Weddings Without Walls: Planning an Outdoor Wedding
One of the major decisions couples are faced with is the location of the wedding. While some future husbands and wives choose to exchange vows in traditional locations like a church or a chapel, some elect to hold their wedding ceremony in beautiful hotel banquet rooms or reception halls. Outdoor weddings are also becoming a much more common trend, and can be absolutely beautiful and romantic. But how do you begin to plan an outdoor wedding? Here are some things you’ll need to know if you’re thinking of coordinating your very special day in the open air.
First of all, hiring a wedding coordinator is still a good idea for an outdoor wedding. Many brides don’t feel as overwhelmed when they’ve decided not to hold the ceremony in a building, but things like orchestrating who will do what in the wedding and arranging decorations are best left to someone who is professionally trained to take care of these things. The bride (and groom) should always feel comfortable sharing their preferences and ideas with the wedding coordinator, but keep in mind that the wedding day should be as ‘perfect’ as possible-most people are completely nervous the day of the wedding, and leaving the bulk of the event organization to someone else will help the couple to enjoy their special day much more. Also, make sure an alternate location is discussed with the wedding coordinator, in case the weather doesn’t permit an outdoor wedding on the day you’ve selected.
If, of course, you’re especially level-headed, or have previous wedding decoration experience, it’s perfectly fine to decorate your own outdoor wedding. This can be a little simpler than arranging indoor wedding dÃ?©cor, since nature will already provide you with wonderful accents such as flowers, beach sand, mountains, or waterfalls. If the flowers in the location (i.e. a botanical garden) you’ve chosen are all one or two colors, find colors that will compliment the flowers, or try to match the exact same color(s) for your additional decorations (i.e. ribbons, pearls, fabric), and/or for the bridesmaids’ dresses and men’s tuxedo accents. Artificial flowers are also a good idea for the bride’s bouquet or bridesmaids’ corsages if you want to last longer, or if you want to use exotic colors that may not exactly match real flower shades. If you’re planning your wedding on the beach, selecting a beach with colored sand is especially romantic, and makes for sensational wedding photos. And, you can use the same tips for finding the right flower colors for beach-like accents, like seashells or starfish. National parks are also breath-taking wedding locations, and very minimal decorations are needed. The grand scenery snowcapped mountains and geysers offer are usually sufficient for couple who choose places like these to exchange vows, but adding personal touches, like additional fabric, lace, autumn leaves, or even pine cones can indeed make your ceremony memorable.
If you’ve already decided to hold your wedding outdoors, you can start considering specific locations. Beach weddings can be fantastic in U.S. locations, like Maui, Hawaii, or Palm Springs, Florida, or international spots like Paradise Island, Bahamas or the Cayman Islands. Beach or resort wedding locations are also great for your honeymoon, so it’s definitely more economical to hold your nuptials in a place you wouldn’t mind vacationing in. Also, take advantage of all the ways to have a ceremony in nature–be creative! For example, for a wedding by the beach, you can arrange the ceremony on a beautiful boat, or sail away after the ceremony, and you could even exchange vows underwater!
As far as wedding outfits go, keep your outdoor location in mind for this as well. Bride’s dresses for beach weddings usually are made of thinner, flowing fabrics, and usually do not include extremely long trains. Some dresses are even T-length (so they are easier to walk in ), and may have more flirty hemlines and fabric cuts than more traditional dresses (i.e. more cleavage, higher leg splits), for a more seductive and airy feel, since some brides choose to walk down the ‘aisle’ barefoot. Bridesmaid’s dresses should follow a similar trend, and you can have all your bridal party in one color, alternate colors, if you have two or three. The groom’s and groomsmen’s outfits can be a little less traditional as well, as men can choose from dressy drawstring pants with sandals, to light-colored suits. Finding the right pieces for men can be a little simpler, as the right fit of slacks or a handkerchief and tie that is the perfect color can easily complete a man’s wedding outfit. Outfits for the bride and groom tend to be a little more traditional for garden weddings, as the bride’s train tends to be longer, and the groom usually wears a tuxedo. Satin fabrics are an ideal accent to flowers, especially roses and daisies, and pearls also make for exquisite presentation. Sleeveless and backless dresses look great against a backdrop of flowers as well.
Remember, wherever you choose to hold your wedding ceremony, you make sure you’re absolutely comfortable in the setting-visit is as many times as possible before the big day, and make sure everything is to your liking. Be honest about all your concerns with your wedding coordinator (especially if it’s you), and do everything you can to make sure your wedding day is everything you want it to be. Whether you and your intended tie the knot in a small chapel, on a mountain top, or on a seashore, what matters most is doing all you can to make sure yours is a wedding day that will never be forgotten.
