Planning a wedding is a huge challenge, even in normal times. From small details, like the shape and style of your jewellery, to larger concerns such as the food menu, there’s so much to keep in mind. Outdoor weddings, however, are even more challenging – and they’re now more popular than ever as couples seek to make their ceremonies as COVID-safe as possible.
An outdoor wedding can be incredibly idyllic and picturesque, and it can be a fantastic way to make your day even more special. But holding a wedding outdoors suddenly lumbers you with a whole host of potential challenges that you just don’t have with a traditional wedding venue. Here are some tips to help ensure that you sidestep the potential headaches.
1: Full Power!
This might seem like an obvious point, but making sure that everything you want for your wedding is adequately powered is a must. Picturesque fairy lights hanging from tree branches aren’t going to look that great if they’re off. That quiet jazz band playing softly into the evening can’t croon to your guests if they haven’t got the juice for their instruments. So be sure to power up your proceedings.
2: Whether you’re ready or not…
The great outdoors has its own challenges, namely unpredictable weather. Nothing can ruin your special day faster than a deluge drenching you and your guests, and destroying your cake, so outdoor tents or other types of shelter are essential. If your big day is taking place in the summer, you might want to consider a shelter for your guests to cool off, too. If you’re doing an autumn or winter ceremony, proper heating is a must. Frozen guests aren’t a good look, and neither is a mud bath, so rent yourself a dancefloor.
3: One with nature?
It isn’t just inclement weather that could ruin your day. Beautiful surroundings and a tastefully chosen gazebo can still be ruined if clouds of gnats, mosquitoes or other pests decide to eat your guests alive. Consider hiring an exterminator a few days beforehand to clear the area, or placing citronella candles on the tables. You don’t have to commune that closely with nature in an outdoor wedding. Stock village in Essex has some beautiful character and rustic venues we adore.
4: Flowers galore
To really lean into your beautiful outdoor wedding theme, you’ll need flowers – and lots of them. From sprawling rustic bouquets to vintage vases placed on each table, there are so many creative ways that flowers can bring colour and life to your wedding. If you’re going for a rustic barn aesthetic, then trailing flowers make the ideal decoration for all of those plain wooden chairs you’ll need. And as for the ceremony itself, what could be better than a glorious arch of flowers spreading over the happy couple? Our team is always on hand to support you and your ideas. View our wedding consultation steps here.
5: Caught short!
All of the planning and gorgeous surroundings, well-chosen flowers, and beautiful decor aren’t going to amount to a whole lot if your wedding ends up being a ripe affair. Make sure you hire enough bathroom facilities for your guests at around one bathroom for every 35 people. Luxury portable restroom stalls are of exceptional quality these days with things like granite countertops or flower arrangements, so you don’t have to settle for dingy, grey plastic, music festival-style portaloos.
6: Timing is everything!
A wedding is a complicated affair with a lot of moving parts, but with a traditional, indoor wedding venue a lot of the headaches are already taken care of by default (like shelter, power, and bathrooms). Planning your wedding outdoors adds more potential challenges to your special day, so maybe the number one tip with regards to planning an outdoor wedding is giving yourself enough time, not only to get everything in place but to be prepared for things to go wrong. Hopefully, they don’t, but it never hurts to have contingency plans in place.
Remembering these simple tips can help ensure your big day is as beautiful as you imagine it in your head.
Written by: Abbie Hartley
