I think if I were to get married all over again, the tips I would find most useful for future brides would be:
1. Stay true to you and your future husbands personalities and do what you have always wanted for your wedding day
- I learned that you can’t please everyone, and if you try it will drive you crazy in the process and you probably won’t enjoy the day that is for you and your future husband as much as you should.
- My husband and I are very outdoorsy people. We are more private and shy then some lavish weddings set you up for. The thought of being in front of tons of people with a private ceremony kind of made us both feel uncomfortable. But the fact that there was so much family to consider made us often waffle back and forth between a more traditional wedding and one we really felt comfortable with. In the end we knew where our hearts were set on getting married and we didn’t want it any other way. We hoped our families would understand and give us their blessing.
When we thought a campout reception would be a lot more stress free and laid back we were wrong. It was on the one hand laid back and all we could have hoped for when the day finally came. However there was way more planning and expenses that we didn’t quite anticipate. So some things to take into consideration if you are planning an outdoor wedding and reception are:
- Venue. Finding the right place to hold your party, does is fit enough people, easy to get to, set up for everything you want, cost, are you camping out there, how late can you have music playing? We wanted the place for the weekend as we knew many people were traveling from far we wanted them to be able to stay and camp the weekend if they chose and be close enough for those that wanted to stay in hotels, that they could do that too. We wanted live music that would be played late into the night, so we didn’t want to be disrupting anyone either.
- Food. We wanted to feed everyone since they were coming all the way out to celebrate with us. So you have to find someone who can cook outdoors in the facility you choose. We chose a big open field. Luckily in town we have a caterer with a giant BBQ who is used to doing meals for hundreds of people.
- Tables and chairs. Seems like a no brainer, but you need a place for all you guests to sit if you are going to feed them all. We had about 150 people in the end that were coming so, that was a larger number of chairs and tables we needed to find in our small town.
- A giant tent. What if the weather doesn’t hold up? We are after all in Alberta. Tents run a varying amount in cost and size, plus you need to look at the set up of it. This was a big reason we changed the venue of ours months before because the tent was already set up in the field and we wouldn’t have to pay extra to have it set up and moved and it was big enough to accommodate all of our guests.
- Washrooms. Since it was a big field and not everyone has a camper equipped with washrooms, we needed to think about this. So we rented out some port-a-potties. Classy I know but well needed.
- Music. We had always wanted live music especially from a band in our hometown as we knew they could get everyone up and dancing, which we love to do. This spot also had a stage set up that is there all year round, another reason for the change in venue.
- Dance floor. You are in a big open field after all so the whole place could be your dance floor, however we just wanted to be sure there would be no twisted ankles tripping over holes and other such things. We found a large mat that could be laid out in front of the stage and provide a bit of a dance floor.
- Beverages. We thought it would be fun to have sort of a Tiki Bar, where drinks could be ordered and margaritas could be made (we were hoping for nice weather). So an abundance of ice needed to be brought in through out the day as it was hot out, plenty of drinks and mixes and what I loved from a previous friends wedding was the bartenders. We had friends sign up for 30-minute slots to run the bar for our guests so everyone could kind or get to know one another
- Campfire. To keep guests warm, family donated time to cut up firewood and bring a large fire pit for the whole weekend
- Garbage’s and recycling. To make clean up a breeze and keep the area clean and tidy we set up giant recycling and garbage bins all around the site. We were lucky enough to find some there at the site we could use.
- These were some of the bigger things. Then of course you need clearly labeled signage so guests can attend, decorations if need be, desserts if wanted, a bar and many more.
- I didn’t want family and friends to feel pressured to help so I never really asked for any. I did find though that most people love to help out with weddings and when they offer to help you should let them.
- I had in my head I would do most of the stuff myself to save money and not burden other people, but learned there is not enough time in a day and no point on carrying the whole load
- So if you are a do-it-yourselfer get help and try not to take on too much sometimes it is easier to buy something than make it yourself. I may have went overboard on making my own bridesmaids dresses, party favors (jam, salsa and chutney) for all the guests, decorations, desserts, etc.
4. Be flexible
- You have to be willing to roll with the punches if you are planning an outdoor celebration because there are many things you can’t control, like bugs and weather. Just make the best of things and enjoy yourself, your guests and your new husband. If you already have in your head that not everything will run smoothly you will be better able to deal with things that pop up.
5. I know you hear it all the time, but don’t sweat the small stuff. It will all work out in the end and it’s not worth worrying over, just enjoy your special day
- We were really worried about how everyone would feel not being invited to the actual ceremony. Which almost made us change our plans altogether. We finally realized we could never please everyone and isn’t this day supposed to be about you and your partner? In the end we got the day we dreamed of and the people who love you want what you want so they were happy for us and they got to experience a piece of the beauty through our video. And we wouldn’t have changed it.
- We were then also really worried about the campout. Would it run smoothly, would people have a good time, would they dance, etc. All that worry prior to was not needed as there will always be some bumps along the way, but everything will turn out and as long as you are having a good time most others will too. The campout went as good or better than we could have hoped; it wasn’t perfect, but perfect enough for us. We had a great time, the weather was beautiful, we believe our guests had a great time, everyone danced and that kept the band happy, and we got to celebrate the beginning of our life together with family and friends.
Photo Credits: Paper Tiger Media
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