A Match Made in Heaven

Choosing the Best Outdoor Wedding for You: Part 1

Any outdoor wedding has pros and cons to consider, but with some simple planning it can be an event that makes a lasting impact.

Before you seal the deal, take a moment to consider what your outdoor venue options are and how they fit with your big day dreams. You can be sure that any outdoor wedding will be charming and unique, particularly because of the creative opportunities available to you. In choosing an outdoor venue, imagine as though you have a blank slate, in which you can choose for yourself how to arrange almost every element of your gathering with the added bonus of being really fun and attractive.

The Mountaineer

Mountainous and heavily wooded areas look great in anything: fall leaves, wintry snow, spring flowers, and luscious summer greens.

This location may be too secluded for the comfort of a variety of guests. While the views may be breath taking for you, your guests may be winded by the time they get up a hilly and uneven terrain and difficult commute.

Shore to Please

You have the right to go casual. At a beach wedding, you can toss away high heels and stuffy suits without turning heads. You can even let loose and have a fun nautical or tropical theme for your wedding with tiki lights, seashells, and hibiscus flowers.

If you are a bad hair day type, remember that the salty air and wind in your face can create a frizzy hair, sticky skin situation. Also, unless you are willing to invest in a private portion of a beach, you will have to contend with beach-goers interrupting your ceremony. During peak summer seasons, consider that guests that are commuting may be troubled by high volumes of traffic. Also, the sun can get pretty oppressive if it's too close to the middle of the day.

City Slickers

For the most part, if you are looking to tie the knot in a location near a major city, you can rest assured that it will be an accessible location for many of your guests. You can consider a rooftop or reserve space in a variety of outdoor venues.

The downside? City weddings can get costly very quickly. Budgeting for a city wedding can be difficult, but well worth it. The upside though, is that city venues offer a variety of atmospheres and themes and can usually have much of the materials you’ll need in-house.

Garden, Park, or Field Party

Like mountains, most park-like settings  can look good in any season. Your photos will come out beautiful no matter what. You also have the option of going formal or casual in a park, field, or garden setting.

Many parks, gardens, and fields are public areas -- so you can never be too confident that your affair will go undisturbed and uninterrupted. Unless it is a private park, there is not much you can do about it. However, such atmospheres can be offered as an alternative to an indoor setting at country clubs and event halls, giving you the convenient option to dart indoors and proceed as usual in case of inclement weather.