Think outside the church or wedding hall and host your wedding in a beautiful garden, lovely courtyard or a sunny beachside location. Start your journey down the aisle with a gorgeous wedding invitation. Borrowing some elements from your chosen outdoor location will charm your guests. Add in bright colors of the season and outdoor themes for unique invitations, perfect for your big day.
The Outdoor Wedding Invitation
After scouting out your perfect outdoor location, you might want to steal some inspiration from those elements. Choose colors that match the flowers in your garden wedding. Capture the blue surf with a splash of blue on your wedding invitations. Not only should you refer to your outdoor location with color and theme, but you should make an obvious mention of it with the information you enclose with the actual wedding invitation. Some locations may not have an address that can be found with GPS, so ensure you provide directions and a map to the site, parking instructions and even walking directions if necessary. You could have the most beautiful wedding in the world, but if it’s not easily found, some might miss it.
The Weather
A sunny summer reception can be just wonderful. However, be mindful of the time of the day and the warm – or even hot – sun on your guests. Plan a ceremony for early or later in the day when the noon-day sun won’t be harsh. If that is not an option, spring for some umbrellas to shade your sun-sensitive guests. When sending your wedding invitation, you might want to add a special note (on its own piece of paper, not on the wedding invitation itself) drawing attention to the time of day so guests can be prepared.
A nice touch for your guest would be paper hand fans decorated to match the wedding invitation and program (also a great wedding favor) or custom-labeled bottled water at the ceremony. For a later afternoon or evening wedding, you might want to consider some heaters, especially for any time of year when the temperature drops significantly after the sun goes down. Your very best option just might be a location that offers both a beautiful space outside and some comfortable indoor space for those guests who wish to escape the elements.
Plan “B”
You don’t want to be surprised by gathering clouds and a surprise shower on your wedding day. Your best insurance policy against a rained-out wedding is a great plan ‘b.’ Even though it is not ideal and is not exactly what you wanted there is no way you can control the weather. When looking at outdoor sites, inquire about indoor space associated with the outdoor location in the event of rain or unpleasant weather.
If the spot you’re choosing doesn’t offer indoor space, you should look into renting a tent just to be on the safe side. Many brides have taken their chances with an outdoor wedding and had a perfectly lovely ceremony and reception. You should explore all of your options so you’ll minimize surprises on the big day. Also, if you know your ‘plan b’ when you’re sending out wedding invitations, it might be helpful to enclose a note about those plans. This will ensure less confusion on the day of the wedding if the weather is unpleasant.
An outdoor wedding can be a dream come true with just a little advance planning. The best arrangement is to have indoor and outdoor space available to accommodate any weather changes and any guest who needs the comfort of an indoor location.
