Construct A Rustic Wedding Arch
“If you envision a beautiful arbor or trellis for the ceremony, consider building this piece and then using it for your backyard after the wedding,” says Fritz. “It will serve as a great memory of the special occasion that you can see daily.” This particular arch was built by the bride’s father from fallen oak branches and decorated with bouquets of eucalyptus and garden roses by the to-be-weds themselves.
Work With Your Valet To Help Guests Get From Their Cars To The Venue
When discussing how to deal with wedding day rain effectively, youll have to consider details like guest transportation. If the venue allows it, try asking the valet to stand as close to the entrance as possible. Some venues might not allow you to, in which case your valet team will have to get creative.
If all else fails, extra tents, umbrellas, and ponchos can make the car to building transition a little easier. And if you have handicapped or disabled guests, make sure there are comfortable and convenient options to keep them dry, as well.
Mcmichael Canadian Art Collection
Set amid 100 acres of natural wooded landscape, The McMichael Canadian Art Collection has beautiful scenery for a romantic, intimate outdoor wedding. The grounds provide a truly tranquil setting with beautiful walking trails and a sculpture garden. Added bonus: there is a spot known as The Wedding Hill overlooking the Humber River Valley perfect for pretty wedding photos!
Recommended Reading: What Is An Appropriate Gift For A Wedding Officiant
What Food Should We Serve
The best part about being outdoors is that you can get super inventive with your fare. Want a wood-fired pizza oven? Do it! Think a pig roast could be cool for a more tropical-styled soirée? We think so, too! There are so many fun options you can serve up for your day. Endale typically tells her clients to opt for passed appetizers for cocktail hour and plated meals for dinner to avoid pests buzzing around a buffet or hovering over family-style dishes.
The food service team should always have an interior space for the catering prep and either plated food service or food stations that are in an enclosed area.
Southern California Wedding Venues
Southern California offers a premier selection of wedding venues to suit every taste. Not only can you choose between indoor or outdoor weddings, your choices also include natural and classic backdrops, modern and rustic settings, and traditional and contemporary venues. Elegant country clubs, contemporary museums, gorgeous parks and high-end hotels all offer various types of wedding packages ranging in price, look and mood.
Southern Californias warm climate allows for year-round weddings, including winter outdoor weddings. The natural landscapes surrounding much of Southern California play greatly into the regions appeal for outdoor weddings, but indoor weddings are equally stunning and common. Many Southern California couples choose to incorporate both outdoor spaces and indoor spaces on their wedding day to craft a unique and seamless event flow. A couple may choose to host their ceremony out on the lawn and the reception inside, for example.
Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara and the Central Coast all offer exceptional wedding venues that will make your special night an evening to remember for both you and your guests.
Also Check: How Much Do Wedding Videographers Make
The Vineyards At Mt Naomi Farms
Surrounded by picturesque vineyards and Utahs breathtaking Wellsville Mountains, this beautiful outdoor wedding venue is one of the best options in the country for your big day. It also has an industrial indoor space equipped with high-vaulted ceilings, exposed wooden beams, and custom stained-glass windows, which will set the perfect ambiance for your guests and leave them in awe while they dance their way into the night.
Create A Chill Lounge Area
Photo by James & Schulze Event Planning by Rentals by Event Rentals
Pair airy, wicker accents with gilded tones and tons of lush greenery for an elegant, summer vibe. Bringing the indoors out in the form of a luxe lounge area will elevate any cocktail hour or reception, and it can easily be achieved with outdoor furniture you already own or by creatively repurposing indoor furniture. You can even cluster mismatched furniture in various textures or tones for a more eclectic take.
Read Also: Where To Buy Inexpensive Wedding Dresses
Use Food As A Decoration
You can use your drink and wedding food menu as an outdoor wedding decoration if youre feeling creative. If your wedding is going to be contemporary and minimalistic, hang a simple white sheet or piece of construction paper with the menu items along with some hand-drawn art.
If your wedding is in a church or indoors, you can use large vases and antique tables to set up unique drink stations that spark conversation between guests.
Have A Second Location Ready To Go Just In Case
This can be easier said than done, but you do have options no matter what your budget looks like. For example, you can:
- Check with the venue. If your ceremony or reception is held at an indoor or covered space, see if you have the option to host both parts there.
- Borrow someones home. If the wedding guests are mostly local, you might have someone willing to loan you their space as a backup. Just make sure you have event staff or volunteers assigned to clean, decorate, and set it all up so that youre generous hosts dont have to panic over last-minute changes.
- Ask a boss. Maybe the happy couple works at an upscale office space, an eclectic garage, or even a barn. These spaces can easily be transformed into unique venues. Plus, they have the added touch of being special to the bride and groom, since they spend so much time there and probably invited some coworkers to the wedding anyway.
Creative, out of the box thinking will help you pull together another venue option if worse comes to worst.
Also Check: What Should I Include In My Wedding Invitations
Outdoor Wedding Venues Calgary: Perfect Outdoor Weddings
Lets continue looking at great wedding venues Calgary has to offer. This time well focus on some of the Calgarys best outdoor wedding venues.
An outdoor wedding is awesome during a beautiful summer season in Calgary and is a great option for any number of guests. Now that COVID-19 affected gatherings, outdoor wedding options is important as ever.
So, lets get right into it and look as some of the best outdoor wedding venues Calgary has to offer.
Related: How to book a wedding venue? A definitive guide.
Make sure you check our big Calgary weddings venues blog post on Venue Concierge. Its got over 70 wedding venues in Calgary. We wrote it to make sure it simplifies your life when choosing a wedding venue in Calgary regardless of the setting.
How Do I Protect My Wedding Cake From Bugs Outside
To protect your wedding cake from bugs, hang fans in your tent or place the food in areas where guests will be eating. You can also light citronella candles and tiki torches where the food is served.
Related Content: 7 Things You Can Expect Your Wedding Coordinator to Handle For You & 7 Things They Won’t
Also Check: What To Get Your Parents On Your Wedding Day
Ideas For An Outdoor Wedding
1. Give Out Sunglasses
Sunny wedding days are great but if you are having an outdoor wedding you might want to think about offering your guests some shades!
2. Have An Outdoor Dance Floor
Dancing outside is so much fun and the summer months are perfect for this type of wedding so plan to have both your dinner and dancing outside.
3. Decorate With Balloons
In the past the idea of decorating your wedding with balloons might have seemed somewhat cheesy but now thanks to oversizes balloons it can be done in a totally chic way.
4. Create A Drink Stations
Let your guests grab a drink on their own with by creating a drink station. See our post on wedding drink displays ideas for more ideas.
A classic yummy summer treat which will be enjoyed by everyone at your wedding.
See More From This Wedding
6. Offer Casual Seating
Having an outdoor wedding means you might either want to or might have to have a more casual seating plan either way, we love this idea.
7. Use A Ceremony Backdrop
Make a statement for your ceremony by setting up a fun and unique ceremony backdrop.
See More From This Wedding
8. Dine Under Lights
9. Line Walkways With Lanterns
A wonderful way to add to the atmosphere is to use lanterns around your wedding and to line the walkways.
10. Use Church Pews
11. Use Tree Stumps
Wedding Venue Prices In Southern California
Southern Californias peak season for weddings is April through November, although year-round weddings are common due to the beautiful weather and natural landscapes that surround the region. An off-season wedding can save you anywhere from 6 to 15 percent off the total price, depending on the venue.
Because of Southern Californias vast selection of wedding venues and styles, prices range greatly between venues. Expect to spend anywhere from $60 to $250 per guest for your big day. Fees include the common sales tax of 8.25 percent plus deposits and service fees, which range between venue and are typically at least a couple thousand dollars.
Recommended Reading: Does Fleet Farm Have A Wedding Registry
Keep Guests Informed And Happy
Drink up: Water that is! Brides and grooms can often get wrapped up with the grand vision and forget about little things like keeping your guests hydrated. Although drinking champagne and dancing on tables is a necessity at a wedding, so is keeping hydrated.
A lovely bowl of punch or a drink dispenser full of cold lemonade or iced tea is a great option for when guest first arrive at the ceremony. Personalized water bottles with the bride and grooms name on the label are another option. Dont forget about drinking some H2O during the reception too.
Cool me down: A nice gesture is to offer your guests the use of pretty parasols, umbrellas, or fans while outside. An added bonus is that they can double as wedding favors.
Footwear: It is important to let your guests know what kind of footwear is appropriate to wear to the wedding. The best way is via your wedding website. If your dream day will take place in a big open field, let guests know that they will be walking on a grassy surface most of the day. Aerating the field in stilettos is not what guests are expecting, so please forewarn them!
Sunscreen: Just like in the bathroom of an upscale club, offer your guests sunscreen. Okay, they might not offer you sunscreen, but they do offer other toiletry products. Guests should focus on looking their best for the wedding, not worried about getting sun burnt.
I hope you are on your way to planning your own successful outdoor affair!
Weather Proof Your Wedding Dress
Need to protect your wedding dress from your outdoor venue? You and your gown will still look just as breathtaking in the rain as you do in the sunshine, as long as you remember to buy a petticoat, use a sheet to shield it from grass during photo sessions, and add a bustle to it.
You can also try spraying the hem with fabric protector spray .
You May Like: How To Sell Your Wedding Dress Online
Consider Your Locale’s Pros And Cons: A Backyard
PROS: Securing an all-inclusive reception venue can eat up to 50 percent of your budget, a nonissue if you’re considering a loved one’s yard or your own. And the sentimental value can be priceless.
CONS: You will save on site fees, but you still have to shell out for rentals, including portable restrooms, a dance floor, and, potentially, a tent . And if the home’s kitchen doesn’t suit your caterer’s needs, add cooking equipment to that list. Pests can present problems, too, so spend time in the yard to determine where they like to swarm . Then suss out parking, permits, and liability insurance, which covers personal injury and property damage.
What If It Rains On Your Outdoor Wedding
The ideal solution would be to choose a venue that has an indoor area or areas where your wedding ceremony and reception can take place in case of inclement weather. If you were planning to have an outdoor wedding ceremony and an indoor wedding reception and the weather precludes you from going outside, you can see if the venue has an indoor space to hold your wedding ceremony.
Alternatively, you could use the indoor reception area to hold your wedding ceremony. Reception tables can be scooted to the back of the room to create a dedicated space for the wedding ceremony. Or you could leave the tables in place with guests seated at their designated places and have the ceremony in an open space, such as the dance floor.
Utilizing a tent is another option. However, this solution is only suitable for light to moderate rain storms. A heavy rain could soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent or buy is sturdy so it won’t flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides.
Rain is never pleasant on your wedding day, but with a little pre-planning, the presence of rain does not have to ruin your wedding.
Related Content: 7 Tips for Throwing an Awesome Wedding Reception
Recommended Reading: How Much Should You Spend On A Wedding
Outdoor Gardens For Dc Weddings
Larz Anderson House there is a beautiful garden with a reflecting pool that can typically be used for at least one third of your wedding.
Wilson House they have a sweet but small garden in the back. A small guest list and an ambitious planner could maybe do 2/3 of a wedding out there.
Dumbarton House Great garden spaces for ceremony and cocktails. The dinner area is a tented area that is also outside dancing is inside in an adjacent ballroom. Expect the tent to cost about as much as your venue rental.
President Lincolns Cottage A garden area accommodates for most of your wedding day, including a tent for your reception.
Omni Shoreham Hotel A large hotel property with a garden area for ceremonies and a patio area for cocktails.
The Mandarin Oriental There is a small outdoor garden for ceremonies
