Outdoor Marriage: Seven Things That Could Ruin The Wedding

Outdoor marriages are a very valid alternative to traditional indoor weddings. Saying the vows in the open air, whether in the garden of one’s home or on a sandy beach, is incredibly romantic and also a great experience for all the guests to remember.

Still, there are several things that you need to consider as outdoor marriage is far from fail-safe. Lots can go wrong during an outdoor wedding, so you are advised to read this list carefully to avoid any trouble.

1) You should put the utmost care into ensuring that your guests will be comfortable before, during and after the ceremony. Of course, this applies especially to older guests, but you should also think about children, who could become unruly if bored. Don’t forget to take the weather and season into account, and to provide protection against the elements, such as a biting winter wind, or a hot summer sun.

2) Make sure that there are enough liquids for people to drink, especially water, and hot drinks such as tea or punch if it’s winter. If you want to make some alcoholic drinks available outside before or after the ceremony, a selection of cocktails is a good alternative to the usual champagne.

3) Decoration is key to every successful wedding. While outdoor locations will need less refurbishment than indoor ones, you should still provide plenty of flowers, and a nice backdrop to the wedding ceremony. If you are getting wed in a garden, make sure beforehand that the lawn has been cut and the plants tended to!

4) Dedicate special attention to the nose and sound situation. All the guests want to hear the ceremony unfolding, so heavy surf or some other background noise are unwelcome. Use a microphone and loudspeakers if necessary.

5) Think insects. If the season is conductive to flying and stinging bugs, put out scented citronella candles and make anti-insect bite lotions available to your guests, especially if the ceremony is at dusk.

6) Don’t forget to check if you need any special permits to hold the marriage ceremony at the chosen location. Having to postpone everything at the last minute just because some paperwork is missing is a true nightmare scenario.

7) Have a substitute location, preferably indoors, in the case that the weather turns bad. You wouldn’t want to be caught out in a rainstorm during your outdoor wedding, so make sure that you can retreat to a roof over your head for a more traditional marriage ceremony, if necessary.

OutdoorMarriage.com is the premier resource for outdoor weddings on the Net, with guides on matters such as how to seasonal outdoor marriage, as well as on how to choose the venue, what to serve for food & drink – and much more!

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