Have you always dreamed about being married in a beautiful garden, mountain side, or beachfront location? I agree it can be magical, but there are some tips that we have learned as wedding planners that you should think about to help you plan that magical outdoor wedding.
Big number one, you have to have a rain plan! You also have to be prepared to make that decision as well. Depending on how large and complicated your wedding is, will determine when you will have to call it. For a large wedding, The French Bee ask their clients to call it on Thursday between 10am-12:00pm ( for a Saturday wedding) There are a lot of changes to tackle and we need at least that much time for these. This is where your wedding web-site comes in handy, you will want to put your new location and address there. Also you will need to let people know via word of mouth and ask people to spread the word.
If the area where you are being married is typically buggy like it is in New Bern, North Carolina, it is a good idea to have a company come spray the day before the event so your guest aren’t on the menu.
When deciding on exact spot where you will be married, take the sun into account. You do not want your guest blinded by the sun. If it is going to be hot, you might want to find a place in the shade to help keep things cooler.
Try to find a spot where chairs can sit somewhat level. It would not be good for a guest to take a tumble because the chair was not stable.
You also might want to consider some sort of refreshment before the ceremony. When guest arrive at an outdoor wedding, they typically do not go straight to their seats and sit down. They will stand around and chat and if it is hot, it is always nice to have something to drink. If you do not want them to have an alcoholic drink in their hand during your ceremony, you might want to offer only non-alcoholic drinks.
It is a really good idea to have some sort of host to greet your guest, offer them a drink and when the time comes for your guest to be seated, your host can ask them to take their seats, or help get the ushers to start exporting people. Even though people have been to a hundred weddings and you think that they will know what to do, it is always nice to have someone organizing this, so that the wedding stays on time and seams flawless.
Try to time your wedding in those months where the weather is pleasant. No one wants to sit in the heat in August or freeze in February.
So yes, an outdoor wedding is beautiful, but there just some issues that you have to be aware of and deal with, inorder for it to be a perfect wedding