Outdoor Wedding Series – Early Planning
backyard in the warm summer months as often as I could. And when I
began planning my 2005 wedding, I had hopes of doing my ceremony and reception outside in
the beautiful 19th century garden of our location; unfortunately,
Mother Nature had other plans. There was an absolute deluge of rain the
day before our wedding. I am not ashamed to say that as we drove up to
the wedding location the night before, my tears were strong competition
for the showers outside our car. Freaking out? Ummm, yeah, just a
little. Luckily, we had a contingency plan–our location, Le Chateau in
South Salem, New York, had an indoor and an outdoor option, so indoors
it was. At one point during our vows, I looked down at the floor just
as the clouds parted and a ray of sun light shone down between my
husband and I.
The following is an excerpt from my book, Eco-Chic
Weddings, about things you might consider when planning your outdoor
wedding.
"Indoor, outdoor, rooftop, garden. Beach, boat, or the top of a
mountain; It seems the list of where to get married is endless. Or
perhaps you have a destination wedding in mind—a trend which has seen a
400% over the last 15 years. Wherever you look, consider your reception
locale very carefully. Okay, so you may want to do the big event in the
beautiful outdoors—sunny skies, lovely breezes, sun-kissed cheeks. Who
doesn’t dream of having their wedding outside? Especially is you really
are a nature-loving gal. Well, it may sound lovely to have a
mid-afternoon wedding in the beautiful backyard of your childhood home,
but what will that really cost you and the environment? From tent
rental, to parking, to the wear and tear on your mother’s prized rose
garden, you might be surprised at the high cost of having a wedding at
home. Ovens, dishes, glasses, chairs, tables all need to be rented,
which drives the cost up faster than anything else. Likewise, taking
that gondola to the top of your favorite Colorado ski top might sound
like the perfect way to commune with nature, but what happens once you
and 250 of your closest friends get to the top? Well, all of the food,
cooking equipment, chairs, tables, lighting, and sound equipment need
to be sent up the mountain as well. And believe me, you will definitely
be charged a premium for the effort. It is a good idea to be flexible
about where you have your outdoor wedding, think about doing it at a
museum that maybe has an outdoor garden, or a municipal park that has
building on site that can be used for your event. Being outside for
your wedding might seem like the ultimate green idea, but the reality
is that it can actually increase your eco-footprint, and the cost of
your wedding. I recommend choosing a venue with a beautiful outdoor
option (hey, you'll save money on flowers) that also has an indoor
option. Trust me, my rainy day came, and though it was wet, it was
still wonderful."
– Emily Anderson
Eco-Chic Weddings