What's an Outdoor Wedding and How Do You Plan One?

“Outdoor wedding” to you might mean the whole shebang – the ceremony and the reception held under the sun or stars. “Outdoor wedding” to your fiancé might mean a ceremony conducted outside, followed by the reception indoors. Before you do anything else, decide together if you wish to have both the ceremony and the reception outdoors, or if you prefer to split it up. 

Either way, you’re going to have to do quite a bit of homework to make an outdoor event happen. As long as you are not in a hurry and you have drive, determination, a strong will, and perhaps most important of all, excellent organizational skills, you can coordinate the al fresco wedding of your dreams!

The first task on your hands: research the legalities in your area.  

Whether you’re determined to have the entire wedding or a portion of it at a park or a beach, you will likely have to contact your town, village or city hall and inquire about permits and fees. Permits are typically required for all outdoor activities, so ask if you will need them for guest parking, for the consumption of food and alcohol and for entertainment. 

Organizing an outdoor wedding can be quite a complex undertaking, so think about retaining a wedding planner who can bring your vision to life.

If the whole wedding will be held outside at a beach or park and you’ll be organizing it on your own, contact a qualified catering company with outdoor wedding experience. They can sometimes obtain permits for you and advise you on other important matters pertaining to the planning.

Create a practical contingency plan in case the forecast calls for inclement weather on your wedding day. This could range from erecting a large tent on the premises to setting up a telephone or text chain to alert guests of an alternate location. It all depends on where the wedding will be taking place.