1. Make Wedding Guests Comfortable

            You want to always make sure that your guests are comfortable. They have taken

            the time to come to your wedding so make sure that they can enjoy it.                      

a. Supply them with ice water, if it is hot outside

b. Make the Program a fan

c. Provide sunscreen as the guests are walking in.

d. Provide lap blankets or portable heaters if going to be cool

     2. Always have a Back-Up Plan

            This is the most important component of an outdoor wedding. You always want to    

            have a back up plan; you want to be prepared for anything.            

                   a.    Tents, if going to rain

b.       May have to use the reception site for the ceremony if bad weather

c.       Heaters or fans available (Depending on the weather)

    3. Plan for Wind

            This is key in several ways: dresses, videography and reception set up.  This is

            something that most people don’t think about but it could cause lots trouble.

a.        Make sure that bridesmaids dresses are not made of a light fabric that

     will blow during a wedding ceremony.  (Nothing worst that a dress           

     disaster at your ceremony)

b.        Check with the Videographer to ensure that he knows that it might be

     windy and can adjust for it.  Howling wind will make your    

     whole ceremony hard to hear.

c.        Wind can also be a hassle at reception.  It can blow table clothes off of

            tables so make sure to put centerpieces on the table that are heavy

            enough to hold them down.  A tent will act as a wind tunnel for heavy

            wind.

  4. Sound Systems

            During an outdoor wedding there are so many environmental sounds; roaring

            waves, wind and local kids playing, (depending on your venue) around so you want

            to make sure that you have some type of system to amplify your ceremony.

            You don’t want your guest to not hear your wonderful vows.

a.        Get your DJ or band to supply some type of sound system for the ceremony

b.      Rent a sound system or hire an AV company

c.       Some Venues will supply Sound System equipment.

5. Decorations

            Most outdoor venues already have great natural beauty which can substitute for

            decorations but you want to make sure that you do try to add some extras in

            addition to making sure that the natural beauty looks good by supplementing

            decorations by using a florist.

a.       Make sure that the grass is cut

b.      Leaves are raked

c.       Flowers and trees look nice

d.      Use centerpieces

e.       Use Arches and trellises

f.        Strings of lights or lanterns

g.       Torches, candles and luminaries

6. Make things Tasty

            Keep all food at adequate temperatures.

a.       Stay away from Mayonnaise based food during the summer

b.      Keep chilled food cold during warm months

c.       Keep food warmed during cold months

7. Keep Guests Hydrated

            If guests are going to be outside during your wedding, make sure to keep them

            hydrated.  Especially if there will be alcohol served. 

a.       Ice water, Lemonade, Tea, Punches (Non-Alcoholic)

b.      Mint Juleps, Mojitos, Vodka Limeades (Alcoholic )

8. Keep Bugs Away

            You don’t want your guests swatting at bugs during your wedding so use some

            of the following suggestions to keep bugs away.

a.       Place citronella candles on tables as centerpieces

b.      Place torches with citronella oil in them around the ceremony and reception site.

c.       Place citronella candles down the inside of the aisle ( depending on time of ceremony)

9. Keep Sun Position in mind

            When picking a time of day for your outside wedding, take into consideration the

            position of the sun and how this will affect your guests. 

a.       Use a shaded area for an outdoor wedding and ceremony if it is going to be at a time where the sun is the most intense.

b.      Choose a time of day that is not as intense. (Early morning, Late afternoon or Sunset)

10. Permits

            Make sure that you get all necessary permits to have an outdoor wedding.

a.       Contact your local laceType w:st="on">CountylaceType> laceType w:st="on">BuildinglaceType> to get more information.

 You’re getting married and you and your fiancé go and register for gifts; a coffee maker, dishes, silverware and all the necessary household items.  But what if you could get what you really want; MONEY to get a house, a bigger apartment or a great honeymoon.   But is money an appropriate gift for a wedding?

Well, technologically speaking “NO”, money is not an appropriate gift.  But the question that I ask you, is “WHY”

Yes, asking for cash as a wedding gift is TACKY but what if you could do it in a polite, hip and cool way. “It’s not rude to request money as a wedding gift,” says Peggy Post, author of Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette.  “However, it’s extremely important to ask politely. 

There are some cool and innovative ways to incorporate monetary gifts into your special day. The very popular Money Dance is a great idea.  The guests pay a dollar to have a dance with the bride and groom.  This is a great way for the couple to interact with guests at the wedding.  

Another is having a money tree or money/card box .  This is a great option because some people really don’t know what to get, especially if they have homes, are coming together and already have everything.  

Honeymoon registries are also very common.  This is a wonderful way to get a great honeymoon.  A honeymoon is set up by the couple, the guests are informed about the registry the same way as others, by word of mouth, guests can then go and pay for certain aspects of the honeymoon.  They can upgrade the room, add excursions, breakfast in bed or chocolates and champagne.

There are also some great resources out there for getting monetary gifts for down payments for mortgages.  If a couple is in the process of buying a house this is a great idea to help get the down payment together.   “A Perfect Wedding Gift.com” is an amazing website that allows a couple to register and then guests can go to the website and purchase a monetary gift for them.  The money goes into an established account for the couple for a down payment.  Another great site is Bridal Downpayment.com. and SunTrust Mortgage also has a bridal registry available.  

The main thing to remember is that asking for money or unconventional gifts is not bad, just be mindful of how you are doing it.  Make sure to always ask politely and in the right situations.  You should never put any information about registries and wanting cash for gifts in invitations.  This should be information that guests get through word of mouth. 

 
Happy Planning,

Shafonne Myers
Making Your Event Special