Congratulations, you’re getting married! Now that the ring is on your finger it’s time for the nitty gritty planning to begin. If a garden wedding is in your sights then here’s a checklist to make sure it runs smoothly.
Guarantee a gorgeous lawn
Maintaining a luscious green lawn is hard work. One week there’s not enough rain and it dries out in the sun, the next there’s too much and it’s flooded and muddy. If you want to guarantee a green aisle underfoot then consider laying some luxe-look artificial grass. There are ways to incorporate it for a temporary feature such as adhesive glues and using decorative pot plants as weights. But you might find you like the look so much you decide to keep it!
Weatherproof your yard
There’s no use praying to the weather gods for clear skies. They’re notoriously cheeky and the more you wish for a sunny day the less likely it feels. Prepare for every scenario with a portable marquee. Even if it looks like rain or searing heat you’ll have a stylish hideaway for your guests to enjoy the festivities.
The dos and don’ts of flower design
Kathleen O’Brien is the floral designer and stylist behind Flower Dayz, offering her clients creative and innovative, floral-filled event spaces for all occasions. Here are her top tips for flowers at your garden wedding:
“- When planning your flowers for a garden wedding, look at which flowers are in season first, so that they will be able to cope with the weather conditions better.
- Make sure your flowers are kept in water for as long as possible
- Flowers attached to an arbour need to be made from oasis floral foam
- If it is hot, your florist will need to have spray water bottles on hand
- Don’t leave anything to chance. Your flowers die very quickly if unattended!
- Consider a native flower as they can be quite resilient towards outdoor conditions”
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Timing is everything
How stunning would your wedding look at sunset? Elise Hughan from Easy Weddings has seen couples fall for this trap before but she has a way to make it work.
“There are a lot of different tips for hosting a garden wedding, but one that we find couples don’t always take into account is light. Late afternoon or evening shadows can play havoc with your wedding photos, and being bathed in floodlights is even worse. Instead, consider adding strategically placed fairy lights or citronella candle lanterns to set off shadows, give a cosy glow, and keep unwanted insects at bay.”
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Rentals are your friend
Scott Koch, director of Event Hire Services, is very familiar with how to set up an outdoor wedding. Here’s his advice for a smooth outdoor ceremony:
“You're getting married; Congratulations! Let me guess, you want an outdoor ceremony. Here are a few simple tips.
When planning outdoors, your best friend or foe is Mother Nature. For hot and sunny days, set up ice tubs with water and chilled cloths, and if possible near some shaded areas for those guests who are a more sensitive to the sun. Alternatively, make sure you are happy with your wet weather plan, and make that call early enough for suppliers to deliver and set up. No one likes to be left out in the rain.
Your day should be relaxing and flow effortlessly. Don’t stress it, Enjoy it!”
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Providing guest amenities
If you’re hosting the wedding at home you may not have enough bathrooms to go around. And if you’re hosting it in public space they may not have toilets nearby. Double check that all of your guests needs will be covered from ample bathrooms to nearby parking, generous seating and sunscreen on a warm day.
Party the night away
Garden parties are a classy affair but every wedding needs some great music to enhance the celebrations. Having your reception outdoors can be difficult as the music floats into the atmosphere rather than being contained and amplified by the walls of a room. Having a designated, covered dancefloor may help focus the direction of your tunes. Consult your band or DJ about how they usually handle outdoor gigs and find out about any restrictions on late-night partying from the local council where you’ll be hosting.
There’s still a lot to be done before you can set foot down the aisle so get planning! We hope you have a magical wedding, no matter what venue or style you choose.
