How to Incorporate Citrus Into Your Wedding Day

Citrus cocktails with orange flowers and limes at a wedding reception. — Photo by Jake Anderson

One of the most delightful parts of planning a wedding is picking out all the visual elements, like décor (from fresh flowers and lush greenery to moody lighting, patterned linens, and pops of color), stationary, and the menu. And speaking of pops of color, we love to see couples use fresh citrus at their weddings. These colorful fragrant fruits can freshen up a space by simply existing. On top of that, citrus can be an affordable way to brighten up your space—and a little goes a long way.

From bowls of fresh lemons on your reception tables to using illustrations of citrus slices in your wedding invitation suite, these simple, bright fruits add a touch of cheer wherever they end up throughout your celebration.

If you're looking for ways to use citrus in your wedding décor, cocktails, or staionary check out these ideas for inspiration.

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Mix Citrus and Candles

A wedding bar decorated with tangerines, candles, and white flowers arrangements. — Photo by Joel Serrato

Small tangerines look stunning sitting on this wedding reception bar, tucked against lit candles of various heights. Place a lush floral arrangement with white or light-colored hues on the bar, too, to compliment the bold colors of the citrus.

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Add Citrus Accents to the Cake

A white wedding cake with Ojai Valley pixie tangerines. — Photo by Joel Serrato

How sweet does this three-tier wedding cake look accented with little tangerines? The white cake is the perfect backdrop for these stunning little oranges.

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Use Citrus-Inspired Escort Cards

citrus-inspired escort tags — Photo by Jake Anderson

Get creative with your escort cards! This couple chose to create escort tags that were cut in the shape of oranges, with light orange font and green accents. The result is delicate and simply stunning.

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Pick Citrus Colors for the Table Design

Cocktail hour tables set up with orange tablecloths. — Photo by Jake Anderson

A great way to incorporate citrus into wedding decorations is to mimic the shapes and colors—think bright oranges and yellows. We love this cocktail hour setup, which features circular tables set with bright orange tablecloths.

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Feature Citrus in Floral Centerpieces

A floral centerpiece featuring pink flowers and lemons. — Photo by Jake Anderson

Adding citrus to a floral centerpiece creates such a fresh vibe, like these arrangements with pink flowers and lemons—we love how the attached leaves look, too!

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Use Citrus Colors in Your Menus

A citrus-themed invitation suite. — Photo by Caroline Lima Photography

Even if you don't use physical citrus in your menu stationery suite, you can still take inspiration from these vibrant colors to brighten up the look. This couple chose yellow, orange, and pink for a stunning menu suite, accented with orange flowers and a bright red paper napkin.

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Add Sliced Citrus to the Reception Tables

A brightly colored reception table decorated with sliced oranges. — Photo by A Bitter Orange

Consider using sliced oranges—both dried and fresh—to decorate your reception table. This freshens up the overall look, and pairs beautifully with brightly-colored flowers.

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Serve Citrus Cocktails

Dark red cocktails with citrus slices served at a wedding reception. — Photo by Love Tribe Weddings

One of the best ways to feature citrus in your wedding? Citrus-themed cocktails! We love the look of these dark-red cocktails with a fresh slice of lemon on top (and they photograph beautifully).

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Feature Fruit Trees

Lemon trees and loose lemons decorate a wedding reception table. — Photo by Jessica Mangia

Go all-out with lemons! This couple used small lemon trees to decorate their reception table, as well as loose lemons scattered around potted herbs and greenery. The result is beautiful, and probably felt like dining in a lemon grove!

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Consider Citrus Liqueur as Wedding Favors

Bottles of limoncello at a wedding. — Photo by Bottega 53 Studio

If you're having a destination wedding in a place where citrus is abundant, opt for a citrus liqueur, like limoncello, as wedding guest favors.

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Use Citrus as Place Cards

Lemon place card holders at a wedding. — Photo by Bottega 53 Studio

Smaller citrus, like lemons or limes, are perfect for place card holders during the reception. Considering tying name cards to a lemon, or using a pin to fasten a small ribbon with each guest's name to the fruit.

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Add Citrus to the Welcome Bags

Welcome bag featuring citrus. — Photo by Allan Zepeda Photography

If you're planning to give welcome bags to your guest, consider adding fresh oranges to each bag—not only does it look gorgeous, but it's a great snack!

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