An outdoor wedding is beautiful and romantic. However, preparation is not as easy as you may think. Open-air weddings have their own pitfalls and limitations but if you follow the tips in this article, the event should be a success.

First and foremost, your guests must be comfortable. Consider what the weather will be like at that time of the year. If it’s going to be hot and sunny, don’t let the guests sit and melt when they arrive. As they get seated, have the ushers serve bottles or jugs of iced water. A nice touch would be to provide a paper hand-held fan at each table setting. Also provide sunscreen.

If the weather is likely to be exceptionally hot, consider hiring a few large electric fans. If electricity is not easily accessible, you may have to hire a generator as well. To further ensure the comfort of everyone, erect shade cloth or a tent. In the event of cold weather, tell the guests to bring jumpers and coats (include this information in the invite). If it’s likely to be really cold, you may want to hire a portable heater and have lap rugs on hand.

In case of rain, you must have a back-up plan. A perfect outdoor wedding is one that has an indoor location on standby. If you are planning to have an open-air ceremony and the rain comes lashing down, all the tables, chairs, and everything else can be easily and quickly re-located indoors.

As already mentioned, a tent can provide protection against the sun, but it can also be useful in rain. However, tents only offer protection in mild to moderate storms. If it rains very heavily, the ground will become soaked and everyone will have muddy, soggy shoes. The tent should have thick weighted sides to prevent it from flipping over.

Wind can be a negative factor at an outdoor wedding. Therefore, when planning the bride’s and bridesmaids’ dresses, avoid flimsy fabrics like china silk and chiffon. Tell your hairdresser than you are getting married outdoors so that he or she can plan an appropriate style. The groom, best man, and groomsmen should use styling gel for their hair. If there is a likelihood of gusting winds, inform your guests of this in the invite.

If you are planning an outdoor wedding at the beach, there’s probably going to be a lot of background noises. With the roaring of the waves, sounds of the wind, or children running around, it may be difficult for everyone to hear what’s being said during the ceremony. Avoid this problem by hiring a sound system and have the officiant, the bride, and the groom wear clip-on microphones. Your band or DJ can help arrange this.

One of the nicest things about an outdoor wedding is that you don’t need many decorations. The beauty that nature provides is more than enough. You can add to it with some supplementary flowers and a trellis or arch for the ceremony. If you are getting married after dark, use attractive torches, paper lanterns, lights in the trees, and candle luminaries.