Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

This happy couple looks right at home amidst the cacti and under the heat of the sun. What a beautiful backdrop for a wedding!

Southwest style and mid-century style, all wrapped up in one wedding package. There is so much one can do with this theme. See what we mean below and imagine your nuptials with turquoise jewellery and flowers that stand out against the warm-coloured sand.

Food for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

If you’re going whole hog on the Southwestern mid-century modern wedding theme then you know that your guests are going to be expecting some traditional, delicious Southwestern style cooking – and with good reason, it’s always a crowd pleaser!

Whether this means that you’re opting for some kind of barbecue or hog roast set up, some vibrant and spicy Tex-Mex, or just something with a laidback, a casual vibe that suits your surroundings is due. Food is a huge part of having a ​​Southwestern theme, so if you’re looking to make it more modern, refine it slightly by taking old favourites and reworking them slightly.

Menswear for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

Let’s get one thing straight, the Southwest is hot. Your groom and his groomsmen are not going to want to be standing around in stuffy tuxedos all day. They’re going to be super sweaty and the aesthetic just wouldn’t match the more natural, relaxed vibe that comes with a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding.

Think about lightweight fabrics for the suits and more natural colours like dark greens, navys and browns. Go casual and comfortable by ditching the traditional bow tie and let your groom let his hair down and have a good time too! Remember most Southwestern mid-century modern weddings are outside so dress accordingly!

Colour Palettes for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

The beautiful thing about Southwestern mid-century modern weddings and what sets them apart from a lot of mid-century modern weddings are the pops of colour that appear across the entire scheme, pulling the theme and the surrounding area, which is normally out in the beautiful desert, together.

Take influence from the vibrant green cacti with their bright pink flowers to the colourful, whimsical ceramics that are a huge part of the mid-century modern Southwestern aesthetic. Go with a nice muted, natural block colour like a dark green, and add accents and splashes of colour to really liven up your overall wedding look.

Details for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

As with many different kinds of weddings and events, when it comes to pulling off a truly beautiful Southwestern mid-century modern wedding, the devil is in the detail. Separate from the traditional wedding details of boutonnieres, table dressing and cakes, try to incorporate more native plants like cacti as decoration and mimic the shapes that we see in nature to tie everything together.

Little touches like adding vibrant ceramics or hunting out for some mid-century modern decor pieces are really going to make all the difference when you take in the wedding as a whole. Details really do add up, folks!

Table Setting Style for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

With a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding, there are a lot of great, show stopping options that you can look at when drawing inspiration for your table setting style. As with the details for this kind of wedding theme, you might want to use the brightly coloured glazed ceramics and pottery for your centrepieces and crockery.

In terms of layout, you’ll probably want a longer top table looking out on a couple of smaller tables rather than banquet style or just the couple at the top of the seating chart. Try and keep the table setting minimal so that the details can really do the work and leave space for the food.

Wedding Photo Shoot Ideas for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

For your wedding photo shoot, it’s always a great idea to incorporate your beautiful wedding venue surroundings. With a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding, this is even more impressive as it tends to be a desert-based venue, often outside in nature.

The vibrant colours and textures of the sand, natural rock formations, and cacti will really juxtapose the softness of any wedding details you’re using and the gorgeous outfits you’re wearing. For the shoot, go further into the wilderness to really take advantage of the natural beauty around you. Wide angled shots will look amazing and if you’re wearing boots under your dress don’t forget to show them off!

Portrait Props for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

The beauty of having a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding is that there are so many details and reference points that you can use as fun and quirky portrait props. Obviously, you’ll probably want some formal looking ones as well, but for the ones that’ll get everyone smiling, there are loads of options that you can use.

Whether it’s you and your groom, your bridal party, or your guests during the reception period, you can utilise patterned blankets, wide brimmed hats, cowboy boots, cacti and more as part of your portraits. Just be really careful picking up those cacti without gloves on!

Ceremony Decor for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

The ceremony decor for a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding is quite an easy one to achieve because the main decoration and inspiration come from the surrounding venue – the great outdoors. However, to enhance the existing natural beauty there are a few things you can consider.

Think about your details – those southwestern ceramics and cacti and have them marking out the altar. Maybe go geometric with a hexagonal altar structure to frame both you and your groom, and the beautiful surrounding landscape. Use flowers and foliage native to the area to bring more vibrant colors to the venue – keep it about the land with this theme.

Budget for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

Honestly, you can do a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding really well on a tight budget. Once you have the license for the area or venue that you want then you can build off the surrounding area. Keep the flower cost low by shopping locally in the area so that the plants are as widely available and in season as possible.

When it comes to decor, you can find a lot of the inspiration points we’ve been speaking about in thrift and vintage shops. For the food, you can batch make a lot of Southwestern cuisine or can buy in caterers on a cheaper buffet style of service, giving a more family-style eating arrangement.

Outdoor Wedding Ideas for a Southwestern Mid-Century Modern Wedding

Realistically it would be much, much harder to execute a Southwestern mid-century modern wedding well at an indoor venue. This theme was tailor made for an outdoor wedding, with a focus on nature, deserts and hardy foliage.

With the sunshine and heat being a crucial part of the theme, it might be a good idea to have a lot of water, sunscreen and parasols on hand for any guests who might be getting overwhelmed as the day goes on. Similarly, having hats and a lot of chairs in shade available is also a good idea. No one wants an ambulance at a wedding!

Mid-Century Modern Southwestern Wedding

A delightful mid-century modern Tablescape and a cactus wedding cake await you below! Today’s Southwestern-themed editorial from M. Felt Photography and Forevermore Events put a twist on a desert glam wedding that’s truly irresistible!

From McKenzi at Forevermore Events – “I have always had a love for the desert, for the warm, soft light and the way the blossoms in the spring light up the entire landscape. I grew up in Southern Utah and one of my favourite past times is driving on back roads and seeing where they go. During one of these trips on the way to Las Vegas, my husband and I found this dream location and I knew I had to use it someday. I’ve been planning this inspiration shoot for quite some time and wanted to combine the clean lines and colourful patterns of mid-century style with the southwest style. Think Las Vegas in the 60s, or Mad Men in Palm Springs and you have our inspiration!

I wanted to combine turquoise statement pieces to bring in southwest elements to the bride's classic 1960s style, with her French twist and amazing Watters gown from BHLDN. It was also important to me to use a real couple for the shoot so I can capture their chemistry and love. I worked with some of the best vendors in the wedding industry in Southern Utah and am so happy with the result!”

Credits: Photography: M. Felt Photography // Design: Forevermore Events // Floral: Bloomers Flowers // Videography: Red Tie Cinematography // Cake: Cupacakes! By Julie // Hair & Makeup: Sarah Boling at Lunatic Fringe Salon // Jewelry: M&S Turquoise // Suit: True Gentleman // Dress: BHLDN // Paper Details: Anna-Ruth Watts // Location: Southern Utah.