Step away from the traditional wedding, holding your ceremony outdoors. The natural lighting provides for better pictures, and there is more space to use instead of worrying about how large the venue is and how many people will be able to comfortably attend your wedding. Here are a few tips for throwing an outdoor wedding that you will remember and that your guests will enjoy.

Provide the Necessities

You want your guests to feel comfortable when they are outdoors. When you have a wedding inside, there is access to a bathroom and a sink. A professional plumbing company that specializes in outdoor events and activities can provide portable bathrooms and sinks for your wedding. You can often order as many as you think that you’ll need for the day of the wedding and the day before the event so that there is a bathroom for those who are setting up tables and other details for your wedding.

Use a Tent

A tent will act like a greenhouse and trap warm air. If you’re getting married when it’s cooler outside, then you’re going to appreciate using a tent more than you would if you get married when it’s warmer. You can get a clear tent with openings in the top that can let in cooler air if it’s needed. The clear tent will also allow for either the sun or moon to shine down on your ceremony and the reception if it will be held outdoors as well. This natural lighting offers a beautiful backdrop for pictures, and you can save money on lighting as you’ll have a natural source.

Offer Water and Other Beverages

Even if your wedding is held when it’s cooler, guests might get warm while they are outside. Provide a water bottle or another type of beverage for guests when they arrive. You can personalize the water bottles with labels that feature your wedding date and your names.

Set up a Reception Floor

While walking to the area where the wedding will take place and sitting in chairs on the grass is expected at an outdoor wedding, try to make your guests comfortable by setting up a floor for your reception. The tables will be on a sturdy surface, and guests won’t have to walk through the grass while they are talking with each other and making their way from one area to another. Another benefit is that a floor allows for a sturdy surface for setting up a tent and for running cords for your lights instead of everything being on the ground.

Your wedding is a special occasion that you don’t want to forget and that you don’t want your guests to forget. Think outside the box, setting up your wedding outdoors in the fresh air with more space to enjoy your friends and family. Most of the items that you need for an outdoor wedding can be rented and can be set up and taken down by the company that provides them.

Author's Bio: 

Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.