How To Plan An Outdoor Wedding
Planning a wedding can be very stressful but good organisation should make all go smoothly. The first thing will normally be to find and book a venue. You can easily search online for a venue and suitable shelter for your guests – maybe you will look for marquee hire London, marquee hire Hampshire, marquee hire Kent or something similar. Make sure you include geographical information in your search so that you get a fairly local company. A marquee, though expensive, can double as a ceremony venue, a shelter for guests and somewhere to dance late into the night. It’s a good idea to confirm your rental date at least 2 weeks before the wedding.
Depending on where you choose as a venue you will need to find out whether you need permits, how long they will take to be approved and whether you will need to inform neighbours. Informing neighbours is as much for your benefit as theirs because lawnmowers and loud music can somewhat interrupt your day. You should also consider where people will be able to park and whether you need to lay on any transport yourself for guests. If you are choosing a beach, check the tide timetables and access. Invites can also go out as soon as the venue is chosen. Include a map and make it clear that the event will be outside so that guests can wear suitable attire.
When you have chosen your venue and hired a marquee or something similar you will need to plan your decorations. Be really creative and have fun with them. Natural and found items such as pebbles, shells and driftwood can be used to designate different areas. Place names can be written on pebbles which the guests can take home as wedding favours. Tables and chairs will need to be rented or borrowed. It’s cheaper to set them up yourself but you will need to enlist a few willing volunteers. You could use hay bales as seating if they fit in with your decorating scheme. If you want music you will need to decide on whether this is going to be live band, a DJ or a combination of both. They will need to be booked well in advance and you will need to confirm any special needs e.g. electrical points, food, drink, changing rooms and shelter. For the ceremony you may need a sound sytem with a lapel microphone so that everyone can hear properly. Ambient noise can stop guests hearing properly the main proceedings. Consider whether you will need heaters or fans at your venue. Extremes of heat or cold will not be pleasant for you or your guests.
Lighting also needs to be thought about. Choose something that will create an atmosphere but that gives enough light so that people can actually see where they are going. Electrical lights will need power so consider if you will need extension leads and if the sockets and leads are suitable for outdoor use. Canles can be great for lighting paths – try them in wighted apper bags and don’t forget the spares.
Your catering will need to be thought about well in advance. What will guests eat and drink? Who will pay for it? Who will prepare food and drinks and where will it be cooked and served? Do you need serving staff or will guests help themselves? Will you need snacks to keep people going between meals? Do any guests have special dietary requirements and do you have enough non-alcoholic beverages? Check well in advance whether you will need an alcohol licence. Food can be formal, casual, themed or buffet. If people are bringing their own food it will need to be a coordinated effort. If there is a long time with guests doing nothing or long periods between food then you will definitely need free flowing snacks. The bar bill can be one of the most expensive parts of the whole event but it needn’t be. You will need to decide wheteher to have a free bar or a paid bar. As a note, champagne for the toast is usually free to guests. Using a wholesaler for your alcohol can help keep costs down. Also look out for deals in the months leading up to your wedding date. As the big day approaches keep an eye on approaching weather fronts. Wind, rain and too much sun can all cause problems. The ideal weather conditions will be slightly overcast (to avoid squinting, glare on the photos and sunstroke).
A splash of rain needn’t be the end of your outdoor plans. Provide large umbrellas for guests that you have decorated for the occasion using waterproof materials and pens. Duck boards are a good idea to use as path as they stop your guests getting stuck in muddy grass!
Sunblock will be useful if the day turns out to be really sunny and a wrap will be useful for if it gets cooler. A back up plan should be created to cover you for the possibility of bad weather conditions or any other unforeseen circumstances. The best idea is to make a list of potential problems and address each one.
If you do need your plan B, you need to be sure who will make the decision to switch plans, how will you tell everyone and how you will move them all? Weather can change quickly a plan change can happen at very short notice.
However you go about your plans, creating a well thought about ‘to do’ list will ensure you don’t overlook anything important and that everything gets done on time. Make sure the plans are within budget and easy enough to arrange. But most of all don’t forget to enjoy the build up to your big day!
Once all your organising is done, there is nothing more you can do but hope that all things conspire to make your wedding everything that you hoped and dreamt of.
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