To me, outdoor weddings are the ultimate in beauty and romance, but they can be a little tricky to pull off—and that’s not just because of weather restrictions.
Here are some tips to help you save money and still have a beautiful memory that commemorates the special day.
Here are some tips to help you save money and still have a beautiful memory that commemorates the special day.
Consider acoustics.
Don’t forget to consider acoustics for your outdoor wedding. If you’re having a relatively small wedding (say, less than 80 people) in a more confined outdoor area, then chances are you won’t need any special audio equipment for the ceremony or for outdoor dinner toasts.
If it’s a larger wedding, however, you may need to consider renting audio equipment. Although this might seem like an extra expense at first, it’s significantly cheaper than getting a live band or DJ, and will give you professional sound that your guests will love.
Let the outdoors be your decor.
One major perk to planning an outdoor wedding is that you can have all kinds of beautiful, natural scenery at your disposal.
Why not let this scenery take the spotlight by keeping your decor to a minimum? You may have all kinds of decor ideas in mind after seeing them on Pinterest—like that ornate floral chuppah or that extra intricate photobooth—but ask yourself first if those things are really necessary for your outdoor venue. In other words, try to take off some of the stress in wedding planning by letting the outdoors be your decor.
This also helps you save significant money, as flowers and decor can be a major financial drain on the wedding budget.
Research your wedding city.
Before making any commitments with any venues, you should definitely do some research on the place where you’d like to have your wedding. What is the climate generally like throughout the year?
What are temperatures, rainfall, humidity, etc. like during the month you’re shooting for? Are mosquitoes or other bugs ever of concern during warmer weather months?
These are things that you’ll want to know from the get-go to help inform the decisions you’ll be making down the road.
Make a plan for rain.
Even if you’re getting married in the desert, you absolutely must make a backup plan for rain. No matter how optimistic you may be about having nice weather on your wedding day, you simply never know.
When making a plan for rain, you generally have two options. You may either rent a tent or choose to use the indoor parts of your venue. If you would rather go with the tent option, you may want to put down a deposit on a tent just in case.
If you would rather use the indoor parts of your venue, be sure to go over the alternate floorplan with your venue coordinator. You may also want to keep a stash of umbrellas on hand in case they’d help your guests stay dry.
Make a plan for cold weather.
Even if you’re getting married in the spring, cold weather can be an issue as well. The good news is that you still can have an outdoor wedding when temperatures are somewhat chilly.
First, you can rent a tent that features side flaps, keeping the side flaps rolled up until temperatures start to drop. In addition, you could work with your tent rental company to have space heaters set up with your tent.
You might also consider offering your guests warm drinks, blankets, and/or hand warmers to keep them warm.
Make a plan for hot weather.
Hot weather, of course, can be uncomfortable for guests as well. Create a plan for shade if you think there will not be adequate shade at your wedding (such as renting a tent).
You could also place large outdoor tables at the tables at your reception, and you might offer guests fans to use during the course of the day.
Don’t forget about power.
How is the access to power at your wedding location? Will you need generators to power up the lights, speakers, caterers’ appliances, etc.?
Will it be possible to draw power from a nearby building? If you’re worried about power at all, consider having an electrician survey your setup for advice about your power needs.
Think about mosquitoes.
Ask the coordinator at your venue if mosquitoes are ever an issue with outdoor weddings. If so, plan to supply bug spray or to incorporate bug repellent candles in your decor.
Keep in mind that even if mosquitoes aren’t usually an issue, they could become one if it has rained heavily in your wedding location during the week before your wedding.
