Outdoor weddings and receptions are amazing! They are so beautiful and often feel so tailored to the specialness of the bride and groom. Like the whole giant sky is opened up to show how limitless the possibilities are when this bride and groom are together. The sturdy trees or rustling grasses of their outdoor wedding stands deeply rooted like this couple as they’re surrounded by everyone they love.
You can tell I’m a fan of outdoor weddings. But, hey wait, I am a fan of all weddings! I have loved, LOVED every single wedding I’ve shot. And I’ve photographed over one hundred so I’ve seen my share of outdoor and indoor weddings and receptions. There are definite advantages to both choices. And neither is right or wrong. Something unexpected pops up at both and it usually makes a great memory!
This recent minimalist outdoor wedding that I photographed on the family’s homestead seemed to glow so brightly the sky couldn’t hold it all in. Isn’t it just the best?
Let’s explore how outdoor weddings offer you a blank slate and a perfect spot for the big day with a little advance planning.
1.Venue Reflects You
It’s so fun to find yourself in the middle of a couple’s story at a wedding or a reception that reflects perfectly who they are. The venue just feels like the bride and groom.
Choosing an outdoor reception area or wedding spot gives you a chance to invite folks into “your world”. You can have your special day in a childhood backyard, the park where he proposed, the warm sandy beach, or the backdrop of a towering mountain you both love. An outdoor wedding venue offers you the opportunity to say, “Hey, this is us. We love it here and want to make a memory with you here.”
Outdoor receptions or weddings can make a fun, memorable experience for you and your guests.
2. Save Money
If saving money is a goal or necessity for your wedding or reception, an outdoor space might help. You skip the venue deposit and fee. But you incur some other expenses not normally associated with an indoor wedding. There can be a tradeoff of dollars, but if the tradeoff still tips the scales to savings side, then you win!
3. Costs To Account For
A free venue like a family barn or a backyard is great! Planning for a comfortable day outside for all guests, most couples end up renting multiple items to make their special day the best:
- Permits, Insurance
- Seating
- Tables
- Linens, Dinnerware
- Catering or Food prep essentials
- Restrooms (1 toilet for every 35 guests)
- Dance floor
- Delivery fees for remote sites
- Bug discouragement (citronella torches, extermination days beforehand)
- Tents (Shade, wind, rain covering)
- Parking attendants
- Clean-up crew or a pre-clean crew or both
This list isn’t exhaustive and may also contain items you won’t need or don’t have to pay for.
Jot down your own list of things you’ll need outside and research some prices associated with each. That way you get an accurate idea of the costs for a “free” venue like a friend’s lakefront beach.
4. Plan B Makes For Peaceful Planning
As with any large party or event, you have to plan ahead. The decision to get married outside or to have your reception outdoors requires a little additional planning. You really need a Plan A and a Plan B. Depending on your venue, time of year, and weather forecast it’s best to make some contingency plans.
Don’t skip this step.
Plan for a dry day and rainy-day wedding. Or a day with snow or without snow. Wind or no wind. Think through the possible external forces that may affect your outdoor wedding day and make some plans.
For weather make sure you think about daytime temps and nighttime too. Often a hot summer day can turn into a brisk evening once the sun goes down. Do you need to have a stash of umbrellas, towels, fans, portable heaters, or daytime shade? If you need shade and there aren’t any natural options consider building some shade or renting a tent.
There are tons of great tent options. Ones to build, ones to rent. Most receptions benefit from the protection of a tent. You can make your outdoor space less windy, well lit, drier, and even cooler when you have the overhead help of a tent. Generators hooked up to fans or heaters, whatever you need, make a tented area a super enjoyable place to dance the night away or sit and chat.
You can think it through down to the smallest helps you’d like, but know that your guests are also going to more-than-likely come prepared with jackets, or hats, or fans too.
Some brides order shoe savers for their wedding party. Squishy grass or a rocky beach can ruin a pair of heels pretty quickly. You could offer a basket of shoe sole savers for guests too. Little details sometimes make the biggest difference.
5. Seat Your Guests
The rule of thumb for outdoor wedding seating is you need chairs for everyone if your ceremony is longer than ten minutes. And you always need to have seating available for elderly guests or those with special conditions.
For your reception, consider creating cozy seating areas for 4-12 people with couches and chairs brought in. Adding some fun chairs can totally create that space. So, whether you are renting beautiful white chairs, or some funky boho chairs, it’s totally worth it! It can totally save money on other decor since the chairs add so much to your special space.
Long banquet tables work great, but so do round tables. The seating hangout spots offer an additional spot to decorate and create your special look in the tented or outdoor area.
6. Fun Food
Outdoor receptions allow for a wider variety of fun foods. Something about an outdoor venue throws out the rulebook on the usual wedding food fair. The bride and groom can lay out bibs and mallets for everyone as they host a giant crab fest or host a festive of pig roast or pile the venue high with BBQ ribs that smell amazing!
Imagine family style dishes being passed up and down the table by your favorite people in the world. Nothing tops that!
A gorgeous charcuterie board is a practical and beautiful trend! Imagine providing a hearty, yummy appetizer and creating a gorgeous table topper at the same time. Anything goes on your board, but most boards feature cured meats, cheeses, dips, crackers, fresh herbs, berries, dried fruits, and more. A charcuterie board really adds to the esthetic while serving up beauty and great eats.
Outdoor foods can be playful like chicken satay skewers, waffles and donuts for brunch, grilled veggie-kabobs, watermelon, snow cones, homemade ice cream, a hot chocolate bar, or s’mores. It really is very easy! All you do is plug in a generator and you’re set for food and fun!
Most bakers suggest waiting until the sun is down to serve dessert, if possible. It saves some of the worry of extra heat not playing nicely with frosting or frozen treats. They suggest you consider the possible outdoor temps or temperature range when choosing between cake fondant (better on a hot day) and buttercream (better on cooler days) for your wedding cake.
7. Flowers And Decorations For An Outdoor Wedding
Keep in mind the outdoor influences when you choose decorations for your wedding or reception. Wind can present some challenges, but it can also be a lovely, soothing part of your special day. Just don’t let it catch you off guard.
Keep wind and other weather-related factors, or even the distance from a kitchen, in mind when planning your ceremony and reception food and decorations.
Experts suggest your use sprigs of rosemary, lavender, mint and thyme on your festive reception tables as natural pesticides. Avoid baby’s breath, scabiosa, and peonies they draw pests. If you love one of those—go for it, just select its placement wisely. Up high where they can be seen, but any “visitors” won’t be noticed.
Pick hearty blooms if you anticipate a hot day. Succulents or other plants work well as do greenery options or non-perishable items.
Citronella torches or candles help keep the night scratch-free. Just remember to keep any candles in deep vases so they aren’t as likely to be blown out by the wind.
8. Eyes On The App
I hate to bring up the weather again, but we all know that we are not in control of it. It’s a spirited daily reminder that God is in control and not us. So, I recommend you get a good weather app and use it. Don’t check it every five minutes a week out, but don’t put your head in the sand either.
Don’t wait too long to make the call.
If it’s going to downpour all day long and you need to communicate other plans do so as early as possible. If it’s going to downpour, but you have plans in place to make your outdoor venue work great, communicate that too. Reassure your guests that rain is in the forecast, but you will proceed as planned.
Reminding guests to check a website for updates is often a nice way to keep everyone in the loop.
Just don’t hesitate so long that the decision is made too late for you or others to adjust.
9. Tell Them What’s Up
Since every outdoor space is unique you may want to post a few signs for your guests.
Use well-placed, multiple signs to communicate:
- the location of bathrooms,
- which way to the reception from the ceremony, or
- even a polite note about whether you are encouraging hashtags and photos of your big day or if you’d like folks to refrain.
Sharing the stars in your eyes with everyone you love under the stars in the sky can be an incredible way to start your life as Mr. and Mrs. Together.
There really is nothing more amazing than to see a couple exchange their “I Do’s” and be showering with love and the special toasts in an outdoor venue that really means something to them. Imagine your first dance under swaying trees, the cool of the forest, or on the grass you played on as a child.
With a little advanced planning, an outdoor reception and wedding can be a huge hit and a day no one will ever forget! Take your day outdoors and the sky’s the limit!