The Greatest Outdoor Show - (Western Theme Ideas)

Calgary, Alberta, my home, is known for one thing – the Greatest Outdoor Show.  It’s 10 days of cowboys, beer, rodeos and beef on the bun.  It’s called the Calgary Stampede.   I would highly recommend anyone planning a trip to Calgary to come during this time. 

The city turns in its corporate attire and everywhere you turn are jeans and cowboy hats.  Every morning you are bound to bump into a free breakfast of pancakes and Caesars (Bloody Mary’s).  The fun thing about this week is that everyone and every place gets into the festivities. 

Fine dining establishments turf their crystal glasses and offer Budweiser’s in plastic glasses, old wood boards cover every entry with new names for their place such as “Last Chance Coral” or a favourite I saw this week was “Mad Cow Saloon”.

Are you a cowgirl at heart?  Have you thought about having a western wedding?  Even if you are a little rockin’ roll over country; a country wedding is sure to get your guests two-steppin’ and smilin’ into the midnight hours. 

The great thing about this type of theme for your wedding is that probably everyone you know has a pair of blue jeans!  There are tons of things you can add to your wedding such as:

• Use hay bales as your chairs!

• Instead of ribbon use rope.  Wrap it around plain glass votives or even use it on your bouquet to secure your flowers.

• Put beer and bottles of soda in large galvanized tubs for guests to grab as they wonder around your western frontier.

• Light up the area with kerosene lanterns or oil lamps.

• Go antique shopping and see if you can find some old wagon wheels.  Decorate them with some wildflowers and place them around the room.

For more ideas, check out our Cowboy Chic Wedding we offer.  There are tons of ideas available for you to create that western look!

And even if a western wedding isn’t in your future, as I said, I highly recommend a trip to Calgary for the Stampede.