If you want to know how to hang string lights for outdoor wedding, we recommend trying three ways to use fairy lights, string lights, or rope lights. Planning how to light your backyard, garden, or outdoor wedding doesn’t have to be complicated, especially with how versatile a string light is.
But besides ideas on how to hang lights, you may want to know other decorating techniques for DIY outdoor wedding venues. Read how to turn your backyard into a wedding venue for more ideas.
How To Hang String Lights For Outdoor Wedding: Outdoor String Lights Ideas
Before anything else, please familiarize yourself with the outdoor wedding venue. For example, what spots in the place have easy access to outlets, which wouldn’t be obstructive to the view of the guests, or what parts would be safe for string lights and hanging lighting systems?
Use wall lighting
Most backyard, garden, or other outdoor wedding has a wall or backdrop. You can use this for the string lights, and the lighting will also enhance the aesthetics of this wall.
For example, a typical place for a wall in an outdoor wedding is behind the head table or cake table. You can hang, or more specifically, drape string lights on the backdrop to make the area more noticeable and enhance its visibility.
You can also place the backdrop behind the ceremony area if you’re having an outdoor wedding ceremony in the evening. The wall would be safe enough to support the lights, and you can hang their wiring behind the wall when you connect them to the power source.
If you don’t have one yet, you can read how to make a backdrop for a wedding reception. We’ve also included ideas on using household items as backdrops.
Hang the string lights above tables and focal points
A fantastic hanging light setup for an outdoor wedding reception is to use them as the decor in the dining area. You’ll place the string lights above the tables, making the place settings more comfortable for the guests.
However, because you’ll suspend the string lights above the wedding reception tables, you must select the color that matches the ambiance you want. It shouldn’t be too dim or bright that the food would look unappetizing or the guests will feel bothered by the light intensity.
But if there is no spot at the outdoor wedding directly above the tables, you can try other focal points for hanging the string lights. Perhaps you have pillars or the arch itself where you can hang different lengths or wrap the string lights on them.
Experiment with other wedding reception lighting
The third option you can do for the hanging string lights on your wedding is to use the other lighting options in the venue for ideas. For example, do you have lanterns or mason jars with lights around the venue?
You can pair string lights with them wherever you place them in the wedding location. For example, maybe the lanterns are hanging on a tree, so you can also hang string lights on some branches.
You might also be draping bulbs across the venue, so why not add string lights in this made-up light “curtain” across the venue? Remember that wherever you put more lights, it will be emphasized significantly in the wedding venue.
What Is The Easiest Way To Hang Outdoor Lights For A Wedding?
- Create a sketch of the wedding venue and plan how you’ll hang the string lights
- Identify how many string lights you’ll need and the extension cord placements if needed
- For trees, you can drape the string lights across the branches or use support cables if you want the lights to span a significant distance from one tree to another
- You might also have posts or poles around the outdoor wedding venue and you can use them as spots to attach your string lights; you can also DIY the poles and use PVC pipes and electrical conduit
- For an outdoor garden wedding, you can utilize your planters for the poles if you can’t stick them on the ground
- You can use structures like decks for hanging the string lights at an outdoor wedding; you will install the lights on top of each post railing with cup hooks
What Are The String Lights Used At A Wedding?
LED string lights are the best kind of string lights you can use for a wedding because of their durability and safety. Check if the lights have yellowish or orange undertones similar to candlelight to match the wedding ambiance.
How Do You Use Outdoor Wedding String Lights?
- Hang the string lights on trees
- Drape the string lights over a wall
- Hang the string lights on a gazebo
- Drape the string lights across from one spot to another
- Cover poles and posts with string lights
- Cover railings and similar structures with string lights
Besides string lights, your wedding theme might also be suitable for lanterns. Here is how to decorate a lantern for a wedding.
Conclusion
And that’s it! You just found out how to hang string lights for outdoor wedding by using them on a wall, over the reception tables, focal points, or by blending them with other wedding lighting systems.
We hope you’ve also learned about installing string lights outdoors for safety and aesthetics. Feel free to browse our blog for other decorating tips for weddings.