Planning an outdoor wedding can be a delightful experience, be it in nature or even in a city setting. However, ensuring the comfort of your guests is paramount. Thoughtful details to create a welcoming setting goes a long way in securing a wonderful and memorable experience. With these expert rules of thumb and tips, you’ll have it figured out how to plan an outdoor wedding in no time.
1. Relief From The Heat
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When throwing an outdoor wedding, the heat can sometimes be overwhelming. Doubling up as gifts, folding fans or sunglasses can be useful to help provide relief from the heat. Take it up a notch with parasols, not to mention they would look lovely as props when your guests are taking photos after.
2. Work Out A Contingency Plan
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The weather can be unpredictable, no matter the prediction. Having a contingency plan is ideal for any outdoor wedding. With all your family and friends dolled up, it would be vital to keep them out of the rain.
Ensure your venue provides sufficient number of umbrellas for the number of guests you would be expecting. They should be kept on stand by but out of sight. As always, play it safe with a venue that has a back-up indoor location available should the weather get out of hand.
3. Stick To Buttercream or Fondant
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Apart from having the aesthetics on point, make sure your baker knows the wedding will be held outdoors. Depending on where you’re celebrating, ask your baker for advice. Fondant tend to weather the heat better, but even fondant sweat in the heat and colours may run. As for buttercream, your baker will likely tweak his or her recipe to include stabilisers, such as shortening or starch. At the same time, opt for sturdy decorations.
4. Shy Away From Stilettos
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To avoid getting your shoes stuck constantly in the ground, best to stick to comfortable shoes excluding thin heels. What’s best would be wedges or chunky-heels. However, if you ‘insist on heels’ve set your heart on stilettos, remember to pack heel stoppers!
5. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!
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Make sure a hydration station is within easy reach of your guests. Jazz things up with cool infused water, coconut drinks, fruit juices, cold desserts or non-alcoholic punches. And keep it flowing!
6. Keep Pests At Bay
The last thing you’ll want to see are guest swatting away at mosquitoes or bugs. Set up industrial fans around, circulating the air is key to keeping them away. Talk to your florist, consider including bug-fighting blooms such as mint, lavender, petunias, and chrysanthemums in your decor to keep those pesky buys away. Finally, prepare organic bug sprays and patches on each seat, that way, your guests can enjoy the occasion in comfort. Remember to also keep food stations covered.
7. Think About Accessibility
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When selecting an outdoor space, pay attention to the distance that location may be from the main building or parking area. Expecting disabled or elderly guests? Will there be amenities that will be usable by everyone? Is the beach easily accessible? Does the resort provide buggy services? Where are the bathrooms? These are just some small details that may be easily overlooked when you’re being caught up in the romance of it all.
8. Keep the Guest List Small
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Cutting down the number of guests you’ll have doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on your dream wedding. The amount of money saved could provide you with more room in your budget to ensure that your guests’ could be spoilt with more creature comforts.
9. Ditch The Photobooth
An advantage of an outdoor wedding is the environment. Whether it is a beach or garden, the outdoors make the best canvas for digital mementos.
10. Keep Your Guests Informed
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Make sure that details on a wedding invitation would translate well. It should be obvious to your guests that celebrations would be held outdoors. Guide your guest on the dress code, down to their footwear. It helps to relay as much information needed as possible on what to expect during the day.
11. Floor Rentals
Throwing a dinner party on the lawn or the beach? Remember to factor in adequate flooring rentals. Floor rentals should not be limited to just the dance floor. A stable ground will allow your guests to have a place to ‘retreat’ from the effort of navigating the uneven lawn or sand and encourage them to mingle.
12. Cater Your Menu to the Outdoors
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If you’ve decided to throw an outdoor reception, this is your chance take advantage of the outdoors and treat your guest to something they would otherwise not be able to enjoy in an indoor reception. Think a live satay cooking station, a BBQ or a spit roast over fire.
13. Get Your Timing Right
Choosing the most suitable time to host your wedding would also benefit your guests. You wouldn’t want your guest to get caught up during the rainy season for a beach or garden wedding, so choose your dates wisely. A ceremony later in the evening followed by reception would be more comfortable as the sunsets and temperature cools.
14. Consider a Tent
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They don’t have to look tacky! Stay with neutral fabrics. And if your budget permits spruce them up, use natural florals , rattan lampshades or chandeliers accordingly. Not only does it provide shelter, it’s one less thing to worry about if the weather should turn.
15. Go Creative With Ceremony Seating
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Unbound by four walls, a unique layout in an outdoor setting can often provide a twist to the traditional arrangements. Play around with atypical furnitures like benches, wooden fold-out chairs or wooden crates. Be sure to make sure they are sturdy and comfortable for your guests. Creating meandering pathways, a circle formation or multiple entryway can make your ceremony feel more inclusive and cosy, ensuring everyone is in on the action.
16. Be Clever With Floral Selections
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Be open to suggestions by your wedding planner and florists on types of flowers that hold better in the heat – steering clear of wildflowers, lily of the valley, gardenias, and such as these choices are delicate and can wilt quickly in extreme weather. Leaning into tropical flowers or foliage may safe you some headache when it comes to worrying about wilting plants.
17. Illuminate Your Space
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A well-lit space is probably one of the most overlooked and underrated elements in a wedding decoration. Lighting has the power to transform any venue. It also plays a vital role in setting the mood for the whole event. Plus, it gives photographers the opportunity to capture beautiful wedding pictures using the additional visual elements.
18. Dress The Bridal Party Well
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Dress your bridal party in light and breezy clothing, lean towards breathable fabrics like linen, cotton and silk. Dress groomsmen and pageboys down, opt out of stuffy ties and suits. For the ladies and girls, go for lighter silhouettes, avoiding big dresses with layers and sleeves for a casual look that fits the outdoors
