How to Plan an Outdoor Wedding and Keep Your Guests Comfortable

Reno is one of the most beautiful places to do an outdoor wedding. If you’re planning on getting married here soon, it’s no wonder you want to know how to plan an outdoor wedding. It would be a shame to have the most important day of your life and miss out on the fabulous views, photographs, and memories that our area makes possible. 

A Few Experts Tips on How to Plan an Outdoor Wedding

From the location to the attire to the food, planning your open-air wedding requires a few expert tips to keep in mind. You want this to be a special day not only for you, but for everyone attending. The last thing you want is for everyone to be sweaty or freezing! Here’s what you will want to remember:

Make good use of lighting

One of the best reasons to have an outdoor wedding is that you can plan it around when the lighting will be perfect. Imagine having a gorgeous sunset behind you saying your vows, rather than iridescent lighting. Many professional photographers will tell you that “Golden Hour” is ideal for capturing the perfect wedding photos.

Keep everyone cool…

Unless you’re planning on everyone showing up in shorts, you want to have a way for your guests to stay cool in what is probably uncomfortable, hot formal wear. This could be shade, fans, or mistors. You can also prioritize hydration with an outside bar or help-yourself stand for lemonade, water or iced tea. 

… or warm!

Many times of the year, the Reno temperatures can dip below the point of being comfortable. This is particularly true once the sun goes down. If you’re planning your wedding for the late fall, winter, or early spring, you’ll want to keep this in mind. Placing space heaters inside tents is both practical and offers an elegant touch to the location.

Don’t surprise guests with an outdoors venue

We can’t stress enough that this is often not a good surprise. Your guests will want to plan their attire, hair, and makeup around the fact that they’ll be outdoors. Men may opt to go without a suit jacket. Women may not want to wear stiletto heels if they’ll be trying to walk around in grass. There’s nothing worse than constantly getting a heel stuck in soft ground. Being outdoors may blow hair around or require additional make-up retouches.

Tell your florist you’ll be outside too

Your guests aren’t the only ones who need to know you’ll be hosting the wedding outdoors. Roses, zinnias, and dahlias stand up to gusts and rain better than delicate blossoms. Baby’s breath, scabiosa, and peonies are particularly attractive to pests. On the other hand, sprigs of rosemary, lavender, mint, and thyme are actually a natural pest deterrent. Your florist will want to plan your bouquets, boutineers, and table settings around the fact that you don’t want bees buzzing around your big day.

Have a back up in mind

We know you want an outdoor wedding, but sometimes plans must change. It’s impossible to know when you book your wedding venue months in advance that a thunderstorm will happen on that day. What is the backup plan for rain or inclement weather? If you plan on holding your event outdoors, this question is essential to ask. Be sure your location also offers an indoor space the ceremony or reception can quickly be moved to.

As you can see, learning how to plan an outdoor wedding isn’t difficult at all! By keeping all of this advice in mind, you’re sure to have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of. And remember, if you have any additional questions, the event planning staff at The Club at Arrowcreek is always here to answer them.