Outdoor Weddings

Last weekend I went camping in an attempt to enjoy the outdoors, relax, and not think about weddings. I succeeded on the first two, the last not so much. I really didn't think I had a chance to succeed on the last. As I was sitting at the camp site I started to look around and really enjoy my surroundings. Immediately I thought about outdoor wedding ceremonies and how they are decorated. Here are some of my tips for brides that are planning to decorate their own outdoor wedding.

1. Work with your surroundings – The advantage of having an outdoor wedding is you may already have a beautiful backdrop. Don’t cover it up by adding a lot of “eye clutter.” Keep it clean and simple.
2. Plan around your surroundings – If there is a beautiful pathway with wild flowers, make this the aisle that you walk down. Have your ceremony at end of the pathway.
3. Resist pruning, cutting or laying down sod – Even if there is a bare patch of grass, resist the urge to lay down some sod. Instead of standing on top of this bare patch, you can turn your ceremony 180 degrees and face the other way. Your guests won’t notice they are sitting on a bare patch of grass.
4. Add natural elements for decorations – Add decorations that would fit in with your surroundings naturally. Potted plants, leaves, and stones are all good choices.
5. Take in the outdoors, the good and bad – You get a beautiful backdrop for your ceremony but you also get the insects and pests along with it. Relax, ignore pests, and enjoy your day. Afterall, they were there first. You are actually interrupting their space and possible wedding ceremony.

Here are some inspiration pictures taken by the talented Wei Quek at Photobolic.