If your dream is to get married outside, here’s a guide that can help you set up that magical day. You’ll never forget your wedding with these must-have items.
Are you ready to have your dream wedding outdoors?
Planning an outdoor wedding can be stressful and exciting at the same time. It’s also one of the best ways to see how you and your partner deal with big life events such as this.
With so many factors to consider, outdoor weddings can be difficult to plan. If it’s your first time planning an outdoor wedding, don’t worry because you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ve got some helpful tips to help you plan the perfect outdoor wedding.
- Keep an Eye on the Clock
It’s easy to lose track of the time when you’re planning an outdoor wedding. Researching and talking to vendors alone can eat up a lot of your time. Before you know it, you have no choice but to rush your wedding planning.
Time feels like it moves fast, especially when you least expect it. While you’re setting up camp, make sure you get something done for every day you get closer to the wedding date.
Don’t forget that you can’t do all the wedding planning by yourself. Keep your partner in the loop and ready to help. Let your parents and friends support you by helping out in the planning.
- Know the Pros and Cons of an Outdoor Venue
If you’re having your wedding outdoors, you want to at least consider all the possible outdoor venues. You also want to get some basic knowledge of the pros and cons of each venue. Some venues are cheaper or easier to manage than others.
For example, a beach wedding can be relaxing if prepared right. However, the salty breeze can affect your hair and décor. Plus, a wedding held in hurricane season or during high tide can lead to cancellation.
A winery is a great space for a quiet and private wedding. However, it can be difficult to find a winery that allows weddings. It’s also an uncomfortable place during summer.
- Keep Your Budget and Extra Expenses in Mind
Depending on where you’re having your wedding, it can be expensive or very cost-effective. For example, it’s typical for a barnyard wedding to be cheaper than a hotel wedding. However, the total expenses can be the same if you don’t watch out for the extra costs.
Understand your budget well and know what extra costs you need or can skip out on. Note that this doesn’t mean you can skimp out on the essential outdoor wedding supplies. For example, you and your guests still need a place to relieve yourselves during the event so it’s only smart to have a wedding porta potty.
- Light Up Your Wedding Outdoors
Lighting is another challenge in holding an outdoor wedding, especially one that lasts till evening. The trouble with outdoor weddings is that it can go dark fast in a literal sense. You’d have to install and plan the lighting for it.
A sunset beach wedding is great, but what happens after the sun goes down? If you’re marrying in an area far from an electricity source, you need lighting that doesn’t rely on electricity. It can be candles or torches, but these alternatives have their hazards too.
In any case, you’d still need to get a generator for the DJ, sound system, and caterer’s kitchen appliances. When you’re setting up, get an electrician to check and survey the setup. This way, you know how much power you need for your dream wedding.
- Keep Everyone Hydrated
Don’t forget to hydrate, even when you’re already swept up in the excitement of the wedding. You also want to have water and ice always available to the guests. This is very important if you’re holding a wedding in a dry, warm, or humid venue.
This also applies to weddings held in the summer or warm climates. You don’t want a guest to fall unconscious or get dizzy because of dehydration. Dancing and eating also make people thirsty.
- Make a Bug-Free and Windproof Space
When you’re doing your outdoor wedding planning, keep the natural elements in mind. If you’re picking flowers or plants for décor, choose natural pesticides. For example, lavender, rosemary, mint, and thyme are natural bug deterrents.
Are you having a wedding near a body of water? If it’ll attract mosquitos, bring citronella torches or candles to your venue. If the wedding is on your property, you can also get an exterminator to spray the site 48 hours beforehand.
If you’re holding a wedding in a windy area, you want to make sure the blooms you pick can stand the gusts and rain. Roses, zinnias, and dahlias are perfect for windy or rainy weather. Don’t forget to place them in vases or centerpieces that won’t tip over at a blow of wind.
- Keep Guests Cool/Warm
Don’t forget the temperature when you plan an outdoor wedding. Remember, your guests want to come in their best theme-appropriate dresses and suits. Most formal and fancy suits and gowns don’t have a weatherproof design.
As a wedding planner, you must transform the venue into a wonderful and comfortable space perfect for a celebration. That includes keeping the possible weather outcomes in mind. Basic knowledge of the seasons in the locale will help a ton here.
If you know there’s a chance of rain, you want to get tents that can keep the guests dry. If you know there’s a chance of cold nights, you want to keep enough portable heaters around. If you know that the outdoor venue can be dry and warm, prepare fans and portable AC units.
You can hope for the best but always prepare for the worst.
- Have a Strategic Plan B
Speaking of preparing for the worst, it’s always smart to have a Plan B in mind. Murphy’s Law says that things will go wrong in any situation if given the chance. You want to prepare for that situation, no matter what it is.
An outdoor wedding has too many uncontrollable and/or unknown factors. You can’t control some of these factors, but you can control your reaction to them. It’s better to stay ready for anything rather than be clueless and confused.
Over the last five years, the average wedding has had a consistent rise in cost. Reports say that weddings now cost over $32,000 on average. Since it’s a major life event, couples will pursue their dream wedding no matter what the cost.
Canceling a wedding can cause a major setback to the couple and some of those involved. Thus, you want to be as prepared as you can be.
Get Your Dream Outdoor Wedding
As a final tip, always remember to have fun. Don’t micromanage or stress out on the minutiae. Remember, a lot of good things also come from spontaneous decisions.
That’s it for our guide on how to plan the perfect outdoor wedding. We hope you picked up something useful in this guide on planning a wedding outdoors. If you want to learn more about wedding planning, check out our other guides.
