Decoration Ideas for Outdoor Weddings

Planning to have an outdoor wedding? Here are some decoration ideas for outdoor weddings...
Decoration Ideas for Outdoor Weddings
Remember Phoebe’s wedding in the famous sitcom Friends? I’m sure every sitcom lover would have watched that episode with dreamy eyes, as phoebe and mike walk down the aisle amidst heaps of snow…An unexpected snowfall might not have deterred phoebe’s will to marry mike even though turning blue in her wedding dress due to the freezing cold in her wedding dress, but again, not everyone can be as spontaneous and adorably weird as phoebe. In case you are planning an outdoor wedding, you need to remember that you’ll need to put in extra efforts to ensure the decorations are in place throughout the ceremony.

Decoration Ideas for Outdoor Weddings

There are several things that you need to keep in mind while planning an outdoors wedding and thinking of decoration ideas. Decorations include all the elements of the wedding plan, starting from the wedding venue to the wedding flowers. Given below are some of the factors that need to be taken care of while planning an outdoor wedding.

Weather

In case you are planning an outdoor wedding you have to be extremely cautious about the weather at the wedding venue. You never know when it could rain or snow – Weather can play a spoilsport and ruin all your wedding decorations. An outdoor wedding needs to be planned in an appropriate season when the weather is pleasant. If that is not possible and you are still keen on having an outdoor wedding, you need to take all the precautions to protect the wedding venue from rough weather.

Wedding Venue

The decorations for outdoor weddings also depend on the number of guests and hence the size of the wedding venue. In case you are planning to have the wedding in a park, you need to make sure the venue is not too small or even too big for your guest list. While hunting options for an outdoor wedding venue, the sky is the limit. The wedding venue can be a park, a hill, or even the beach.

Seating Arrangement

Well, looking for comfortable yet elegant seating arrangements is dicey business in case of an outdoor wedding. You don’t want tablecloths flying off or candles flickering due to wind. You don’t want flower decorations to be ruined and nor do you want your guests to be drenched in rain or frozen in the snow. (Quick Pointer – getting married outdoors when you know it’s going to snow is a really bad idea, unless again if you can pull off a phoebe act.)

Lighting

In case you are having an outdoor wedding, then the lighting is also and important issue. You obviously don’t want to get married in blaring sun, nor do you want to walk the aisle in darkness where you can hardly see each other’s faces. In case there is excessive lighting outdoor you need to balance it out by having temporary shelters, which are not only protective but also decorative. Block out excess light with tents and curtains at the venue. In case you are having a beach wedding then there is nothing that can beat the beach umbrellas.

Accessories and Add-ons

First rule of outdoor wedding decorations – keep things simple. Too many flowers, too much of flowy fabrics might ruin the effect. Pick up elegant and simple furniture that would blend in with the surroundings, for example wooden tables and garden chairs would be perfect for a garden wedding. Use flowers that will last longer. Use decorative items that will not dry out (delicate flowers) or blown away by the wind. Use furniture that is comfortable for the guests, but also easy to transport.

Decoration ideas for outdoor weddings should be such that they can be easily executed without any major hassles. The moonlight, the bright stars, the soothing breeze or the verdant green surroundings, the beauty of nature is splendid without any additional decorations. Always remember to keep things simple and allow the outdoor beauty to take over the wedding decorations rather than the other way round…

By Uttara Manohar
Published: 4/19/2008
 
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