Summer Outdoor Wedding Essentials

Minnesotans love the outdoors.  So it makes perfect sense that many couples would like to get married outside. 

There are many positives about an outdoor wedding…you are surrounded by beauty.  Whether lakeside, in the forest, on a Lake Superior cliff, a park, or a meadow, Minnesota has so much to offer for outdoor sites.  You can share your love of nature with your friends and family, and embrace the colors of the season.  It is also the easiest alternative for couples who don’t want a church wedding…though many couples don’t realize that it isn’t necessarily cheaper to rent a park vs renting an indoor space for the ceremony. 

For some reason, however, couples book a park in July or August and cross their fingers that it will be 70 and breezy with no misquitoes…I mean, that is just daring Mother Nature to drop a severe thunderstorm! 

Here are some essential points to have a successful outdoor ceremony.

Be realistic about the weather – it will probably be hot in the summer, with harsh sun and also humidity.  Try timing your ceremony so it isn’t at high noon, and allow your wedding party to wear sunglasses if it is really bright out.  Have water, parasols, and paper fans available for your guests.  Don’t have a ceremony in a nature center at dusk in August and expect to not be attacked by misquitoes. 

Dress appropriately – in your invitations, make sure guests know that this is a casual, outdoor wedding so they don’t arrive in high heels and suit jackets.  And PLEASE don’t make your groomsmen wear black heavy tuxes!  I love when groomsmen have rolled up sleeves, a skinny tie in the wedding colors, and suspenders.  Choose the outfits around the nature of your wedding.  Along those same lines, let your bridesmaids where shorter, summery dresses and flats and make sure the bridal gown is fit for the weather as well.  Just because a bridal gown is strapless, does not mean that it will keep you cool.  Ten layers of tulle and a petticoat that doesn’t breath will overheat you in no time. 

Remember that you’re outside – putting down a fabric runner or having a full soundboard and chivari chairs at an outdoor ceremony can be overkill.  If you’re in a formal park with concrete to place the chairs on, then you can do something more formal.  But if you’re on a grassy lawn, those little chairs will tip over easily (we’ve seen many guests fall over).  If you’re having your ceremony in a farm field, consider using bales of hay covered in muslin.  If you’re getting married in a short intimate ceremony, consider letting your guests stand around you in a circle.  If you’re going very casual at a park, have a Victorian picnic feel with blankets on the ground.  Line the aisle with things like fall leaves or native flower petals rather than bringing in traditional elements like an aisle runner or flower stands.  And unity candles RARELY work outside, try something like water or sand.  Have a string quartet play music instead of having a DJ or ipod for the ceremony.  Microphones have a lot of trouble in the wind as well…so consider going without one and writing all of the words in your program in case guests can’t hear. 

Be Prepared – the boyscouts have this as their motto for a reason!  When setting up the ceremony site, have a bit of everything in a tool kit…scissors, heavy duty tape, sharpies, band aids, zip ties, a lighter, trash bags, etc.  Have bathrooms available, and the path to the ceremony well marked.  Consider having a golf cart for elderly guests if there is a bit of a walk.  Always have a first aid kit with an epipen.  And remember to have an indoor backup plan in case it rains. 

When you think of all these things, it makes an indoor ceremony sound like a piece of cake, eh?  Though make sure to pick a location with air conditioning!  =)