Outdoor weddings are amazing. They say the best room in the house is outside.
We love outdoor weddings … when they are done right.
You don’t own a crystal ball, so you won’t know the weather on the day of your wedding.
There are months that it is definitely more inclined to rain, so do your research.
It’s ALWAYS very important to have a back up option in case of rain of course.
But let’s focus on the things you might NOT have considered if you are having an outdoor wedding other than the rain.
Rain is what everyone thinks of first, but there are definitely other elements of weather to consider and some elements that have nothing to do with weather at all!
Having an outdoor ceremony in summer?
Have you considered the time of the day?
Where will the sun be? Will it be beating down on your guests?
If so, how are the elderly guests going to cope?
Have you thought of providing at least some umbrellas and hand held fans?
How about sunscreen to avoid burns?
Is a water station going to be available?
What about an outdoor reception in the summer?
There is nothing nicer than being outside on a summer night.
Have you considered how many flies or mosquitoes might make it less than ideal?
Perhaps a few mosquito coils and insect repellent wouldn’t go astray, but who is taking care of that?
What if it DOES rain during the night?
Have you hired entertainment?
Whilst guests can quickly run and stay dry when it starts to rain, entertainers have a LOT of expensive equipment to pack up.
Not only will their equipment be ruined by the rain, it’s also extremely dangerous as they or your guests could be electrocuted.
Consider hiring a small marquee to put your entertainment under just in case it does rain.
Remember too, with entertainment outside, sound travels further, so consider if you will get any noise complaints and have your wedding shut down.
If you are having an outdoor wedding away from mains power, have you hired a generator big enough to power everything you need?
We once did a wedding that hired a very large, trailer based generator. The hire company told them it would be plenty for their needs.
It wasn’t.
Sadly, all night the power kept cutting out because the caterers were running deep fryers which REALLY drain the power big time.
Every time they dropped the fryer, the power cut out.
The fryers along with the lights, our sound system, ovens and anything else saw it cutting out frequently.
Even right in the middle of the bridal dance.
If you are having your cake on display outdoors in summer, often the frosting drips off it.
Not only that, I have seen way too many cakes in heat collapse completely in on themselves.
Very disappointing considering how much some of these cakes cost, leaving not much left to cut for the cake cutting ceremony.
What about winter weddings outdoors?
The good thing about winter is there is a significantly less chance of rain, but when it DOES rain in winter, it tends to “set in” for a few days instead of a quick storm that comes and goes.
So, you decided to have an outdoor winter wedding reception.
You have no doubt thought about heating for your guests.
You’ve hired a few gas heaters, maybe even having a bonfire.
Blankets are a great idea to have in a basket for anyone that wants to grab one.
What about your vendors?
Is your entertainment also being kept warm?
I’ve tried playing the guitar with freezing fingers and it’s really difficult to do.
The result of freezing fingers meant that a lot of songs with more intricate guitar work simply couldn’t be done.
This limited the amount of songs I could play.
Are your caterers going to be kept warm too?
Did you hire a heater for them?
Trips to portable toilets outdoors in winter is one of the most unpleasant experiences for your guests.
It’s usually cold and dark. Ensure you have a well lit area if you are hiring toilets.
It’s a balancing act between placing them TOO close and too far away.
You don’t want your guests walking though the cold for too long, but also don’t want them in all the shots for the photographer or too much in view.
Let’s face it, portable toilets are made to be functional, not pretty.
Whilst it’s possible to keep warm dancing if you are dancing like crazy, it’s not an aerobic workout.
Most guests, if they are feeling cold, will tend to sit and huddle up, or stand around a heater.
Dancing outdoors in winter is pretty rare when it’s cold.
We hope this article has been helpful to you in considering some of the factors of an outdoor event.
Warmly,
Nik & Nat Reeds
