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Wedding Planning
> Articles |
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Wedding
Planning: Outdoor Wedding Tips |
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Answers to your most important wedding speech questions
plus examples for every member of the wedding party. |
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Written by Michelle O'Connor Lake
Arrowhead Weddings Southern California
* When a
bride is selecting an outdoor location for her wedding, what do you
suggest to her regarding a bad weather back up plan?
There are many lovely outdoor wedding locations - beach weddings,
lake front weddings, forest weddings, mountain weddings, garden
weddings...the options are endless! With any outdoor wedding, it is
vital that the bride and groom work with their coordinator or wedding
company to establish a backup plan in the event of bad weather. If the
wedding location is on the grounds of a hotel or inn, coordinate ahead
of time to have a banquet room ready for you in the event of inclement
weather. This option may cost a little more, but it will save you
worry and potential heartache later! Another option is to plan to have
only the ceremony outdoors and the reception inside (or inside with an
outside portion). In the event of inclement weather, you can simply
hold the entire event in the room you planned to have the reception in
- without incurring extra costs! This is by far the most "secure" and
least expensive way of having an outdoor wedding, and one of the
easier backup plans. If your outdoor wedding will be held in an area
with no building nearby (or a building too small to hold your guests),
such as in a forest clearing or in the garden of a private estate,
consider using a tent for the reception. In the event of bad weather,
you can move the ceremony and reception into the tent. Be sure the
tent is water tight and sturdy! Whatever backup plan you select, be
sure you tell ALL of your wedding vendors (especially those that
require lighting and electricity) of your plan ahead of time. They may
bring up alternate concerns you have not thought of and can help you
solidify a great backup plan. After all, your wedding vendors are
professionals, and have likely had experience with this sort of thing
before.
* Can you give us an example of a wedding you've planned which had
to be relocated due to weather and how you worked with the indoor
option to create a memorable event?
Last January we had an intimate outdoor wedding planned for
approximately 55 guests. The bride had her heart set on an outdoor
wedding in the mountains in the winter! She loved the lakeview and
wanted to bring heaters outside so all could enjoy the atmosphere.
That morning it began snowing - and did not stop until late that
night! This was a destination wedding so most of the guests were
already in accommodations nearby. The bride and groom did not let this
spoil their day! They had many gorgeous photos taken outside in the
snow, the guests loved it, and everyone enjoyed a lovely ceremony and
reception inside with a snowy lake as a backdrop. Both fireplaces were
roaring and the beverages flowed. The Lake Arrowhead Weddings staff
had a job to do! We had to figure out what to do with all the guests
while we moved all the ceremony seats (that were supposed to be
outside) after the ceremony to make room for the reception dinner
seating and tables! We asked everyone to adjourn to the great room for
appetizers (not part of the original plan) while we speedily setup for
the reception - the guests didn't even know this wasn't the original
plan! Given that the bride had purchased one of our outdoor wedding
packages, she didn't even have to worry about plan B. We simply asked
her if she liked our plan (which we discussed with her well before the
wedding day) and that, in the event of inclement weather, we would
just implement it without further distracting her on her wedding day.
She was able to sit back and enjoy her day without worrying about what
to do about the weather and where to put her guests.
* What special advice do you have for outdoor brides in regard to
dress, veils, makeup?
If you are planning an outdoor wedding in the summer, and you
think it will be hot - wear a light gown so that you do not overheat
and sweat unnecessarily (not becoming in photographs). If your dress
does have a train, be sure to consider what the ground you will be
walking over is like. Is it dirt that will turn your train brown? Is
it grass? Is the train heavy enough to where the grass might stain it?
Using an aisle runner can help with this, but, in a windy outdoor
setting, if not secured, the runner will come loose. Be sure to
solidly secure your aisle runner before the ceremony if your location
is windy. Also, consider consulting a professional makeup artist and
your photographer about your makeup plans. The shimmer powder that is
so popular today can, if applied too liberally, and photographed in
sunlight, produce a slight glare in your photographs. You will also
want to use makeup that holds up nicely, even if you do sweat (or
"glow" ) a little. You want you makeup to hold up well during the
outdoor sunlit ceremony, and through the reception, without looking
caked on or streaking. If your outdoor location may be slightly windy,
opt for a veil that can be secured behind your head before you walk
down the aisle (or don't wear one at all). You do not want your veil
floating in front of your face and moving about during the ceremony. A
bride (or officiate or bridesmaid or groom) swatting at and moving
your veil around during the ceremony does not make for elegant
photographs.
* Do you have any special advice for brides which take a boat
wedding package in regard to dress, shoes, decorations?
For those brides having a boat wedding, be sure to plan
accordingly. It is a good idea to bring along some motion-sickness
medication (available over-the-counter), or take some ahead of time if
you have a tendency to be affected by repeated motion. If the wedding
will be proceeding into the night, be sure to bring a shawl or other
decorative piece to help keep you warm. The air is typically colder
over water, and as night falls, you may get chilly. You can have an
informal or formal wedding on a boat, depending on the time of day and
the decor and style of the boat. For more informal weddings during the
daytime you may opt for a gown with a shorter train and veil. For more
formal evening weddings, you may choose to wear a more embellished
gown with a longer train (be sure the train bustles well for ease of
dancing later on) and a longer veil. Whatever style your dress, wear
shoes that have the look you want, but that are also comfortable! You
will be walking and dancing most of the reception. Another option is
to have only the ceremony or only the reception on the boat, while
having the remainder of the wedding at your favorite hotel, inn or
country club.
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