You want to enjoy the crisp air when you say your vows, and you prefer sweating outside to sweating inside. Fair enough. We can’t fault that. If you’re going the route of letting Mother Nature be your officiant, here are a few themes you can add to the big party you’re planning.
What to Consider When Planning an Outdoor Wedding
All the same concerns of a regular wedding apply here. Also, there’s a whole host of new fun ones to add to that list. Is an outdoor wedding still doable? Absolutely. Do you still want to do one? Well, let’s find out.
You Have to Plan for Anything, and Then Some
Yes, a disaster can happen at an indoor wedding. It can also happen at an outdoor wedding, and there’s even more room for cosmic creativity. Of course, you also get to have your very trendy men’s wood wedding bands look like they belong there, so it’s a tradeoff.
The point here is that you need a backup plan for your backup plan. What if a summertime afternoon shower rolls through? What if the wind picks up? What if the bugs didn’t get your cease and desist order? You need to have everything down to a science before you show up on the wedding day.
Bathrooms? Those May Be an a la Carte Option
While we’d find it amusing if you asked your guests to go to the bathroom behind a tree, your guests likely wouldn’t. You want to rent some bathrooms for the occasion, and those classic porta-potties really don’t fit the vibe. Indoor plumbing now has to be outdoors, and you might want to rent a fancy bathroom trailer for your friends to do their business in.
Do You Have Enough Extension Cords?
More of inside being outside: electricity. Now, you can combat this by doing a low-tech kind of wedding, but you’ll still probably want at least a microphone setup.
You Probably Want Pros
Can you do this all yourself? Sure. Is it harder than doing an indoor wedding yourself? Definitely. You probably want to hire some professional wedding planners if you’re heading outdoors, but by all means, roll up your sleeves and DIY this bad boy.
Outdoor Wedding Themes
What’s Already There?
Seriously, why fight what’s in place? Use it! What we mean here is to use the natural surroundings as inspiration. Sure, you could try to do a modern Palm Springs theme in the middle of the forest, but why truck in all that sand? See if you can play along with what’s already there and you’ll make life a lot simpler.
The Desert
For the fans of Joshua Tree National Park and all things vaguely earth-toned, the desert is the perfect wedding day theme. The desert landscape has tons of cool colors to choose from, and the ambiance makes you seem cool, whether or not you actually are. We’re sure you’re very cool, but just in case. Add some boho-adjacent furniture and a few cow skulls, and you’ve got a desert wedding.
Garden Party
Classic and malleable, the garden party is almost a neutral choice for outdoor weddings. Not even in a bad way. It’s just like the default setting for outdoor weddings. The nice thing about this one is that it can be dialed up or down in formality to fit your vibe. Want something a little nicer? Have everyone come in cocktail attire.
The Tropics
Any tropical wedding is another classic outdoor wedding and everyone is going to know how to prep for it. Just like gold bands for the bride and groom, a tropical wedding theme is a classic that’ll always stick around. The simplicity here is a huge bonus, and everyone will be prepared to have a ton of fun in their Tommy Bahama cosplay.
The Backyard Setup
The backyard setup is cozy, it’s low maintenance and it’s perfect for more intimate weddings with a shorter guest list. It’s also cost-effective, and we love that.
A Magical Forest
You’ve seen it on Instagram. Even if you weren’t looking for it, it appears and calls to you like an earth-toned siren. We see the appeal, honestly. There’s something enchanting about the deep, lush greenery of the forest, and it feels like getting married in a fairy tale. You’ll have to talk to the union if you want fairies to show up, though, and we hear they’re pretty tough.
The Beachcomber
Deck yourself out in linen, put your toes in the sand and say I do. You can do this one big with lots of decorations and a huge guest list, or go really small and intimate. A beach-themed wedding really lends it to either end of the spectrum quite well.
Rustic Vineyard Retreat
Whether or not you’re getting married at a vineyard, the feel of a vineyard wedding is a cool theme. Focus on lots of deep colors and materials with plenty of fun texture when you’re designing this one.
The Hometown
Grab every classic Americana cliché you can and throw it in a wedding stew. There’s something really comforting to this theme. Whether you want to embrace The Heartland and have hay and corn everywhere or go more country and have the groomsmen in Levi’s, there’s something very simple and pure about this theme that’ll make complicated things feel simple.
Conclusion
There you have it. Hopefully, that got you started. Whatever you end up with, as long as it’s something you like, that’s all you have to worry about.
