There have been many movies based on the English legend of Robin Hood throughout the years and in this post I will feature the 1991 movie “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” which starred Kevin Costner as Robin of Locksley and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Maid Marian.  The film was the second highest grossing film of the year in which it premiered and also won a Grammy Award for the Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television, “Everything I Do I Do it for You” by Bryan Adams.

At the end of the movie there is a scene when Robin and Marian get married in Sherwood Forest.  The scene is relatively short but it offers some wonderful inspiration for a rustic wedding and at the end of this post I will feature ideas and suggestions for creating a special wedding in the forest.  But first …

A brief synopsis of “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” movie

The film begins during the time of the Crusades when Robin escapes a prison in Jerusalem with a Moorish companion named Azeem (Morgan Freeman).  The pair arrives back in England to find that King Richard the Lionheart is in France and in his absence the evil Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman) rules over the land.  Robin also learns that when he is gone fighting in the Crusades the Sheriff had demanded that Robin’s father plead his allegiance to him and when he refused Lord Locksley was killed and his castle destroyed.

After hearing this devastating news Robin visits his childhood friend, Maid Marian, and to his surprise she has turned into a beautiful and spirited woman.  Robin and Marian at first fight their attraction for one another but soon they fall in love.  Meanwhile, when the Sheriff hears that Robin has returned to claim his father’s inheritance he pursues him to the edge of Sherwood Forest where Robin has fled to avoid being captured.

While in Sherwood Forest he encounters a group of outlaws (Little John, Will Scarlet and later Friar Tuck) that have joined together to fight back against the unjust payments that have been demanded by the Sheriff of Nottingham.  Robin decides he will lead the group in their pursuit and he organizes them “to rob from the rich to give to the poor”.

When the “band of merry men” succeeds in bringing justice against the Sheriff, Nottingham is furious.  He orders an attack and destroys their hideout in the forest taking several of them prisoner.  Ultimately, Robin gathers the remaining men that were not captured and plans to save the prisoners from the evil Sheriff.  They are successful in freeing the prisoners and this makes Nottingham even more determined to defeat Robin.

Next, Nottingham sets his sights on Marian (the cousin of King Richard) and tries to force her into marriage to gain the throne of King.  When she strongly resists his offer he forces her but just before the ceremony can be completed Robin comes to her rescue and after a brief fight Robin kills the Sheriff!  Robin and Marian are reunited and peace returns to this part of England.

At the end of the movie Robin and Marian are married in a beautiful ceremony held in the Sherwood Forest.  The wedding is interrupted by King Richard who has returned to England.  The King compliments Marian on how beautiful she looks and thanks Robin for his efforts in defeating the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.  Then after the King gives his blessing on the marriage the ceremony proceeds and Robin and Marian are pronounced husband and wife.

Wedding ideas inspired by “Robin Hood – Prince of Thieves” movie

The brief scene at the end of the movie visually offers many ideas and suggestions for a rustic forest wedding.  The following is a description of the scene which starts as the camera panes down from the tree tops to reveal an arrangement of twigs formed into a rustic “stain glassed window” with large cross below.  An altar is constructed from tree branches and is decorated with berries, fruit and leaves.  Placed on top the altar at either end are two wooden candelabras.  Maid Marian wears a beautiful wreath of wheat, berries, fruit and leaves.  Then, at the end of the ceremony, a flock of white birds are released as Robin and Marian seal their marriage with a kiss.

  

  

A rustic forest wedding in defined by the setting and the elements used for decoration.  Everything should to kept simple using only items generally found in the forest, such as leaves and twigs, flowers, berries and nuts (acorns or pinecones) and then supplement the decorations with an abundance or flowers to create a beautiful natural setting for the cememony.

Below is a list of ideas and suggestions for a rustic forest wedding:

• A rustic style wedding ceremony can take place in a forest setting similar to the location of Robin’s Sherwood Forest. Check with the local National or State Parks in the area for the perfect forest setting but always ask about permits and restrictions that might be required which will take some advanced planning.  Local city parks with large trees could also be a great alternative and will probably be more cost effective eliminating a destination wedding.   Even better still is if you live on a property with a forest area or perhaps known a relative or friend that has a similar setting.

 

photo from pinterest

• Decorations for the wedding ceremony site should be relatively simple so as not to distract from the forest setting but should compliment the beauty of the location. An example as shown in the above photo uses ferns and white flowers lining the aisle.   Another example shown below is wooden stumps placed on both sides of the aisle with candles inside glass containers for fire safety (bettery operated candles could also be used)  Still another suggestion would be to wrap floral garlands around the trunks of the trees.

  

photos from pinterest

• Some decorations for the wedding reception are shown in the photos below. The first photo picnic tables are covered with simple white tablecloths.  The second photo shows a more elaborate table covering of sheet moss and flowers.  Another alternative to table decorations is shown in the third photo with a candelabra completely covered with Spanish moss and flowers.  The fourth photo shows a simple buffet table with a beautiful floral arrangement.

  

  

photos from pinterest

• In keeping with a rustic theme, for the wedding cake display I would suggest using a tree stump to elevate the cake, the table top can be embellished with sheet moss and the cake can be decorated with fresh flowers as shown in the first photo. The second photo shows an example of a rustic style cake topper which features a moss base, a pair of “love birds” and a heart made from twigs.

photos from pinterest

• Shown below are two examples for the bride or the bridesmaid bouquets. The first is a large cascading bouquet and the second is a smaller bouquet for the bride or perhaps the bridesmaids.  Both bouquets are accented with leaves and berries.

photos from pinterest

• Shown below are some examples for bridal accessories for the bride and bridesmaids using flowers, berries and leaves. Any of these floral hair accessories would look wonderful with hair styled in soft curls or more elaborate “updos”.

photos from pinterest

• Finally, shown below are two examples for the ringpresentations, the first features a bird’s nest lined with Spanish moss and the second shows a moss covered square.  (Important Tip: be sure to secure the rings and tie them with ribbon)

photos from pinterest