16 Ways to Decorate Your Wedding Car (& Why You Tie Cans to It!)
Whether you go for ribbons, flowers, stickers or cans, these are the best wedding car decoration ideas that'll ensure you leave your venue in style
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It's a classic wedding film moment - the happy couple driving off into the distance with tin cans trailing behind and a 'just married' sign hanging onto the boot. Well, you too can exit your wedding venue rom-com style by decking your lift out in wedding car decorations.
Whether you're booking a wedding car or using your own vehicle, it's actually super simple to decorate a wedding car and it can be really effective. Think personalised stickers, bunting, balloons and floral garlands.
We've compiled the best wedding car decoration ideas that you can easily attach yourself, as well as breaking down how to do it with expert tips from Suzie Goodman of Kushi Cars.
16 Wedding Car Décor Ideas for a Stylish Exit
1. Personalised Wedding Vehicle Sticker - £19, Not On The High Street
These wedding vehicle decals are easy to apply (and remove the next day) - choose a just married sticker or a personalised option with your names and wedding date. They can be stuck to any surface of the car, including the windows, but if applying to the doors remember to order one for each side.
2. Personalised Wedding Car Ribbon - from £5.50, Etsy
Adorn your wedding car with this beautiful personalised ribbon. You can pick from lots of different colours, including metallic, and add an adorable emoji. The reviews state that it will survive on a car all day - even in brutal wind and rain!
3. Just Married Wedding Car Sticker - £8.95, Etsy
Keep your wedding car decoration simple with this just married sticker. It will look lovely on a classic white vehicle and it's a bargain at less than £9. We love the idea of pairing it with gorgeous pink blooms.
4. Just Married Wooden Sign - from £25.45, Etsy
A just married wooden sign will be the perfect addition to a vintage wedding. It's a great idea for cheap wedding decorations as you can hang it up at your venue and then transfer to the car at the end of the day.
5. Just Married Vinyl Car Decal - £20, Not On The High Street
Match your wedding car decoration to your colour theme with this vinyl car sticker that is available in 32 different colours. Each one is supplied with instructions for fitting and an applicator so you won't have to worry about it going wrong.
READ MORE: 31 DIY Wedding Decoration Ideas
6. Love Wedding Car Décor - £22.99, Etsy
Your wedding car will certainly stand out if you opt for this rose gold balloon and tassel decoration. The set includes love letters, a garland, peach satin ribbon, suction cups, fishing line and rose gold balloons.
7. Just Married Tin Cans - from £32.57, Etsy
Go old-school and opt for the wedding tradition of just married tin cans. These recycled tins are really retro and are completely customisable with any designs, words or colours that you choose.
8. White Blossom Flower Garland - £26.50, Not On The High Street
When decorating your wedding car with flowers, it's important to go for décor that you can easily attach and won't fall off. This garland not only looks beautiful, it has a 3.5 metre length of natural rope for simple application.
9. I Said Yes Wedding Car Sticker - from £5.99, Etsy
Let everyone know you just married the love of your life with this 'I said yes' wedding car sticker. Pick from a variety of colours and sizes to fit the vehicle and it's as easy as that! We adore the ring, heart and arrow detailing.
10. Personalised Vintage Number Plate - £14, Etsy
We suggest fastening this number plate with a ribbon or string rather than adhesives so there's no damage to the paint job. Just remember not to cover the vehicle's actual license plate when the time comes to drive away! It'll make a great keepsake.
READ MORE: 51 Beautiful Wedding Aisle Décor Ideas
11. Just Married Wedding Sticker - from £26.43, Etsy
This just married wedding sticker is the ideal size for any vehicle as it comes in several different dimensions. You can also choose the lettering to be in a colour of your choice to match the car. Simply clean the surface where you want the decal placed, peel off the adhesive film, press it on and take off the transfer film.
12. Getaway Wedding Car Tin Cans - from £70.14, Etsy
We also adore these getaway tin can wedding car decorations. They are handmade from cans, twine, paper, lace, fabric and ribbon for a really rustic finish and you can get your names and wedding date added.
13. Just Married Wedding Bunting - from £5.99, Etsy
This just married bunting will be a romantic finish to your wedding car décor. It makes a great statement and can easily be removed post-wedding. You can buy a pack of three for £12.99 and use the spare to decorate your wedding venue.
14. Tissue Paper Flower Decorations - £8.99, Not On The High Street
Faux flowers make an effective and affordable alternative to decorating you wedding car with fresh blooms - these tissue paper decorations are stunning and can be assembled by infolding and scrunching. We suggest using them as engagement party decorations and then re-using them!
15. Giant Personalised Car Bow - from £25.95, Etsy
You can't go wrong with a classic car bow - this design is made extra special as you can have the ribbon personalised with your own text. Glamorous couples who want to make a statement, this idea is for you!
READ MORE: 21 Alcohol Wedding Favour Ideas
16. Just Married Personalised Sticker - from £9.99, Etsy
From light pink to lilac, aqua, copper and mint, you'll be spoilt for choice with colour options with this just married wedding car sticker. They are able to custom cut a decal to meet your size needs and the sticker is fully waterproof.
Why Decorate a Wedding Car?
Decorating your wedding car is a really sweet way to celebrate your big day. Suzie Goodman of Kushi Cars agrees, saying: "Imagine after the confetti walk, getting into the car and all your friends waving you off. They will be cheering, clapping and taking hundreds of photos. You will feel like a celebrity!'
How to Decorate a Wedding Car?
There are lots of lovely ways to spruce up your wedding car, including trailing cans, ribbons, and floral garlands. These can be attached across the bumper, bonnet, boot or windows. Here are Suzie's top tips:
- Your wedding car choice and decorations can be as individual as you are. If your theme includes colourful florals, choose a wedding car that can have florals attached to the bumpers, bonnet and back shelf.
- Tin cans tied to the back bumper make for a great exit from the ceremony to your reception. These are fun and noisy but can damage the car so make sure they are tied securely or remove them once you have driven around the corner.
- Helium balloons tied to the door handles are impactful and fun. They can be used again for your couple shots and to decorate the reception venue.
- Fairy lights for the ‘carriages at midnight’ farewell. Soft, twinkly lights are romantic and cosy for that first journey as a married couple. Sit back, relax and reflect on your amazing day.
How to Decorate a Wedding Car with Flowers?
Many wedding florists offer services to deck your car out with wedding flowers, or you can ask your transport company if they include decorations that will fit your theme.
"Some cars, such as Morris Minors, camper vans and tractors are easy to decorate with fresh or faux flowers on the bumpers," explains Suzie.
How to Decorate a Wedding Car with Ribbon?
Ribbons and bows across the bonnet and on door handles are one of the easiest and most traditional of decorations. Suzie recommends matching the ribbons to your wedding theme, "for example, if your florals include eucalyptus, ask your wedding car company to decorate the car with green ribbons."
Why Do You Put Tin Cans on a Wedding Car?
It seems strange to add beautiful flowers and ribbons to decorate your wedding car, then to tie on a load of old tin cans, but it's believed that this strange wedding tradition dates back many, many years when guests would throw shoes at the newlyweds' carriage for good luck. This then morphed into the tradition of tying shoes to the carriage for luck - and to scare away malicious spirits - and over time, it became tin cans that people tied on, for maximum noise.
A picture of you and your partner in your wedding car is a must! Here are even more wedding photo ideas that you definitely need to capture
