Planning An Outdoor Wedding
5 Crucial Things To Know!
As an experienced Hudson Valley wedding planner, we've planned many outdoor weddings. They were often in tents, barns, warehouses, and open fields. Our work in unique venues has prepared us for outdoor challenges.
Couples often dream of perfect weather: sunny, 72 degrees, and calm. Yet, reality can be different. When planning your outdoor wedding, consider these:
WIND
RAIN
UNEVEN GROUND
SUN
HEAT/COLD
1 - WIND
I can't tell you how many times I've had this conversation with couples. They think a slight breeze is no big deal. But, it could send 200 menus or place cards flying across an open field, barn, or tent with no warning. It's such a simple thing to avoid. The best (and simplest) ways to avoid issues are to
Use much heavier cardstock
Tuck them into something
Weigh them down
Make them out of something heavy
Yes, a strong wind would cause more of a problem, but realistically a strong wind is going to cause a lot more problems than just losing menus and is not as common of an issue. You don't need place card holders. They can be expensive and may clutter your tablescape. Also, pocket-folded napkins aren't always the desired look.
MENUS -
Card Stock - Get a better understanding of what different weight card stocks are available. The easiest way I have found to do this is to request samples from Minted. They are free and then you have something tangible that you can get a good idea of what you're working with.
Tuck Them - Think about what you like the look of. Tuck a menu under or in a napkin. There are countless ways you can do this - hop on Pinterest. All you need to do is show your caterer and they should be able to reproduce it for you!
Weigh them down - I would just be mindful to use something new and clean (this is going where people are going to be eating) and if what you have to weigh it down isn’t heavy enough - maybe get a slightly heavier card stock AND something to sit on top!
PLACE CARDS, ESCORT CARDS & SEATING CHARTS -
Place Cards - If you have decided to assign seats at your tables. I think this is a great opportunity to add styling to your tablescape design. You can:
- Use tiles, sliced stones, or other heavy materials. They won't go anywhere.
- Tuck them under something
- Physically attach them to somethingEscort Cards/Seating Chart - I don't typically suggest having these for venues that aren't exclusively indoor spaces. But if you do decide to go that route, design something you can attach them to!
You can get creative, and have a Polaroid station asking guests to switch their escort card for a photo. Or even with seating chart cards you can string them up to secure them just in case there is a rogue breeze.
2 - RAIN:
I think we all know the importance of a good rain plan. Many don't know how tent rentals work for weather contingencies. If you can use a potential indoor space, do so. There's no reason to waste money on a tent rental if you can avoid it. But plan ahead. Be certain. Use graph paper, a CAD program, or whatever you have to. Your ceremony must fit in the space you plan to use if the weather doesn't cooperate. Also, decide early enough to switch from the sun to the rain plan. It must be practical, so it doesn't disrupt your wedding schedule. I promise, no matter how stressful the idea is in advance, it will be a lot less stressful if you have a solid plan in place. If you do need to rent a tent. It is standard to charge a percentage for holding a tent, often 30%+50%, regardless of use. You're only responsible for 100% if they actually come out and install the tent. This is vital. You pay that deposit to ensure they aren't renting the tent to another event. It guarantees the tent's availability if you need it. If the weather turns, you (and every other outdoor event in the region) will need tenting. If you wait until the last minute, tents will likely not be available for rent. So get it on hold in advance!
Bo Shim Photography
Gideon Photography
3 - UNEVEN GROUND - HEAL GUARDS & REPLACEMENT FOOTWEAR:
No matter how clearly you state it on the website, and how many times you remind your stiletto-wearing friends to choose different shoes, some of them will still wear them anyway. I highly recommend having heel guards available! You can have them at your welcome station, in the bathrooms, or even on your gift-guest book table. They are low-cost and will make the day more enjoyable for everyone, including the poorly-planned guests and their partners. I feel like this has gone to the wayside a bit in the last few years and I'm not sure why. I can't recall a wedding with flip-flops or Rescue Flats where they weren't appreciated and used by over half the women! This is true for all weddings, but more for outdoor ones with uneven ground. They make feet hurt a bit sooner. Rescue Flats can be expensive but they are reusable and, let's be honest, super cute! But, if you wait for Old Navy's sale, which (I think) is twice a year, you can typically buy a box of flip-flops for a dollar/set. You don't need to get enough for everyone, get enough for maybe a third or half the amount of people at the wedding. You will likely have some leftovers but, there were things that have extras of! Don't forget some cute baskets to put them on the edge of the dancefloor!
Joshua Brown Photography
Joshua Brown Photography
4 - SUN:
Just as bad weather can be an issue, believe it or not, so can a beautiful sunny day! If you are planning on having your ceremony out in the middle of a wide open space. It's a good idea to provide something pretty for guests to use to fan or shade themselves. Make no mistake, if you don't supply something, they will use anything they have. This could mean all your ceremony photos show guests holding random objects above their heads. Who wants that?! It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but definitely look into it!
Joshua Brown Photography
O’Malley Photography
O’Malley Photography
5 - HEAT & COLD:
HEAT: Our summers seem to be getting hotter. It's not easy to stay cool, especially outdoors. One of the best hacks I found is to get refillable ice packs. I recommend this to everyone. They typically have a fabric liner, they barely sweat if at all. And they make it so much easier to keep your core temperature down. Of course, you can get fans. Even the ones that wrap around your neck to keep you cool. But, I have not found anything that works as well as these ice packs. You can also rent large fans for your reception space. They are weather-contingent items, like the rain-plan tents.
COLD: It is in fact a lot easier to heat a space than it is to cool it! Talk to your Venue and Rental Company about tent and patio heaters. And ALWAYS be sure to TEST both before the rental company leaves. They can be life savers, but only if they are operational! :)
I hope you enjoyed this and found it helpful!