Outdoor weddings can really show your and your partner’s personalities, especially if you are an outdoorsy couple. If you love to hike and camp together, having your
wedding
amongst a lot of trees and foliage just makes sense. If the beach is your favorite vacation destination—no matter the season—why not opt for a beach wedding instead of something inside?
your wedding day is just that—your wedding day.
If you and your partner (and your guests) would enjoy being outside for approximately 5 hours for your wedding day, an outdoor venue is perfect for you!
there are so many pros to planning an outdoor wedding (hello, beautiful foliage and scenery!).
Image by tova studios. Keep scrolling to get all the info on planning the perfect backyard wedding a backyard wedding is perfect for couples who want a uniquely sentimental feel, love to be outdoors, or want their dream wedding on a budget. There are so many benefits to a backyard wedding–including cost and convenience–but with those benefits come a few extra details you need to keep in mind and situations you need to plan for. To keep you on track, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about planning a backyard wedding , from logistics to design.
A rustic wedding is a perfect choice for couples who want a laid-back and natural feel for their special day. This rustic wedding checklist template includes all the important tasks and items you need to plan and organize a rustic wedding, such as choosing a venue, hiring a caterer, and selecting flowers and decor.
No one likes rain on their wedding day, but having a backup plan is essential for any outdoor component of your wedding day, such as a garden wedding ceremony or open-air reception. Make sure to include a time by which you’ll make the call to switch locations in your plan. Some wedding venues offer an indoor alternative that can accommodate your guest count if you have to bring your ceremony, cocktail hour or wedding reception indoors. A covered outdoor event space or a wedding tent rental can also be a real lifesaver. Not only will it provide shelter from both rain and sun, but it will also be less disruptive to a change in plans and set up of tables and chairs—especially if you’re planning a backyard wedding where you don’t have enough space to move inside.
Or, Keep Them Warm
With these warm colors and wood tables, you can add this floor seating arrangement to your ‘rustic wedding ideas’ board. Your reception will be beautiful, fun, and even more sociable if you and your group of wedding guests can pull this off.
"an outdoor winter wedding is possible! hold guests inside until 10 minutes before the ceremony. Serve something warm, like mugs filled with miniature hot chocolate or warm apple cider with cinnamon sticks, and be sure to have the heaters on. This way, guests are in and out and don't have time to be cold. " - alyson fox, levine fox events.
If you're unsure where to have your outside wedding, use the knot marketplace to help aid your search. But if you're already booked (and busy) and have chosen a rustic spot in the woods, a small backyard or a grand, grassy lawn for your outdoor venue , make it more inviting and comfortable with lounge furniture and lots of pillows. If you don't have room to bring in couches and plush chairs, arrange your dining area with smaller four-person reception tables instead of larger eight or 10-person tables to create a more intimate look and feel. And, of course, have fun with the decorating.
Create an Easy Flow
You can get really creative with your outdoor wedding if you want. Some ideas to think about: plant flowers (in nice pots will work) that match your wedding colors. This is very easy to do and will look amazing! organize your wedding ceremony seating in a way that is unique (in a circle could be a lot of fun) put up gorgeous string lighting in the dining area and around other parts of the yard. As the sun sets, your wedding reception will take on a whole new look. Put up fun wedding signs throughout the property put the bar outside and decorate it with a fun custom sign for your wedding.
Communication with your guests is very important, especially if you’re changing venues at the last minute. Even if you don’t plan to check in attendees at your event, you’ll definitely want to use free event planning software to create your guest list and collect contact information into one organized platform. In addition to mass texting, calling, and/or emailing everyone, you should add weather updates to your event website and (if you have enough advanced notice) put one to two sentence weather-related reminders on the wedding invitations, themselves.
If you have a vision and are somehow still unsure of the perfect venue to hold your garden wedding, your wedding consultant will be able to help you research and provide great choices for you to look at and visit to determine which one is the perfect location for you. When it comes to picking the location, it is not just how beautiful it is, but also understanding the restrictions and permits needed. Again, a consultant can help you put this together. For example, if you select a garden location that is purely just a garden, this means to serve your guests food, your caterer will have to set up a working kitchen to prep, cook, and serve food.