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Home :: How To Decorate An Outdoor Wedding

How To Decorate Your Outdoor Wedding In Six Easy Steps

An outdoor wedding can be breathtaking. Imagine taking your vows beachside, walking amid gardens of flowers or overlooking mountains and trees. Even if your location is not a grand scenic event, your occasion can be lovely and memorable. An outdoor wedding presents a unique challenge. Use the following six easy steps on how to decorate your outdoor wedding to ensure your even will not become a natural disaster.

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Step 1

Survey your wedding site carefully. In fact, take notes and pictures of the area. This way you will have a reference when you are shopping for flowers, linens, decorations and even the cake. Seeing a picture will refresh your memory and allow you to visualize your décor. This is the most important step in how to decorate your outdoor wedding.

Many couples visit the site only once or twice and easily forget about the details such as seating or space availability and lighting. If possible visit the site at the time of day you plan to wed. Take notes about lighting and how easy or difficult the location is to find. Include notes about available parking and restroom facilities. If in doubt later, go back to site and investigate.


Step 2

Determine what items at the wedding site you can use for your ceremony and reception. Is there seating available for free or for a small rental fee? Is there a shelter or a tent just in case there is bad weather? Check out the restroom facilities and see if there is an area for you and your wedding party to get ready.

Keep your eye out for what can naturally be used as decoration. Is there an arc under a tree or between two trees that would be perfect for the ceremony or perhaps the cake cutting? Can you wrap some bows or tulle around some the trees or plants?

If you are getting married in a garden then you will likely save money on flowers. Are there benches to use? Is there a wide flat area that would make sense for a stage if you need it? Don’t make things more difficult for yourself by hauling in a lot of extras you don’t need. If the tables and chairs are serviceable but unattractive, use chair covers and tablecloths.



Step 3

Determine what items you will need. If you want a tent and it isn’t available at the site, you will need to rent it. This is also true of tables, chairs and linens. Often all of this can be rented from the same company. Don’t over decorate. Simply put if you are getting married outdoors, you probably have a lovely site.

Accent the site rather than haul in lots of flowers and plants you don’t need. Use unique lighting like torches or paper lanterns to make the space special. Remember that if you are a do-it-yourselfer recruit lots of help for set-up and take-down because you will probably not have much time to be involved.


Step 4

Decide on the best course of action and test it. If you want to have rows that are 10 chairs wide, measure how much space that will take and go to your site to make sure you have enough space. You have decided to use six torches to light the dance area? Get your six torches and set them up at night in roughly the same amount of space that you will have at the reception and see if it gives off enough light.

Are you using citronella oil in the torches? Test it to make sure you are OK with the odor. This particular step in how to decorate your outdoor wedding keeps you from some potentially nasty surprises on your wedding day.


Step 5

Have a back-up plan. Even the best laid plans go haywire. Prepare for the weather to annoy you and the wind to make your life miserable. Having a workable alternate plan will save you from wedding horror stories. It also won’t come as quite a shock if you suddenly have to move everyone into a lodge to avoid a storm.


Step 6

Implement and enjoy. After all your hard work, enjoy having your nuptials in the midst of nature. Relax and breathe the fresh clean air you can now enjoy worry free.


An outdoor wedding can be romantic and fun. Don’t let under planning or over decorating ruin your event. Trust your instincts and learn how to decorate your outdoor wedding in six easy steps.

About the Author

Melissa Nedved is a freelance writer and a contributor to http://www.wedding-decoration-idea.com.


More Outdoor Wedding Articles

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It’s Springtime! Why Not Plan An Outdoor Wedding Decoration?
How To Plan For Your Outdoor Wedding Decoration
Let Nature Be Your Guide: Outside Wedding Decoration
Trendy Outdoor Aisle Decor
Simply Beautiful Outside Wedding Decor
How To Decorate Your Outdoor Wedding In Six Easy Steps
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