Having an outdoor wedding can be a lot of fun. But the hardest thing about having this style wedding is, you can’t predict mother nature. There are a lot more avenues you have to consider rather than your normal indoor ceremony.

You have to be prepared for anything with an outdoor ceremony. Rain, wind, bugs, birds, leaves… pretty much anything in nature! If you have a certain spot in mind, be sure you scope it months before and try and see what sort of issues you could possibly run into, such as noise and surrounding buildings and traffic.

Another thing you need to think of is are you going to move your reception indoors or are you going to stay outside? If you’re planning on staying outside, you need to be sure your caterer knows how to plan all your food for an outdoor environment.

One thing people rarely remember to do, if you’re having your wedding in a park, is to contact your local parks and services and see if a permit is needed for your wedding. Some things you need to ask about is occupancy, trash, candles and lighting, and photography. They’ll be able to give you any information you might need.

Oh and one last thing, with an outdoor wedding… always have a back up plan, just in case!