Take advantage of the clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine during the day and the cool breezes and glittering stars at night by throwing an outdoor wedding in the summer. If you are thinking of having your ceremony or reception outdoors, you should consider the following planning tips and suggestions to make sure that every part of your wedding is as sensational as the venue.
You won’t need to worry so much about lighting and décor in a gorgeous outdoor venue, so you can focus your attention on elements like food, drinks and entertainment. Serve out refreshing summer beverages like homemade lemonade, iced tea or mojitos to help guests cool off in the warm weather. To keep the cuisine just as lighthearted, you should hire a food truck for your event space — it can park alongside the reception so that guests can walk up and order meals whenever they want. The catering company The Food Dudes is known for their fantastic food truck services that can make any wedding feel like a festival. Your guests will adore snacking on gourmet fast food favourites like Mac n’ Cheese Balls and Nutella Bombs while dressed to impress — it’s the perfect combination of elegance and free-spirited fun.
When it comes to reception entertainment, set up games and activities that can occupy guests of all age groups. If the location has a flat and grassy lawn, some outdoor wedding game ideas are giant jenga, ring toss, horse shoes, lawn bowling, bocce ball and croquet. If your venue is on a sandy beach, think about having a set of colourful kites and containers of blowing bubbles for guests to use. For night-time activities, you can do a firework display, light floating lanterns and hand out sparklers to guests — as an added bonus, wedding photos using sparklers can be absolutely dazzling, especially when you trace shapes with the lit ends.
There can be more than a few setbacks when you are planning a summer outdoor wedding so it’s best to be prepared for mishaps, especially when it comes to unexpected changes in weather. If you’re worried about it being too sunny during the day, leave out sunglasses and miniature bottles of sunscreen for guests. If you’re anxious that it will be too hot, bring out silk fans, electric fans, misters and bottles of chilled water. If you’re anticipating that the temperature will drop in the evening, you can offer rolled up pashminas or blanket scarves. The biggest obstacle you should think about is rain — have outdoor tents set up and safety protections for any electrical equipment. If you decide to have a backup venue in case of rain, remember to notify the catering company and any other organizers involved.
All you have to do for your summer wedding is serve refreshing drinks, hire a fun food truck, set out activities and be prepared for whatever the weather can throw at you. If you follow these helpful suggestions, your wedding will be an unforgettable outdoor experience whether it takes place in a botanical garden, a grassy field, a sandy beach or in your own backyard.
