Tips on Planning an Outdoor Wedding

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By Pennie Packard


Outdoor Wedding
Outdoor Wedding

Choose an Alternative Wedding Date and Outdoor Wedding Location

For the happy couple planning a wedding in the near future, consider an outdoor wedding. The great outdoors can be a beautiful setting for a wedding.

Planning ahead is a must since getting married outdoors adds a lot of variables to an already hectic day. Before honing in on the site, be sure to choose a prime date as well as a secondary date.



Choose the Wedding Date

Choosing the wedding date first is a good idea, since a time-frame will be needed to obtain use of a location, once one is established. For an outdoor wedding, the weather will be a major consideration. In some locations, winter is definitely out, while in more tropical settings, winter might be the best time. Now that a date is chosen, choose a second one in case the location is not available for the first date.

Learn what the temperatures and weather patterns are in the location of interest and then select a date to coincide with the best weather. Guests don't want to be sitting in the blazing sun for an hour waiting for the wedding to begin, but they also won't enjoy a biting northeast wind.


The Perfect Beach Wedding
The Perfect Beach Wedding

Choose the Wedding Location

When selecting an outdoor wedding location, several ideas come to mind: the parents' backyard, a city or state park, or the beach. Each individual couple may have a place with special significance to them as well. Whatever the choice, there are some considerations.

Is the size of the proposed wedding location appropriate for the number of guests that will be attending? Is there a stage-like area, maybe a pavillion, where the wedding couple and their attendants can be arranged? Is this going to be a very elaborate outdoor wedding with lots of flowing gowns and high-heeled shoes? If so, a sandy beach may not be the best selection.


Get it in Writing

Once the wedding date and outdoor wedding location have been selected, as mentioned before, it is a good idea to select alternative dates and locations as well, in the event that the wedding location is not available on the desired date. After these selections have been determined, at the first opportunity, see if the location is available on the preferred date. If not, another date or location will have to be used, so being prepared with a second choice can allay some disappointment while keeping the scheduling moving along.

For public outdoor wedding locations, be sure to get any permits or pay any fees that may be needed well in advance. Cities and counties can work very slowly, so be sure there is plenty of time available to get all the paperwork done that may be necessary to lock-in the preferred wedding location.

Be sure everyone involved knows what can or cannot be done at the outdoor wedding location. Are wedding decorations alright or simply out of the question? Is there a lot of clean-up that will need to be done after the ceremony? Do discarded wedding decorations or paperware have to be removed in a specified manner? If there is also going to be a wedding reception, can it too be held at this location or is another venue going to have to be found for that part of the wedding?

The Big Day - Ready to Say "I do."

Choosing the wedding date and wedding location are the major points in beginning to plan an outdoor wedding. Reserving the date and location are also very important so that another wedding party doesn't slip in and take the date. With some forethought and plenty of advance planning, an outdoor wedding can go smoothly.

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