Outdoor Weddings

April showers bring May flowers…followed by June brides. June weddings are popular although some statistics show that July and August have eclipsed June for number of marriages performed. Nonetheless, summer is the busiest season of the year for weddings.

Several ancient reasons may be the reason behind the June wedding: The Roman goddess of marriage, Juno, gave her name to the month most associated with weddings and would bestow prosperity and happiness on the new couple. Annual bathing was typically performed in May or June so brides married at this time would smell fresh—both wonderfully amusing ancient reasons for getting hitched in June.

June is often the first month in many parts of the country where you can be reasonably sure that the weather will be warm. Warm, not hot, is an ideal to strive for when planning an outdoor wedding. Even though you have to make contingencies in case of rain, planning for a wedding outside is exciting and fun. Somehow, creativity ramps up a bit when the party is taken outside.

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Setting a pretty table is a must. Look to nature to find tabletop décor that will help you set a theme.

Find creative ways to identify the bride’s and groom’s chairs.

Don’t forget lights—lots and lots of twinkling lights will add ambiance and romance to the most romantic day of your life. Sting lights, lanterns, candles, luminaria, chandeliers—choose the styles that fit your them. Whatever you do, if your wedding celebration takes place into the evening hours, make sure you have enough lights.

With warm temperatures, you will want to help your guests stay as cool as possible. Providing paddle fans in a large basket is thoughtful and a creative way to provide the program, copy of the invitation, engagement picture, or a chart as to who is who in each family and the bridal party. These make a great take-away gift, as well.

Children and young adults may need a little distraction from the adult activities of dancing, drinking, and socializing. Including interesting activities for them will make your evening more fun for everyone. Put someone in charge of these activities and see what they come up with. A cornhole toss or a photo booth with a basket full of dress-up wardrobes will provide hours of fun and some great picture memories.

Providing a small gift for your guests to take home makes a nice remembrance.

It is even nicer when you have lovingly made the gift. Home-made gifts were once thought to be quaint and thrifty. Today, people appreciate such gifts as special and marvel at the time and creativity that went into making them. Take your cue from the venue location and your wedding theme to find that special gift.

If your ceremony is to take place on the beach, consider providing a basket of inexpensive flip flops so that people can preserve their shoes and not have to go barefoot. These are also great for dancing later.

For evening parties where the temperature drops, you may have a basket of wraps ready for women to grab. If people are comfortable, they will have a good time. If they are having a good time, they will linger. And who wants a wedding reception where everyone either leaves early or on-time? That’s no fun. You only do this once, so make it a smashing success.

Needless to say, I love Outdoorlicious! weddings. So much so that I made sure that my special day included a garden ceremony. To this day, mmph years later, I can recall every beautiful moment of it and would do it all exactly the same way again.