Outdoor Wedding Tips and Ideas For the Perfect Summer Celebration
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- Updated: 13th October 2023
Ideas for Planning Your Outside Summer Wedding
If you're recently engaged and looking to tie the knot next summer, it's time to get the wedding planning wheels in motion.
Summer is the perfect time for an outdoor wedding celebration, where you can enjoy the beauty of nature surrounded by your friends and loved ones.
Planning the perfect summer wedding requires planning and a plethora of outdoor wedding ideas. If you're curious about the best outdoor wedding ideas and are ready to start making plans, you're in luck. This article will offer some tips and suggestions to make your outdoor wedding a celebration to remember.
Find the Perfect Outdoor Venue
Before making concrete plans for your wedding day, you'll need to find the perfect outdoor venue to make your day magical. Luckily, there's no shortage of options when deciding on the right venue for your big day. Below are some popular venue ideas to make your outdoor wedding intimate and beautiful.
- Throw a backyard wedding celebration
- Get classy with a vineyard wedding
- Celebrate nature with a botanical garden ceremony
- Have an intimate, picturesque beach wedding
- Throw a rustic wedding bash with a forest venue
- Put up a tent in a stunning open field
- Look into estates or manors
- Have fun with a rustic barn wedding
Keep Your Guests Comfortable With Parasols, Ice Water, and Fans
An outdoor summer wedding is one of the best options for making your big day special. However, it's important to prepare for the heat and sun to ensure that you and your guests remain comfortable. There are a few innovative ways to make your guests comfortable such as offering elegant parasols or hand fans. You can find wedding parasols and fans in bulk to fit your theme or colour scheme. Not only are umbrellas a thoughtful touch – but they're also a wonderful memento for you and your guests after the big day.
Additionally, keep your guests hydrated by offering ice water in elegant, stylish water glasses. Consider purchasing glasses with intricate designs and shapes to keep your wedding theme consistent and classy.
Have Quality AC Units
Investing in AC units is a must if you're having an outdoor wedding ceremony or reception in a tent. By incorporating air conditioning units into your venue, you can ensure that you and your guests are comfortable all day long. Depending on the venue, the agreement might include AC units–if not, there are numerous options for AC or misting units that can help make your day comfortable and enjoyable.
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Keep the Area Bug-Proofed
Outdoor and garden wedding ideas always sound elegant and classy in theory, but without proper planning and safety measures, your outdoor celebration can take a turn for the worst. Among the most significant considerations when planning your outdoor wedding is how you will deal with bugs and pests during the ceremony and reception.
If you're worried about bugs crashing your wedding festivities, there are multiple options for bug-proofing your venue without making guests apply heaps of strong-scented bug repellant. When you select your venue, check for any signs of bug activity, including nests surrounding the area. Keep your food and drinks covered whenever possible–you might consider offering sweet, sugary drinks in a cute mason jar with a lid and straw to prevent bugs from joining the party.
When planning your wedding decor, you can also include elegant decorations and flowers that are natural bug repellents. For example, lavender, mint, petunias, chrysanthemums, rosemary, and marigolds are natural repellents that can minimise the presence of bugs on your special day while tying into your theme and serving as stunning decor.
Prepare Your Guests for the Day
A successful outdoor wedding is all about preparation. While you and your wedding party might be sufficiently prepared for the day, it's also essential to prepare your guests. When creating your wedding invitations, mention the venue and appropriate outfits to ensure everyone stays comfortable.
A few days or weeks before your wedding, send out a reminder to your guests about the venue. This reminder will reduce the chance that a guest forgets the venue and comes unprepared for the summer heat.
Line Your Entrance With Candles and Lanterns
Another thing to consider when planning your outdoor wedding is your grand entrance. There are endless options to consider when planning how you'll walk down the aisle–however, one of the most accessible but elegant ideas is to line the aisle with candles placed inside lanterns.
Lining the aisle with lanterns will give your wedding an ethereal feel and highlight how stunning you and your spouse-to-be look. Lanterns are a simple and practical solution to provide gentle, flattering lighting as you walk down the aisle while remaining safe and avoiding any fire hazards. Many people prioritise simplicity for outdoor weddings, but you can still create a stunning, memorable venue with the right decorations.
Use a Microphone for the Ceremony
No matter how much you plan for an outdoor ceremony, you can never fully predict the noise level. Whether there are high winds on your wedding day or loud external sounds that make it challenging to hear your vows, noise is a big concern for many people considering an outdoor wedding.
Using a microphone for your wedding ceremony and reception is an ideal way to ensure that, no matter how noisy your day in nature is, your guests can hear every beautiful vow and expression of love shared between you and your spouse.
Have a Harpist During the Ceremony
No wedding ceremony is complete without music, and an outdoor ceremony is a perfect time to get creative. Hiring a harpist is an incredible way to make your wedding ceremony elegant, breathtaking, and heartwarming.
Services like Bands For Hire offer a hand-picked selection of wedding harpists with extensive backgrounds and experience to ensure that your ceremony is what you've always wanted. The harp is undoubtedly one of the most unobtrusive and elegant live music options. Beyond your ceremony, a harpist can make your outdoor wedding one to remember with background music during the wedding breakfast or reception.
Make it Minimalist With Statues at the Entrance
Outdoor weddings are perfect for anyone that wants a minimalist yet entrancing ceremony. If you need help deciding on the proper decor for your wedding, consider placing medium to large-sized statues at the entrance before people get to their seats. Statues provide a unique elegance to your ceremony and are perfect decorations that won't distract too much from the main event.
Consider a Butterfly Release
If you're opting for an outdoor ceremony, you should take full advantage of unique ideas that you can't do indoors. For instance, you could consider the classic butterfly release at the end of your ceremony, and summer is the perfect time to do this release safely and effectively.
Doing a butterfly release adds elegance to your special day and can make for some stunning ceremony pictures. Releasing the butterflies is a perfect symbol of you and your spouse entering the future together and a fantastic way to celebrate and commemorate your love.
Use Earthy, Rustic Decor
Outdoor weddings are perfect for anyone that wants an earthy, rustic vibe for their special day. You can include unique and classy decorations to amplify the nature surrounding you during the ceremony and reception. Consider using a colour scheme with earthy tones, like a lovely sage green, taupe, or jewel tone.
Brides can also consider wearing their hair in a bun or braid and adding stylish, delicate flowers into their hair as a special touch to bring the theme together. Other rustic decors perfect for outdoor weddings include barrels of flowers, lanterns, candles for centrepieces, wooden benches, and flower crowns for your bridesmaids. Whatever you select, adding earthy, rustic elements to your outdoor wedding is the perfect way to bring everything together.
Plan Your Style for Wind
Many people planning an outdoor wedding are concerned about the possibility of high winds disrupting the ceremony, but there are a few things you can do to minimise this.
Brides might consider wearing their hair in a looser style that looks stunning when blown in the wind–for example, wearing your hair completely down or a loose half-up, half-down look will flow beautifully behind you, no matter how windy.
Additionally, be conscious of your makeup. Avoid any lip glosses that your hair might stick to if the wind blows hair into your face, and make sure to use waterproof mascara and other makeup in case the wind makes you teary-eyed.
Plan heavy centrepieces and decor that won't blow away in the wind, such as decorative rocks that complement the rustic feel of your wedding.
Hire a String Quartet
Another option to enhance your wedding ceremony and reception is hiring a string quartet. Here at Bands for Hire, we represent a wide range of experienced string quartets able to perform in various styles, from classical and jazz to contemporary pop and film scores. They'll even be happy to learn a handful of song requests to make your ceremony extra special.
Our string quartets can perform during the wedding prelude, bridal entrance, interlude, or during your reception to add a unique touch to your special day. String quartets can also perform outdoors with the right conditions, making them the perfect choice throughout your day.
Get the Right Permits
Make sure you have permission to hold your wedding at the outdoor venue you select before making concrete arrangements. Park weddings and private locations will require permits at a low cost to you. If you are having your ceremony at a national park, ensure that you have all of the necessary permits to set up specific decorations.
Some venues don't require a permit, but depending on the decorations or services you hire, you should check to ensure that no permit is necessary. For instance, if you're having a beach wedding, you don't automatically need a permit, but you will if you plan on outdoor music, a large number of guests, or a large ceremony that takes up significant sand space.
Let the Venue Speak for Itself
One of the best parts about an outdoor wedding is that the venue is already stunning and doesn't need too much decoration. This aspect helps you save money and gives your wedding a natural, effortless look that will awe your guests. Once you've decided on your venue, remember that you don't need to go all-out with the decorations, and simple and elegant decor is usually best.
For instance, you might consider lanterns, statues, wooden benches, or barrels of flowers for your wedding day decor. Often, outdoor weddings are best decorated using small items to accentuate the surroundings.
Learn About the Local Wildlife
Before deciding on a venue, learn about the local wildlife and ensure it's a safe location for you and the surrounding species. If your venue is full of unfamiliar animals or dangerous species, you should reconsider the location and opt for something else. Once you've learned about local wildlife, ensure that you aren't using any harmful decorations that could cause damage to their environment, such as letting balloons go into the sky. Secure all of your decorations and tape down anything that might float away.
Use a Champagne Tower
On a hot summer day, there's almost nothing better than a nice glass of chilled champagne. While your guests might expect to see champagne at a wedding, having an outdoor venue gives you more space to experiment with your drinks display. Consider a champagne tower where your guests can watch as champagne glasses fill and flow over to the glasses beneath them. When done correctly, a champagne tower is a stunning feature with minimal mess.
Plan for Different Types of Weather
Preparing for anything that happens on your wedding day, come rain or shine, is essential. Having backup plans and decorations for all types of weather is crucial to ensuring your wedding goes smoothly. Even though it's summer, the risk of bad weather remains. Many people planning outdoor ceremonies have a nearby indoor backup plan to avoid last-minute stress.
If you're okay with the rain, ensure that you have proper decorations and amenities for other types of weather, such as wind or extreme heat. You'll have more peace of mind when you plan for every possibility.
Consider a Jazz Band
Jazz bands are incredible for any occasion, and your wedding is no exception. Bands For Hire can help you find talented jazz bands to provide the perfect soundtrack to your reception. Jazz bands can create an elegant atmosphere for your wedding while also playing music your guests can dance to, making them the perfect option for your big day.
Guarantee Electricity
Even if your wedding is outdoors, you'll still need an electricity source for numerous reasons. You will likely need a microphone or speakers for your ceremony and ample lighting throughout the evening and into the reception. Electricity is a must to ensure that your wedding is safe and accessible for you and your guests, so double-check that your venue has access to electrical outlets and space to set up your gear.
Get Unique With a Steel Band
There's no shortage of music options for an outdoor wedding. Consider hiring a steel band for your ceremony and reception for something a little unique. Bands For Hire can help you find the best steel bands to make your wedding one to remember. Steel bands are especially fitting for outdoor weddings and add a fun, exciting element to your evening soiree.
Use String Lights When You Walk Down the Aisle
Another simple yet stunning way to make your walk down the aisle one to remember is by hanging string lights around the benches and the ceiling if you're hiring a marquee. String lights, similar to lanterns and candles, will give you an elegant glow and a gentle touch that makes your beauty and joy shine through.
If you're unsure about string lights during the ceremony, you can use them for your reception or cocktail hour. String lights around your reception and incorporated into your centrepieces add a beautiful touch that will make your day even more memorable.
Hire a Roaming Acoustic Band
A roaming band is a fantastic addition to an outdoor wedding reception, creating an interactive atmosphere that your guests will love.
Bands For Hire can help you find the perfect roaming acoustic band to create a reception that's upbeat, lively and memorable.
Hiring a live acoustic band where the members can entertain your guests and get everyone excited for your grand entrance is the perfect way to add a special touch to your celebration.
Patio Cocktail Hour
If you're hosting a back garden wedding or having your wedding at a manor, consider hosting your cocktail hour on an elegant patio. Outdoor weddings are the perfect time to take advantage of your surroundings, and a patio cocktail hour for your guests is the perfect time to mingle. Patios are the ideal place to have a nice layout of drinks or a makeshift bar. Also, you can get guests excited for the rest of the night by incorporating live musicians into your day.
Centre the Event Around a Gazebo
If you aren't sure where you want your ceremony, consider getting a permit to centre the event around a stunning gazebo or marquee. Gazebos come in many shapes, sizes, and colours to add a special touch to your wedding ceremony. Additionally, gazebos are perfect if you're considering using string lights during the ceremony or want additional cover from the sun or wind. Gazebos are always elegant and classy and are perfect for any outdoor celebration.
Find the Wedding Music of Your Dreams With Bands For Hire
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