Unique Ways to Use Doors and Windows in an Outdoor Wedding

All photos by Brian Lowman

Shabby Chic Weddings have been in style for a while now and I don’t think they will be going anywhere anytime soon. Why? Because they are easier, less expensive, and great for a DIYer on a budget!

Doors and Windows are a wonderful way to add a romantic chic atmosphere to your wedding and reception. Plus, if you are willing to take the time and do your research you can get them without breaking the bank!

We had a little less than a year to plan our wedding so my mom and I didn’t waste any time seeking out the decor – but we also didn’t buy everything all at once. Between garage sales, the longest yard sale, thrift stores, and out of the way antique stores/malls we gathered doors and windows. We always looked for good prices and walked away from those that were outlandish. Oh and we found some people who remolded old homes who gave us windows and doors that were set aside for the trash – wouldn’t that have been a travesty!

We had doors in a variety of places at our wedding. We painted some light weight doors blue, my father built some legs for them – they were leftover from my parents house – and we mixed them in with other tables for our reception. BTW another tip for reception tables for a backyard wedding is to borrow from friends and to take what’s inside outside if you have a tent or the weather is predicted to be good – just be sure to keep your friends by safeguarding their treasures!

My father also put together some old doors to use as backdrops in a variety of areas throughout their backyard. We used one of these door backdrops behind the musicians and another set in an alcove of their woods – they looked beautiful at night with the twinkle lights we hung in the trees!

He also built a privacy fence – to hide the neighbors barn and dog cages – and put old doors in the middle behind a garden bench. When we started the project he decided the fence was temporary – he later decided to make it permanent because it looked so good! My mom is a planner, she had been saving these doors for almost ten years, knowing they’d come in handy again. We knocked out the glass panes – very carefully – and then added a DIY chalkboard background.

We hung the windows from tree branches and had them leaning up against other things throughout my parents backyard.

The best part is that you can resell the doors and windows afterwards, maybe even make some money if you upcycled them. You could also use them as decor in your new home!

Many of the doors are still in my parents backyard, a few are stored away and have been used for other peoples weddings, a few others my mom has as decor in her home. My mom and I have both used the windows as home decor and I have even bought a few more since the wedding!

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With love, G