Keeping Your Cool: Your Outdoor Wedding

Holding one's wedding outdoors can be something very beautiful. Whatever outdoor location you may choose to have the wedding, the beauty of the trees, the sky, the sun, the beach or the mountains just adds to the exquisiteness and romance of your celebration. Outdoor weddings create wonderful memories that can last you a lifetime, that is, once you overcome the additional risks and pitfalls that it poses.

Planning your outdoor wedding may not be that easy, but there you can follow some steps to ensure you of a dreamy and disaster free wedding while being one with the big blue sky. Figure out when you want to have your wedding. You really can't control the wedding on your special day, but you can work around it. Consider the weather pattern around your area, and avoid planning your wedding during the rainy season or during winter where there are potential major snowfalls. Weddings during autumn can look great because of the colors, but you also have to plan for wind. Many outdoor weddings are suffered from unexpected windy conditions, so light fabrics may have to be avoided and your hairstyle may have to suit the windy condition, lest you want to end up looking like Cousin It.

Even with the sun blazing outside, it's good to have a backup plan. Nature can be quite unexpected, so a tent or an indoor area should be available nearby in case any unpredicted weather situation happens. Check the location before the wedding to see if there are facilities for you and your guests, like toilets and parking space. Asses the ground. Are there holes that might pose as potential dangers on your wedding day? Assess the problems that could arise from them and find out ways to fix them. When you have chosen an outdoor wedding venue, always check for the rules. Do they have rules against smoking, noise, parking, alcohol? You may need to get permits for these things. And you wouldn't want to face arrest on your wedding day because you forgot to check that out.

One great thing about holding a wedding outdoors is that a lot of the decorations are already provided by Mother Nature herself. Use trees, lakes, hilltops and flowers to your advantage - and this can save you a lot on decorations. Although it is your outdoor wedding, you should see to it that your guests are comfortable and safe too. You may want to inform them ahead that the wedding will be held outdoors and include a weather report for out of town guests. This way, they may know what to wear to the wedding. If the weather is too hot, you may want to consider having your ushers serve your guests with ice cold water or cocktails, or have fans to keep them comfortable. The same goes with cold weather. Sitting outside in the cold may be uncomfortable for your guests and you may want to consider renting portable heaters. Make sure that the catering service you're hiring has had experience with outdoor weddings. Nothing can be worse than serving food that has melted under the sun.

Outdoor weddings can be tricky to deal with, but the only secret is to try to foresee and be prepared for everything. This way, you can minimize problems and disasters that may dampen your shine on your special day.