Decorating the Outdoors

Our venue has a breath-taking landscape. We're marrying at Oxon Hill Manor and the patio, the garden, the view, is all stunning. Full trees outline the property and right beyond where we'll say our vows is a glimpse of the Potomac River and the National Harbor. It's beautiful!

See for yourself:

{Photos by me}

We definitely want our guests to see this and to enjoy it. We've come across a few photos (thanks to my online Oxon-Hill-Manor-Real-Weddings savengers) of what other couples have done to this space, but we're still not quite sure what we'll do.

There's so much natural beauty (whether our wedding is in the spring or the fall) that we shouldn't have to do too much. Nevertheless, we've considered almost everything from archways to flowers, to umbrellas to fans, and we're not sure what the best look is. As most of you know, archways are a common focal point, but I'm not crazy about them. What do you think? Do we have to have something at the end of the aisle?

Check out pictures of this real wedding that show Oxon Hill Manor's garden transformed into a stunning ceremony site:

{Photo credit: Regeti's Photography Blog}

Here are a few pictures of what we have in mind:

For the Focal Point:

{Photo credit: Mathieu Photography Blog}


{Photo credit: The Knot}

{Photo credit: The Washington Post}

Decorations and Extras:

{Photo credit: Martha Stewart Weddings}

{Photo credit: Quite Cannon}

{Photo credit: The Knot}

Are you decorating your ceremony site? Have you thought about having an arch, canopy, or cross? Share your thoughts about this topic and of course, suggestions are welcome :-)