chic for your wedding. If you’re going to have an outdoor wedding try to have it be in one of these decadently lush places which if you find the right place don’t have to be expensive destination weddings. Cabin rentals or lesser known lakes are just as beautiful if not more so for how remote and untouched they are. These are also very driveable locations, probably more accessible by car than by airplane or train so the expenses of getting there could be significantly less. What is great about these rural locations is that they can definitely cater to an intimate outdoor ceremony or because you have no limitations due to space it could be the biggest wedding consisting of everyone you’ve ever met. Very achievable especially if you don’t have a sit down dinner and have a cash bar. Outdoor weddings in woodsy locations greatly benefit from the use of a tent. It will just add to the country feel and invoke an aura of a great camping trip. Tents also come in such fancy shapes, sizes and patterns these days. For a sunny daytime wedding a polka dot tent is a whimsical refuge from the sun or for a more somber evening wedding tents patterned with fleur de lis or florals are both romantic and rural.

Whatever country means to you, there’s a wedding to match!