Common Difficulties of Outdoor Weddings & How To Overcome Them
There's a lot of moving pieces that go into planning a wedding, but there's somethings that mother nature brings your way that you may not have planned for. When planning an outdoor wedding, there's numerous things that could go wrong. So here's a guide on common difficulties of an outdoor wedding and how you can plan to avoid them!
1. Unexpected weather
The first thing that probably popped into your mind when I mentioned "difficulties" was more than likely rain. No matter where you live, weather can be so unpredictable. Rain, for instance, is a common culprit for postponing or relocating wedding ceremonies. Check with your venue or rental companies, beforehand, to see if there is a tent you can rent to have on hand just in case it decides to rain. Make sure you have an indoor venue as a backup plan in case the weather makes it impossible to have an outdoor wedding.
In case of a windy day, secure any covering you may have. The last thing you want is a tent pole coming loose and falling on someone! Weigh everything down- from decor to lights that are strung up.
Humidity and heat can not only make you feel uncomfortable, but also your guests. And you don't want any one complaining about how uncomfortable they were the whole time they were at your wedding. Consider having your ceremony in the late afternoon when the hottest part of the day has passed. Or if you want plenty of time to party after your ceremony and just can't avoid having your ceremony in the afternoon, then think about having a cooler of water bottles. You can add some fruit to your water to make things interesting. Another option for keeping your guests cool is to provide paper fans. My husband and I did this for our wedding. Our wedding programs were fans, and trust me, people definitely got their use out of them!
2. Bugs
I definitely didn't consider insects an issue when me and my husband got married. In face, you can see my bug bites and scratches in my wedding photos! 😢 I was constantly scratching my arms and neck during our ceremony and almost couldn't concentrate on what our officiant saying.
You can check with your venue to see if they can spray for bugs the day before. If you hate the smell of bug spray, like my husband does, consider having a fan or some sort of blower to keep the little buggers from sticking around for too long. Fans can also help keep you and your guests cool, so it's a win-win!
3. Mud & Dirt
Outdoor weddings aren't known to be clean so don't wear anything that you aren't comfortable with getting dirty. You can wear something nice for the actual ceremony where you won't be doing a lot of walking around, and then change into something that can withstand dirt and mud for after.
If you are afraid of your wedding dress getting dirty during photos (which usually happens directly after the ceremony), then visit your venue before hand to pick some photo spots that aren't as muddy. You can also schedule your dress to get professionally cleaned at the dry cleaners- just don't forget to budget that in when planning!
4. On-Lookers
I've seen this so many times. You have a beautiful venue, but it's around an area with a lot of foot traffic. People will literally stop and watch your wedding and feel the need to shout something out. If you're looking for more privacy, I suggest investing in renting some tall plants to place around the venue as a barrier.
5. Power
If you're entire wedding will be outdoors, you will need a place for all of your vendors and their electrical equipment. I know as a wedding photographer, I am charging my extra batteries constantly and need a private place to keep my equipment safe and away from guests. Consider this also for your DJ/Band and other vendors who may need some electricity.
6. Allergies
We don't want you sneezing during your ceremony or having red, itchy eye balls during your photos. Planning when to have your wedding is just as important as planning where to having it. Depending on the season of your nuptials, pollen could wreak havoc on the festivities. When choosing a venue, it is always important to visit the venue in person, and if allergies are a common problem for you, ask your venue what type of flowers/foliage grow in certain months.
As much as we want a picture-perfect wedding day, there's many things that can go wrong. But by being prepared for these common mishaps, you can avoid these emergencies easily and make your special day less stressful.
Need a wedding photographer for your big day? Consider booking with me! Inquire with me at laniegarciaphoto@gmail.com
https://www.insideweddings.com/news/planning-design/pros-and-cons-having-an-outdoor-wedding/44663/ https://lumaweddings.com/4-common-difficulties-outdoor-weddings-overcome/