Throwing the perfect outdoor wedding sounds like it is going to be expensive, time-consuming and stressful, but actually, it’s not. If you and your groom love the idea of having something a little bit more at one with nature, then you are in luck.
Assuming you have already picked a great spot, all you have to do is follow the next few steps to get it exactly as you wish.
Outdoor venues often have arches, be they rose laden or simply painted iron. These make the perfect place to say ‘I do’ under. They frame photos beautifully, so your photographer will thank you, and often times you can decorate the plainer ones however you like.
The natural light will be fantastic for your photos – to make the most of it. Arrive early, get plenty of pictures of the location, and you in it. Before the big day, spend some time talking to the photographer and walking around the area, pick out a few spots that you would like to see in the photo selections, and you can even talk about how to pose to avoid squinting or having too much bright sunlight killing the vibe. Later afternoon heading into the golden hour can produce some of the most emotive photos, so take a look at how the day might work in terms of scheduling.
Grass and thin heels aren’t the best of friends, and some outdoor places do request that you don’t wear heels on the grass. So, in advance of all of that, recommend that your guests wear some flat shoes, or make like Oprah and use some heel protectors that stop the heels sinking in and damaging the grass and ruining the shoes.
Make hydration a priority. The outdoors is great when there is a cool breeze, but sometimes the weather is not on your side and the day becomes foundation meltingly hot. It would be an excellent idea to make sure there are plenty of drinks, and as much water as possible. Along with that, some sunblock. Not everyone will have remembered to bring things like that to be the perfect host and think ahead.
It might rain. With any outdoor event, you have to accept that much like the above point, the weather can change. In the event of rain, have a stand filled with clear plastic umbrellas that your guests can grab and remain dry and seated.
Remember lighting. If you have hired out the venue late into the evening, while summer sunsets are slow and beautiful, you should have some lighting around the perimeter of where you have hired. You can use some solar panel path lighting, or hire a generator to have some slightly larger lights.
Take care of the entertainment, live bands for weddings are basically a must when it’s outdoors. The sun slowly sets, the drinks flow and the music plays long and low into the night.
An outdoor wedding is blissful when planned with love and attention.
Photo c/o Stories Of I Do Leeds Wedding Photography
