Warming Up Outdoor Weddings

In my last post, I discussed how summer outdoor weddings provide the additional stressor of keeping your guest’s safe from the sun’s harmful and energy-sapping rays. If you are having an autumn outdoor wedding, on the other hand, you have a completely different set of problems to deal with. Especially as the sun begins to set, autumn weather is known to get pretty chilly, and your guests may begin to get cold. Nobody wants their outdoor reception to end earlier than it should, simply because of an uncomfortable temperature.
Luckily, there is a solution to this problem as well. And it, too, is quite simple. If you want your guests to be able to remain outdoors in the chilly autumn weather, you need to provide patio heaters to keep them warm. These heaters come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles, and strengths, so you are sure to find the perfect one for your wedding. If you are located close enough to a building, I recommend using wall-mounted heaters. These are out of reach and therefore reduce the risk of accidental burns or other injury to your smaller guests as they play. However, if your outdoor wedding is not being held close enough to a building for this to be a feasible option, free-standing heaters are a great choice too. There is a wide variety of alternatives, so you are sure to find the heater that works best for your situation.

Protect Your Guests With Patio Umbrellas

If you are having an outdoor wedding, especially during the summertime, not only do you have the stress of planning the entire ceremony and reception, but you also have the sun too worry about. Especially for your younger and elderly guests, the sun’s intensity can often be dangerous to their health. Even for your other guests, the hot summer sun can just seem too bright, too hot, or otherwise unbearable. A solution to this problem is purchasing or renting patio umbrellas for your outdoor wedding.
A patio umbrella will create shade for your guests, allowing them to protect their skin and cool down all at once. Especially if you plan to have your reception outdoors as well, patio umbrellas are a must.
Luckily, today’s patio umbrellas can be incredibly elegant, so you don’t have to worry about patio umbrellas ruining the atmosphere of your wedding. They also come in virtually every color under the sun (pun intended), so you are sure to find umbrellas that match your décor. You could even go so far as to choose umbrellas in your wedding colors, if that is the look you desire.
If you are having your wedding outdoors in the summer, you have to think about your guests’ comfort and health when it concerns the sun. Adding patio umbrellas is a smart and responsibly choice that will keep your guests happy and healthy.

Add a Little Something Extra with a Glider Swing

Your wedding is a special day that you want to share with all of your friends and your family. And if you have chosen to have an outdoor wedding, you definitely want to set your wedding apart in people’s memories from the many other weddings they will attend in their lifetimes. One way to make your wedding stand out is by including a garden swing glider in the set of outdoor furniture you use at your reception.
A swing glider features two gliders facing each other that rock back and forth. Depending on the size of the gliders, this piece of garden furniture can seat up to four adults or six children. At your reception it can be a great place for your friends and family to sneak off and have a private conversation. Or, if children get bored, you can send them off to the glider swing to keep them occupied for hours!
If you already own a swing glider, you can customize it for your wedding. Why not try painting it a traditional white, in the classic style of wedding furniture. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, you could even choose to paint it one of your wedding colors and purchase an awning of another of your colors. This customization is sure to be a big hit and make a great impression with your guests.

Keep Your Guests Cool with Class

If you having an outdoor wedding, especially in the late spring or summer, it is absolutely essential that you have beverages. Your guests will get hot, sweaty, and will need to quench their thirst and keep hydrated. For this reason, I think it is absolutely crucial that you invest in a patio drink cooler.
However, no one wants to roll out the Coleman cooler at their sophisticated wedding. The tacky, plastic cooler will make even the most expensive and elegant wedding seem cheap and tacky.
Luckily, many manufacturers are creating incredibly elegant drink coolers. These coolers typically have a cast iron frame and have several containers made of terra cotta or other earthenware. You can choose from many different glazes for these earthenware sections of the coolers. The result is an elegant way to offer refreshing beverages at your outdoor wedding. Plus, you can pick out a cooler that complements your wedding colors, or at least the general aesthetics of your wedding. Trust me, your guests will be impressed with how sophisticated these coolers are, and grateful that you cared enough about them to provide drinks to keep them cool and safe. A memorable wedding is all about the little details, and choosing an elegant drink cooler will definitely make an impression on your guests.

A Fun Addition to Your Wedding Reception

If your wedding reception is outdoors and you’re planning on it running late into the evening, I think a fun addition to your party would be a fire pit. It will bring your guests together and allow them to enjoy the natural beauty of fire, as well as the joy of conversation. If you want to add a classy fire pit to your wedding reception, I definitely recommend an old world bronze finish cocktail table fire pit. It’s a mouthful, I know. However, this piece of furniture is incredibly elegant and it will be able to serve multiple purposes at your reception.
This fire pit actually also doubles as a cocktail table. So, at the beginning of your reception, you can use it to serve drinks to your guests. Then, once they have drank their fill and the sun begins to set, you can easily transform it into a fire pit around which your guests can gather.
The old world bronze finish makes this table/ fire pit luxurious enough for your wedding. It is a beautiful design and a gorgeous finish that will make your wedding sophisticated, even in the outdoors.

Take Your Engagement Pictures Somewhere Beautiful

Taking your engagement photos is one of the most exciting parts of the engagement stage. In the haze of wedding preparations and planning, it is nice to take the time out to document your love and take pictures together. The outdoors is the perfect place to take these photos, even if you are having an indoor wedding. Nature always provides a beautiful backdrop for your pictures.
One of my favorite locations for an engagement picture is an arbor swing set, especially if there are flowers growing up the trellis. The swing provides the perfect spot for you and your fiancée to cuddle up, and the flowers are a beautiful compliment to your beautiful, happy smiles.
Another good place to take these pictures is in front of a fountain. Fountains exhibit the splendor of water in an incredibly elegant way. They make a great backdrop for any engagement photo.
These are just a few places you can take engagement photos. I recommend that you select a location with many different outdoor backdrop options for your session. One of the best places is a park that has many different features to choose from, so you can get a variety of locations in your shoot.

Make Serving Drinks Simple

If you are having an outdoor wedding, how to handle your open bar can be a difficult problem to solve. You will either have to rent or purchase an outdoor bar of some sort. I highly recommend using a trolley bar at your reception.
First and foremost, trolley bars are cheaper than regular, standing outdoor bars. You are already spending so much money on your wedding, that I’m sure you will want to be as cost-effective as possible.
Trolley bars are also completely portable and convenient. You can have your bartender wheel it around to your guests, so they feel completely waited on and don’t have to walk over to the bar to get their drinks. Although these carts are smaller, they still have plenty of room for many different types of drinks, or for hors d'oeuvres as well.
If you really feel like going all out; try having a stationary bar and a trolley bar. One bartender will work at the main bar so that guests can go get drinks exactly went they want them. Then, the trolley bar will be an extra touch, adding further elegance and extravagance to your reception.

Fountains Make Your Wedding a Splash

Every girl dreams that her wedding will be the perfect day. She also wants her friends and family to have a blast, and to remember her wedding forever. Make your wedding stand out in your guests’ memories by incorporating outdoor patio fountains into your ceremony or reception.

When it comes to materials, there are many different options from which to choose. Some of the most popular garden water fountains are made from stone. Stone holds up well in the weather, so it can handle both sun and rain. Slate is especially in style right now, especially in more modern fountains that use boxes to hold the water. There are two major disadvantages to stone. One is that stone can be very expensive, especially marble fountains. The second drawback is that stone is very heavy, so it is difficult to move if you decide to relocate your fountain.
Recently, glass is becoming an increasingly popular material to use in garden fountains. Often, a sheet of glass is mounted in a frame of some other material, usually metal. The water is then fed through the fountain so that it cascades down the glass. These fountains work in several different ways, and you can find glass fountains in wall form as well.
A fountain can make your wedding original and elegant. If you want your wedding to be memorable and unique, I recommend outdoor patio fountains.

Keeping Organized

As your wedding day approaches, it can be tough to keep all your hair accessories, shoes, jewelry and other such items separated and organized. You definitely want to keep them safe and distinct from your every day items as well. Personally, I am terrible at organization, and need all the help I can get! Luckily, I discovered cedar wood closet storage to keep everything in its place.
These closet organizers are stackable, so you can mix and match in order to have all the storage that you need. They come in all shapes and sizes, so you can design the custom storage system that best fits your closet. The organizers come partially assembled, and it only takes a few minutes to put them together and stick in your closet. Then, let the closet transformation begin!
Another benefit of these storage units is the freshness they provide. The aromatic scent of eastern red cedar is known as “nature’s all natural air freshener.” This odor repels insects and keeps the contents of your drawers fresh and clean, without having to use mothballs or other such terrible smelling solutions.
With all the items you are going to collect as your big day approaches, you will definitely need some closet storage. I recommend a set where you can mix and match to your personal needs.

Here's to Hoping!

So you’ve dreamed your whole life of having the perfect outdoor wedding. But, the right man is yet to come along and sweep you off your feet. Or, you’re in a serious relationship, but he seems to be dragging his feet when it comes to proposing. Maybe you’re lucky enough to be engaged, but the date is still a long way off. Don’t let any of this discourage you; instead, start working towards your dream wedding right now!
Imagine getting married in your beautiful backyard under a thick, lush, gorgeous canopy of flowers! But if you wait until your big day is just around the corner, you won’t have enough time to grow enough flowers to satisfy your craving for romance and beauty on your wedding day.
So why not start growing now? Purchase a trellis or garden pergola kit, pick out the flowers you want, and plant to your heart’s content! This way, you’ll be ready if the man of your dreams just appears out of nowhere. Plus, a gorgeous trellis of flowers can be enjoyed no matter what day it is. Even if you don’t end up using it in your wedding, it will be a beautiful addition to your backyard and maintaining and growing your flowers is an entertaining pastime. Still, keep your fingers crossed, and hopefully you will get to say “I do” under your homegrown flowers some day soon!

Outdoor Garden Lanterns Create the Perfect Ambiance for your Outside Wedding

I am and have always been a huge fan of outdoor weddings. I think that the beauty of nature compliments a gorgeous ceremony like nothing else can. However, even nature needs a little help sometimes. Decorating your wedding space with outdoor garden lanterns can help to create the ideal mood for your wedding. And, if you have an outdoor reception, these lamps will provide the necessary light for the party to continue well into the night. However, it won’t be the harsh, artificial light of light bulbs but the warm, romantic and natural illumination of candlelight.
Clearly, choosing to have an outdoor wedding says something about who you are and what you want. You went for the simple elegance of nature over the extravagant luxury of a lavishly beautiful indoor location. You clearly want your wedding to be an expression of your love in a beautiful place. And of course, your wedding day should be absolutely perfect. Using outdoor garden lamps just allows your wedding to be focused on the exquisiteness of nature and the beauty of your love and commitment. Many lamps are even decorated with shapes from nature, such as leaves or flowers. In an outdoor wedding, everything should be natural, just like your love. How romantic is that?

Backless Benches: Fainting Remedy

As you plan your wedding, you hope nothing will spoil the day; this is where backless benches enter the picture. I have seen a number of weddings where someone in the wedding party fainted during the ceremony.

The most recent time I saw this, a bridesmaid had been feeling sick a day or two before the wedding. Her weakness, compared with standing on the platform, caused her to collapse. Of course, a gasp went up, and the ceremony stalled. But these things happen often, even when the bridesmaids haven’t been sick. It gets a little warm, someone locks their knees, and bam.

You can provide backless benches for both sides of your wedding party in case someone should start to feel a little weak or dizzy. You can even use backless benches as part of your decoration. Place a bench on either side of the platform and decorate it with flowers or ribbons that match your wedding theme. Then if someone needs to sit, they can remove the flowers and find relief. The ceremony can continue, and you will save your friend from embarrassment. And if nothing happens, the audience won’t know the difference when you use the backless benches as props for your decoration.

The Teak Patio Set, a Prop for the Wedding

A teak patio set might be one of the most useful props for your wedding. I like furniture that serves more than one purpose. As my friends, family, and fiancé decorated for my wedding, one of our big challenges was finding an appropriate table to sit on the platform with us. One was too dark; another had a glass top that cast a glare in the wrong places.

Tables are a common prop in weddings these days. People use them for lighting unity candles, signing marriage vows, and other parts of the ceremony. It’s true that the table doesn’t attract a lot of attention, unless it’s the wrong table. Of course, we finally borrowed the right table, and the situation worked out.

Consider, however, if you buy a teak patio set before your wedding. You can use the table as a prop and, after the wedding, own a whole teak patio set for your home. Did I mention our trouble finding the right patio set for our new home that we moved into after our wedding? The size of our deck placed certain restrictions on what outdoor furniture we could use.

A basic teak patio set offers you options. You can either leave the table plain or decorate it to a more ornate appearance. Make it stand out or allow it to fade into the background until the proper time in your ceremony. Either way, a gorgeous teak patio set can enhance your wedding day and provide hours of enjoyment after the wedding has passed into several anniversaries.

Using a Canopy Swing Set as a Photo Prop

A canopy swing set could make a great prop for your wedding pictures. You don’t want all your photos to be the same—bride and groom standing by the arch with family and wedding party gathered around. Some of my favorite pictures from my wedding are the less traditional poses: my husband on his knee in a field with my hand in his, the two of us leaning against a pillar and seated with our nephew.

A canopy swing set also serves a functional role. My husband and I really wanted outdoor pictures, even though our ceremony took place inside. We had beautiful weather that day; in fact, the sun came out, and several of our pictures turned out with unattractive squinting eyes. A canopy swing set with the top properly positioned could provide some relief from a sunny day.

Check with your photographer about the possibility of using a canopy swing set as a photo prop. Let the photographer know that you are interested in less traditional poses. Ask what ideas he or she has for using the canopy swing set. Agree on some things ahead of time so you are not disappointed with the resulting images. You only get the chance once to capture this day. I know it’s worth the effort to get the right shots.

Making Your Own Wedding Arrangements with Planters

Make your own wedding arrangements in planters. After you’ve looked at picture after picture of wedding arrangements, sometimes they all come to look similar. Weddings tend to see the same things over and over again. Lots of silk flower and cut flower arrangements.

What if you made your own live arrangements? A little work gives you some different decorations, and when the wedding is over, you can always give these planters as nice gifts to your bridesmaids or other people who have helped you plan or decorate.

There are no rules when it comes to wedding arrangements. You can look for flowers that match your colors, or stick to greenery and add any color to the planters themselves. You can paint the planters, stencil designs on them, swath them in tulle and ribbon, or drape fabric around the planters. There are lots of ways to add color without agonizing over the flowers.

Arrange the plants first to see how you want them to appear in the planters. Often, the tallest plants look best in the center. Start planting in the center and work your way outward. Any plants with trailing vines or foliage should go on the outer edges of the planters. It’s not so hard to make your own wedding arrangements. Now, go find your perfect planters.

A Planter Set for the Rustic Wedding

A planter set provides a nice compromise for the rustic wedding. If you are planning a wedding with a more rustic theme, it can be hard to balance between the natural look and some of the more traditional wedding decorations.

Find a planter set of three, five, or seven planters. You may find a planter set that comes together, or you may find that you need to buy several coordinating planters individually. Look for a planter set that offers the same style in different heights. Because they’re the same style, they will look like they belong together, but the variety in height will add high visual interest. For the rustic wedding, search for a planter set in natural wood, such as cedar.

Use real potted plants or silk arrangements with your planter set. Group the containers together, perhaps by the guestbook, in a corner of the platform, or near the cake table. Wherever you decide to position it, the planter set will be an interesting decoration.

Especially if you leave natural cedar unfinished, it will provide a look consistent with the theme for your rustic wedding. However, if you prefer a finish, you might consider giving your planter set a distressed look. This is where you paint the furniture and then sand key areas to give it the appearance of gentle wear. A distressed planter set would also fit your rustic wedding theme.

Testing Wicker Furniture before the Wedding

Testing your wicker furniture before the wedding is a good idea if you want to avoid any embarrassing surprises on the special day. These things sound like common sense, but I know what it’s like to have your head going a hundred different ways as you plan your wedding. Take a deep breath, try not to think too hard, and test out your wicker furniture.

Run your fingers over the wicker. High-quality wicker should feel smooth and even, no big bumps or poking pieces. Check for any splinters or strands that have ripped loose from the weave of your wicker furniture.

Remember less visible areas, too. Look on the bottom to make sure that any supporting framework looks and feels solid. Check any screws or nails to ensure that they aren’t sticking out or half-installed. Also, make sure that you aren’t missing any screws or connectors that should be there.

So that’s not too hard. If anything looks out of place, take steps to correct it now. Then your wicker furniture should be in great shape by the time the wedding actually rolls around.

Wicker for the Wedding

When you decorate for a wedding, things such as flowers, tulle, bows, candles, and arbors are usually the first things to come to mind. Furniture doesn’t seem to receive as much attention, and in most cases, it will probably fade into the background. Unless it becomes a problem. To avoid embarrassing snags due to poor furniture, check over all purchased items before the wedding.

Wicker makes an excellent choice of furniture for outdoor weddings. So how do you distinguish good wicker from not-so-good?

If the piece isn’t too heavy, you might want to actually pick it up and give it a shake. Make sure everything feels solid, and you can’t hear any inappropriate rattling. Tug or press on each part of your wicker furniture, including arms, legs, backs, seats, connecting pieces, table tops. You want to ensure that no pieces feel loose or weak.

You can also perform similar tests by sitting in the chair or placing items on the table. This is a practical test run of the wicker furniture. The time to test is now, not when you bring out the cake or have ushers seating guests. Although wicker weave may have a little give when you place pressure on it, it shouldn’t sag a lot. You might consider a glass top for a table to provide a more stable base for drinks and food.

By inspecting the furniture and trying it out ahead of time, you can increase your chances that the wedding will go off without a hitch. Good luck.