Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Outdoor Marriage: The Seven Most Important Caveats

By Cheryl Bayley

Outdoor marriages are a very valid alternative to traditional indoor weddings. Saying the vows in the open air, whether in the garden of one's home or on a sandy beach, is incredibly romantic and also a great experience for all the guests to remember.

Still, there are several things that you need to consider as outdoor marriage is far from fail-safe. Lots can go wrong during an outdoor wedding, so you are advised to read this list carefully to avoid any trouble.

1) You should put the utmost care into ensuring that your guests will be comfortable before, during and after the ceremony. Of course, this applies especially to older guests, but you should also think about children, who could become unruly if bored. Don't forget to take the weather and season into account, and to provide protection against the elements, such as a biting winter wind, or a hot summer sun.

2) Have plenty of drinks available close to where everyone will be congregating to avoid discomfort and dehydration. Cold water is paramount, and hot drinks will be much appreciated in chilly weather. And of course, fruity drinks for the young ones and some bottles of champagne or sparkling wine for the adults are always welcome.

3) While one big advantage of outdoor weddings is that you need to decorate less, you should still make sure that the place of the ceremony is adequately set out. If in a garden, make sure that the area has been cleaned out recently, and provide for extra flowers, wreaths, and other decorations. A theater-like set in front of the couple is good to frame the event, and at night you will have to provide lighting, which could be in the form of torches.

4) Check the sound well before the ceremony. If toy are near a street, you wouldn't want the vows to be disrupted by a passing truck. Make sure that background noise is limited and that the entire party can hear you well.

5) To avoid having the outdoor marriage disturbed by flying and stinging critters, get some perfumes anti-insect candles or other insect-repelling products so that you won't be annoyed by the less wholesome parts of nature.

6) Don't forget to check if you need any special permits to hold the marriage ceremony at the chosen location. Having to postpone everything at the last minute just because some paperwork is missing is a true nightmare scenario.

7) Have a substitute location, preferably indoors, in the case that the weather turns bad. You wouldn't want to be caught out in a rainstorm during your outdoor wedding, so make sure that you can retreat to a roof over your head for a more traditional marriage ceremony, if necessary.

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