Outdoor Wedding Pros and Cons

For those brides who are still undecided, here are the pros and cons of planning an outdoor wedding. Consider each one carefully and then decide.

Pros/Advantages

1. Outdoor Wedding Makes for Great Pictures

The beauty and splendor of nature adds more to your wedding, making it extremely special. A gazebo on a tranquil lake with mountains on the background. The beauty of autumn colors - different shades of gold, red and oranges all around. Imagine the beauty those wedding pictures can capture.
2. Natural Beauty of the Great Outdoors

For a lot of couples, the beauty of exchanging vows beneath a canopy of sky is reason enough to have an outdoor wedding. Just the fact that the sun is shining, that in itself lends joy and uplifts the spirit. Exchanging vows on a warm sunny morning with the sound of nature all around -- perfect.

Nature's beauty just stirs the senses - the smell of lush flowers in a garden wedding; the sound of the waves while having a beach wedding; the magnificent sight of the beauty of nature.

3. Wide Open Spaces

If you are planning a large wedding, the outdoor wedding location's wide open area is an advantage, especially if you plan on inviting children. The informal setting of an outdoor wedding gives them more freedom to wander around (with supervision, of course) and to play with other kids.

1. Difficulty Involved in Planning for the Wedding

Wedding Weather. Will it rain? How about snow? Nobody can predict what the weather would be like. All you can do is to prepare. How? By having backup plan or Plan B in case Mother Nature does decide to rain on your event!

Crawling, creeping creatures - a.k.a. bugs! Depending on where your wedding location is, this could be a major problem. Provide a solution. Light citronella candles. Provide a bug zapper to control those pesky things. Have a small station where you can offer bug sprays for your guests to use.

Read and research extensively on when and what time of the year certain bugs, like cicadas, could be a major consideration for your outdoor wedding.

2. Guests' Comfort (or Discomfort?)

Depending on how the weather would be on your big day, your guests could be placed in a situation wherein the only thing they can remember of your wedding are the discomforts that they experienced. This could be from uneven grounds of the location, due to mud if there is some rain involved. It could be the shifting nature of sand, if your location is on the beach. Or it could be just the high humidity of the day, especially if your wedding day is set during the height of summer.

The solution? Think of all the possibilities that could happen in any given situation and plan for it. Inform guests ahead of time of the location and type of your wedding. Inform them of the possibility of wind so they can dress and accessorize accordingly.

Beach wedding? Inform the ladies that sandals would be more appropriate than high heels. Muddy grounds? Provide boards on the ground to make it more even and safer for your guests. Humidity is too high? Provide cool refreshments like cold sodas or bottled waters for their comfort.

Just don't go overboard. Yes, you want your guests to be comfortable and to enjoy but they are not the main reason for the wedding. It is for you and your groom. Think about the guests' comfort and do the best that you can. I am sure they will appreciate your efforts. If not, don't stress about it, they are not worth your while.

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