Your Guide To Outdoor Wedding Weather
That said, an outdoor wedding can add complexity to your wedding planning. The weather isn’t always in your favour, so a belt-and-braces approach is often best, with contingency plans ready to seamlessly slot into place.
Marvellous Marquees
Only the bravest couples would plan an outdoor wedding without a sheltered area where the reception can place. Tents of various sorts, from sunshades and gazebos to marquees and yurts, are the most flexible option. They can be set up almost anywhere, they can be hired with extra features like floors and walls, and they can be cooled or heated, depending on the weather.
Tents are also blank canvases, so couples can have fun dressing them to suit their wedding scheme. Wholesale wedding supplies are incredibly useful here, as you can invest in bulk quantities of fabric to create backdrops and to drape from the ceiling to soften and divide spaces. LED lights and candles help create atmosphere, and wedding accessories such as flowers and centrepieces add interest and drama.
Battling The Bugs
When planning an outdoor wedding, it’s tempting to accentuate the positives and overlook the negatives. However, even if you’re blessed with perfect weather on the day, one thing you can’t control is the arrival of unwanted guests in the form of flies and mosquitoes. Use citronella candles before and during your wedding to keep the bugs at bay, or use other proven deterrents to limit the impact of insects on your event. Remember to equip your toilets with copious supplies of insect repellent and sunscreen that guests can help themselves to.
Clever Catering
Outdoor venues can open up a choice of catering options that you might not have considered in a traditional ballroom setting. Rather than a formal sit-down meal, why not throw a barbecue, picnic or hog roast? Whichever option you choose, outdoor venues can pose serious challenges to your catering team. Make sure they can visit the site before the wedding and plan the equipment and space they need. If you are opting for a tented venue outdoors, the catering team may require an extra kitchen tent and access to energy and water, so bear in mind the extra costs.
In hot weather, allow for extra water and non-alcoholic drinks for guests, and consider providing wedding accessories that can help your guests negotiate the elements. Brightly coloured umbrellas, for example, can save guests’ blushes in an unexpected downpour or act as parasols to protect them from the heat of the sun.
Finally, check any restrictions and stick to the rules. If certain areas are off limits, invest in clear signage. Ensure that your DJ or musicians know and observe the music curfew. Remember, breaking a venue’s rules may make it more difficult for other couples to use that special location in future, so be considerate.
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