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Wedding Planning Guide
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Planning Outdoor Wedding
Planning an Outdoor Wedding has some extra aspects you have to consider before you decide on one! Outdoor weddings are romantic and beautiful. However, they aren't as easy as they may look. Planning Outdoor Weddings come with additional caveats and pitfalls, but if you follow these tips, you'll be sure to shine on your wedding day. Planning Outdoor Wedding Rule #1: Weather... Sunny and hot? Don't leave your guests uncomfortably sweating - have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated. Have plenty of sunscreen on hand. For a very hot location, look into renting large electric fans (don't forget a generator) and/or a tent to shade the sun rays. Cold and damp? Make sure you tell guests that so they can wear extra layers. You might want to have lap blankets on hand, or rent portable heaters. Rain? Thunderstorm? Hurricane? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting just in case. Many couples decide to have their ceremony outside and reception inside. A tent is another option, but only for light to moderate rainstorms. A heavy rain will soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent is sturdy so it won't flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides. Wind? Many outdoor weddings suffer from windy conditions. Avoid light fabrics like chiffons and china silks in your dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Tell your hairstylist that you'll be having an outdoor wedding! Tell your guests in a printed insert so that they can plan accordingly. And of course, make sure your tent will stand up to gusting winds or find an indoor backup plan. Planning Outdoor Wedding Rule #2: Conditions Can everybody hear? When you picture your dream wedding at the beach, you're probably not hearing the roaring of the waves, the rushing wind, or the local kids running and screaming around you. Look into renting a sound system with clip mikes for the bride, groom and officiant. Your DJ or band may be able to easily arrange this for you. Can everybody see? Be aware, after the sun goes down, it will be dark. You need to make sure the tea lights and torches are going to last through the night! Decorations? One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, lessening your need to decorate. But you still need to do some work. Visit the site a few days before your wedding to make sure the grass is mown, the ground raked, and the flowers have bloomed. If your wedding is at a public park, you may want to ask the groomsmen or friends to do this the morning of your ceremony. Other decorations you may want to consider include an arch or trellis to focus the ceremony and frame the bride and groom as they say their vows; strings of lights or lanterns in the trees; luminarias; torches; or farolitas. Food? Does your caterer have experience planning an outdoor wedding menu? Make sure they're planning things that will keep well outdoors in the heat. Beverage Alcohol is dehydrating, consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas and water. Be sure to have plenty of ice as well! Bugs You might want to hire an exterminator to lay down insecticide before your wedding day. Another option is using decorated citronella torches in your wedding décor. Planning Outdoor Wedding Rule #3: Timing Consider timing your outdoor wedding for sunset where your guests will see you take your vows surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. Those having a daytime outdoor wedding should orient the ceremony so that the sun will be on guests' backs rather than in their eyes. Permits Don't forget to contact your city parks department or other local government to get a permit for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning trash removal, candle or torch lighting, and pre-wedding photography. Are you allowed to serve alcohol? Some towns have rules about the consumption of alcohol in public places. Facilities Do you have enough bathrooms? Even if you are having the wedding at a home, you may still need to rent port-a-potties. Some of you may be cringing right now, but you'd be surprised how far port-a-potties have come. Parking Issues If parking is tight, you might want to hire valets for the event. Another option is to instruct guests to park in a local parking lot and shuttle them over. Planning Outdoor Wedding Rule #4: You, the bride Shoes Don't wear high heels. If the ground is soft, you will be sinking into it! Dress Consider purchasing a dress without a train. As you walk on the grass, your train will pick up some dirt. If you have your heart set on a train, make sure you line the aisle with a runner to minimize this tendency. Hair your hair is going to be messed up after a while, because of the wind and the humidity. Be prepared! Planning Outdoor Wedding Rule #4: Have a back up plan Have a building for the back-up plan. You can plan everything perfectly! The weather- you can not! |
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