13 Fairycore Wedding Ideas — From Botanicals to Butterflies

Almost every fairytale takes place in or near an enchanted forest. Evoke a woodsy and magical vibe with mossy tree stumps (yes, they do make the best ring holders and cake stands) and plenty of lush botanicals from ceremony to reception.  Whether you wish to say “I do” surrounded by towering trees or transform a classic ballroom into a forest setting, make sure to hire a wedding planner to perfect your woodland vibes.   

Wedding colors set the tone for your celebration. Pastel hues create a dreamy vibe straight out of a storybook. Fried of Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings recommends adding in “shades of blush, sage, violets, and blues in garden-style fashion.” In addition to lavish floral décor, consider opting for pastel linen, napkins, and tapered candles for a picture-perfect tablescape. Remember, you can find vetted florists and rental companies right here on PartySlate to capture the look.

Your walk down the aisle will be one of the most memorable moments of your wedding day. Make sure your aisle is just as magical as the wedding arch with a lavish floral-lined installation. Fried of Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings suggests “an outdoor wedding ceremony surrounded by nature and a canopy of trees.”

She also recommends opting for florals that are “overgrown and pillowing from the ceremony arch, tall and linear down both sides of the aisle, or effortlessly wrapping around an old oak tree.” Whatever you decide, make sure to share your ideas with your wedding planner and design team.

Butterflies evoke whimsy and magic. We love how butterfly décor offers the perfect opportunity to add a pop of color to your wedding design — while capturing the ethereal vibe of the fairycore aesthetic. For an elevated yet playful look, add butterfly details to invitations, cocktails, bouquets, and more.

Fried of Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings shares how her team used butterfly details to create a fairycore vibe. “Real butterflies were released during the ceremony and colorful silk butterflies were hidden within the ceremony altar and the floral & pastel chandelier installation over the dance floor. Hand-painted butterflies were pinned on the moss-covered table numbers, and all the staff wore butterfly clips in their hair. Sugar butterflies with gold-edged wings decorated the masterpiece of a wedding cake — and of course, water-colored butterflies appeared on the wedding invitation and all signage. We even had edible butterflies on the rim of all the welcoming signature drinks and a handmade floral wreath with tiny butterflies for the horses on-site for extra special photos.”

The forest floor is home to many mysterious botanicals — but fungi are by far the most fantastical. Incorporate this whimsical woodsy element into your wedding reception with unique centerpieces, table numbers, and party favors. Mushroom-infused menus are also trending this year, so make sure to connect with a top caterer in your area for on-theme wining and dining.

George of Jordana Marie Events elaborates further on fairycore catering ideas. “You can also get creative with the menu items and go full farm-to-table or garden-to-glass to really hone in on the wild, free, natural ambiance that makes fairycore so special. The key is infusing the spirit of fairycore through design and cuisine to immerse guests in what feels like a super relaxed new world.”

Fairycore weddings deliver the magical and unexpected. Surprise guests with lavish floral installations where they least expect it. We’re talking ethereal wedding ceiling décor, patterned dance floors, and decorated fountains. Make sure to save your favorite photos to an Idea Slate by clicking the heart in the top right corner. You can even share your Idea Slate with your wedding planner and décor company for quick and easy collaboration.

Think beyond leaves and stems when it comes to foliage. Moss serves as a beautiful backdrop for pops of floral décor — be it bright or softer tones. Whether you choose moss as a delicate table runner or the full tablescape (talk about magical), you’ll create a fairycore vibe with this delicate greenery. Lastly, don’t forget to share your favorite photos with your florist.

A tented wedding creates an intimate space in the vast enchantment of the outdoors. George of Jordana Marie Events shares, “Since the fairycore vibe is super whimsical, you want a venue that allows you the space (literally and figuratively) to get a little creative.” For a recent fairycore-style event, her team “took a clear-top tent but completely covered the ceiling with flowers and greenery, so you felt like you popped through a magic portal, totally enveloped in a floor-to-ceiling fairy garden. It was seriously magical.” You can utilize PartySlate to find the most beautiful tent rental for your dreamy outdoor wedding.

George recommends choosing an outdoor venue “because the fairycore aesthetic comes to life seamlessly when surrounded by natural elements.” Fried of Fête Nashville Luxury Weddings agrees, saying, “A fairycore venue includes lots of nature. Fortunately, we have that everywhere in Tennessee — rolling hills, sprawling acreage, tall trees for shade, and lots of organic spaces to set up intimate seating areas — on large boulders or bring in pastel velvet seating.”

However, George reminds us that “you can absolutely make this a reality in any NYC ballroom or event space with the right planner and budget, too. You can do something similar to what we did with the floor-to-ceiling flowers. From there, add cozy seating nooks with pillows and rugs, accent with soft draping, and twinkling lights or glowing candles. Food can be embellished with edible flowers and displayed on multi-tier toadstool or mushroom-shaped serving wares — just to name a couple of ideas.

The key is to get creative and playful with the space available, incorporating those elements that make fairycore so ethereal and fun. I’m a firm believer that any venue can be transformed with the right eye for design, vendors, and budget.”

Your wedding planner will consider the layout of the venue space. Wolf of Paulette Wolf Events shares, “While the right event designer can adapt any space to your wedding theme, it was very important that we found the right venue for this concept. We needed a space with high ceilings, wood floors, and no columns — giving us a completely clean canvas. Fabrics and atmospheric lighting allowed us to turn this club into the perfect setting. Plus, we always prefer a venue that can accommodate three separate spaces, so you don’t have to turn over your ceremony space for the dinner.”

Head to PartySlate’s curated venue directory to find a dreamy fairycore event space. Make sure to use the filters to narrow down your search by location, guest count, amenities, and more. You can also click into a potential venue’s PartySlate profile to see how real couples utilized the space.

Stringed quartets promise to lend a romantic touch to your fairycore wedding ceremony and reception. Your entertainment will be one of the most memorable components of your celebration, so make sure to find a trusted live band with the help of PartySlate. You can also use PartySlate to discover some of our favorite personalized wedding entertainment ideas.

The sun sets, and the boundary between the ordinary and the enchanted begins to blur. Twinkling string lights and glimmering candlelight create a fantastical ambiance full of glamour and mystery. George of Jordana Marie Events reminds us that the fairycore aesthetic is “very romantic, which plays into choosing décor elements that are a bit softer, warmer, and more celestial versus super modern or cold.” That goes for lighting, too.

Luckily, PartySlate can connect you with décor companies that specialize in the right lighting effects. Perfecting your fairycore atmosphere has never been easier.

Bring a botanical bent to your wedding cake with pressed flowers or fronds. For an extra enchanted touch, top with lavish pastel buttercups or gauzy butterfly details. Finding the right bakery should be sweet, not stressful, so use PartySlate’s curated vendor guide to find talented wedding bakeries near you. For even more confection inspiration, browse our wedding cake idea gallery.

Complement your unique wedding cake with a dessert spread or personal-sized sweets for an extra thoughtful touch come apéritif time. Surprise and delight guests with personal mini pastel sweets, iced with white ruffles. We also love gold-flecked macaroons paired with mint green pastries for a fairycore vibe. Dessert has never looked so enchanting.