The Joy of a Country Western Wedding Day

A Cheap Wedding Can Be a Rocking Good Time When it’s a Cowboy Event

Aug 11, 2009

A country style wedding is a bride's true friend. Wedding costs are slashed, and guests are treated to a relaxed atmosphere and a rollicking good time.

There’s something inherently romantic about a cowboy, and a country western themed wedding can be full of romance and good old-fashioned fun. As an added bonus, the money saved can be used elsewhere by the newly wedded couple.

Western Wedding Decorations

Decorating for a cowboy-themed wedding is easy. Straw and denim creates an instant ambiance. And instead of deciding on which linen tablecloths to use or how many ice sculptures to have, a bride and groom can turn pre-wedding chores into a fun scavenger hunt. Scouring garage and estate sales, thrift shops, antique shops and online auction sites will net the wedding couple lots of inexpensive decorative materials such as:

The beauty of creating a cowboy-influenced décor is that the condition of decorative items does not matter. The rule of thumb is "the older the better," and items that are cracked, faded, discolored or full of holes will have even more dramatic decorative impact.

Tablecloths of checkered, gingham or bandana fabric can be fashioned from bulk bolts of cloth and still cost less than renting fine linens.

Wanted posters are a great fun plus for cowboy-themed weddings. Just about any creative arts computer software will facilitate the creation of wanted posters with pictures of the bride and groom, the wedding party or friends and family to display on walls or tables. The posters are inexpensive to create and great conversation starters.

Wedding favors can be anything from leather-tied beef jerky to straw hats to boot-shaped soap. Any cowboy item the imagination can conceive can create the perfect favor.

And what cowboy worth his salt wouldn’t have his own branding iron? The bride and groom can create their own brand, have it fashioned into an iron or a rubber stamp, and use it to accent just about any decorative item. It could even be used to accent tablecloths made of white butcher paper for the cake or guest book table.

Country Wedding Flowers and Centerpieces

According to the Bridal Association of America, the average cost of decorative flowers for a wedding is nearly $1300. This includes reception centerpieces and ceremony aisle bouquets. Creating country-themed centerpieces and aisle bouquets are a tiny fraction of that cost.

A case of 12 quart-sized mason jars will cost about $11. Beautiful Gerbera daisies purchased in bulk from a non-traditional flower provider, like Sam’s Club, will cost about $63 for 80 stems. Arranging the flowers in the mason jars and accenting with a ribbon of gingham, raffia, twine or bandana cloth will create perfect theme-appropriate centerpieces that add an ideal finishing touch to country tables.

Instead of flowers on the ends of pews or down the sides of the ceremony aisle, oversized raffia bows with a splash of color in the center makes a beautiful country statement. The center color can be created with small bandana bows or sprigs of tinted wheat or even with white silk baby’s breath.

Western Wedding Reception Food

Food service for a wedding reception can bring a staggering price tag. The average cost for 150 guests is close to $10,000, or about $66 per person. Hotel banquet services can be even more. It is possible to get the price down to $25 to $35 per person by choosing a less impressive menu that requires fewer attendants to serve it.

A country-themed reception calls for country-themed food, and that’s a blessing. Instead of deciding between expensive, yet small-portioned, filet and chicken cordon bleu, guests will be treated to food they love, and the bride and groom will be treated to a whopping savings. The average cost of a catered barbeque buffet is about $15 per person. Grilled, smoked or barbequed meats, corn, beans, potato salad, greens, macaroni and cornbread are just some of the choices that make country wedding receptions more of a party and less of an ordeal.

Supplying food the do-it-yourself way for a cowboy wedding reception can save even more. Most markets and big box stores, like Costco, offer custom prepared foods ready for pick up. And the tin containers they come in couldn’t be more appropriate. There’s no need for fancy dishes and fancy table settings at a western wedding.

Instead of a bar, big iced tubs of beer, soda and lemonade do the trick at far less expense than the nearly $3000 average cost for a reception bar and bartender.

Cowboy Country Western Weddings are Welcome Affairs

Attire, from the bridal gown to the groom’s outfit, can be simpler and less costly yet be special and memorable. And encouraging friends and family to come to the wedding in western duds relieves the pressure to show up in traditionally fancy, often uncomfortable, wedding-appropriate clothes and shoes.

Western music is spirited and uplifting and western dances are inclusive and get everyone involved. Even if someone has never before line danced or country two-stepped, he or she will find it fun to join in at the reception.

There’s a lot to love about going country. Western weddings are full of life and fun, and the cost savings are a huge, delightful cherry on the cowboy sarsaparilla.

The copyright of the article The Joy of a Country Western Wedding Day in Wedding Services/Receptions is owned by Tricia Spencer. Permission to republish The Joy of a Country Western Wedding Day in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.