Outdoor Aisle Runners
August 10th, 2006 @ 1:31 pm by Mrs. Bluebell
Although I LOVE the look of fresh grass sprinkled with petals, my main concern for our outdoor ceremony is mud. So even if the weather is gorgeous at the time of my ceremony, I want to be prepared for the ever-present danger of a mud-drenched train.
At first, all I could come up with for aisle runner ideas were a traditional church aisle runner or red-carpet style runner, neither of which seemed at all appropriate for my wedding.
Then, I came across this:
What do you think of having a few straw mats marking the aisle? I thought it would be so simultaneously country and elegant, that I think it will be perfect for our wedding!
Here’s another option (but it’s only 15 inches wide, so you’d need two or three side by side, which might ruin the effect):
[Both of these are from plumparty for $4.50 and $26.00 per mat, respectively.]
Does anyone else have nontraditional outdoor aisle runner ideas? Do you think this would work well for a fairly informal wedding in the country?
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14 Responses to “Outdoor Aisle Runners”
I like the mats, and I agree with Joy about the heels. Although, the second one is verrry cute! The first one looks like it might flip up one side when stepped on it. Does that make sense? Like when you step on it, the part you’ve stepped on sinks, and the edges lift. That’s what I meant. Great idea!
i like the 2nd one a lot, and you can reuse it in the foyer or kitchen. but make sure your dress won’t snag on it..
I like the second one too.
I like the petal look too but whenever I see pictures of aisles done with colored petals I wonder how they didn’t stain the bride’s dress. My best friend had red roses in her bouquet and we had to keep it away from her after we realized even the slightest brush with the roses left a spot on her dress. Thank God for shout wipes!
the second one would look so nice outdoors, but like joy and amber said, it would be so stressful walking down the aisle while having to worry about not tripping (as if there aren’t enough things to worry about!). so unless you and everyone else in your wedding party are wearing flats… it might be kind of risky!
The only other thing that hasn’t been mentioned is how you are going to join them together to create one long runner. Do they come in lengths? My techy boyfriend would certainly advocate Duct Tape but something tells me that’s not quite the look we ladies with taste would go for! Any ideas anyone?
I love the look though, and agree that it would help define the space beautifully.
maybe a funky carpet would work nicely~
plus it’ll be heavy enough that it won’t flap in the wind…. or get crushed by heels…. etc
funky carpet is a great idea 
Love this idea! More on the informal side while still being elegant and sophisticated.
To join the runners together, sew them together with a ribbon that matches the color scheme or the mat itself. Burlap or raffia might work well with the tan one.
You could also stake the runners into the ground along the edges so they’ll stay where you put them.
I have been considering this as well ever since I saw this knottie’s aisle runner: http://www.theknot.com/co_profileview.htm?profilename=calicayman
I am a bit concerned about snags though….
I like the 2nd one, too. Would make a good backup in case there is mud.
you might want to try bamboo or tatami mats/runners… I think you can get them in relatively long lengths, and they’re relatively flat (no snags).
medical tape can be great to put it all together PLUS it is clothlike AND white… If you want to soften the look up more you can attach ribbon (to match your decor) over the white tape.
Okay I kept starting to write my reply yesterday and then accidentally switching windows or deleting it or getting distracted….let’s see if I remember what I was going to say…
Miss Grasshopper - that is EXACTLY what I was envisioning!!! Thanks for the link!!!
LL - after many hours online I have now decided you are right and bamboo is the way to go! and the medical tape sounds like a great idea too. The knottie Miss Grasshopper linked to looks like she just sort of laid the edge of one over the next one, so I’m thinking a bit of medical tape on the underside would hold that in place! Barring that…
Jennifer - I love the idea of sewing it with a matching ribbon! That’s slightly more ambitious than tape though. We’ll see if that makes it on the priorities list later on…
Thanks for all the other advice too, everyone else! I think the switch to bamboo will dramatically reduce my tripping & snagging risks.
I found more straw mats for cheaper than 4.50. http://www.asianideas.com has them for 3.00.
we are having a beach wedding so we are weighing ours down with a pile of seashells at every row of chairs.
Mrs. Bluebell, New York
Age and Occupation in 07: 26, Finance Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Playing with the cat and/or Consulting
Engagement Date: December 25, 2005
Wedding Date: June 2007
Venue: Bride's family summer home in the Adirondacks
About Me: Trying to find the perfect balance between family tradition (marrying at the house everyone else in my family gets married at), making our's modern, interesting and different from everyone else in my family's, and incorporating some Chinese tradition for my Chinese fiance. I really have no idea what it's going to end up looking like!
Also, I picked Miss Bluebell for my name because I have blue eyes and I'm a loser like that.
I think this idea would look so cute…but test it out first in your heels to make sure that you don’t trip (from the picture of the second mat, it looks like a heel could get snagged in it).