Outdoor wedding ideas will come naturally if you simply think in terms of people and decorations…

First, start with the big picture. You can really break this down into two main areas. Think about the people first – what their needs will be. This will help you weed out possibilities when you’re planning a location. If you find a place that will be accessible and comfortable for your guests, then by default it will be a good location for you to do your setup and ceremony.

Then, think about how to decorate and set up so you take advantage of the beautiful setting while decorating to defend against the elements.

Length - keeping the ceremony short minimizes the exposure to any unforeseen elements and increases the chance you'll be able to have your ceremony - though delayed - if the weather is temporarily poor.

Making people the focus of your search for outdoor wedding ideas makes it easy. Just think about things that would affect you and you’ll be taking care of your guests, too.

• Season – This one is obvious, but be realistic about where you have your outdoor ceremony and when. If you have it in the islands or Florida during late summer, it’s going to be hot, humid, with a chance of thunderstorms if you’re lucky and a hurricane if you’re not.

  If you want perfect weather, pick up an almanac or look online for the season where you’ll statistically have a great chance for great weather. It may cost more to have your wedding during that time of year, but you can make compromises in other areas if budget is a factor.

• Have a backup. – This will ease your nerves in a huge way. As the big day approaches, you’ll be really thankful if your outdoor wedding ideas include an indoor wedding backup plan. The easiest way is to plan to have an indoor reception with the option to move the ceremony inside the reception area if necessary.

  Tents can work, too, but they have limitations. You’ll still have wet ground to contend with and rain will come in with the wind unless you have a fancier tent that encloses the sides. Then, there are ventilation issues…You see where this is going. Enough said.

• This one doesn't seem like an outdoor wedding idea but it's an important one - think about where the sun will be during that season (its apparent height in the sky varies by season) and during the time of your ceremony. That way you can keep it behind guests instead of in their and your eyes.

• Bugs – depends on the season, but can be a problem. The more remote the beach, the more likely you are to have problems. Standing water nearby can contribute to this, too. Living in Florida, I have tried to get around bugs as much as anyone with zappers and citronella candles – but in the end – my patio is enclosed with screens. Again, it seems that the nicer the weather is (season), the fewer bugs there are. I don’t know why – it just seems that way.

• Wind – For yourself and your bridal party, consider dresses that won’t blow around and figure out how you want your hair done so you won’t have to worry about that either.

• Temperature – Closely tied to season again, you can get around temperature issues by telling your guests to dress accordingly when you send your invitations. A simple note card will do the trick. You can rent equipment to heat, mist, and chill the air but it’s probably easier to have a shorter ceremony if the air will be uncomfortable.

• Aisle runners are a nice touch but it can be hard to find a runner that can deal with whatever the weather dishes out while looking good, too. Some couples use a sturdy runner that otherwise would be pretty plain and line it on the sides with flowers. You can also use the traditional flower petals along the runner. Either way, you can have a runner that will serve a purpose – protecting shoes and dresses in outdoor conditions - while looking great.

• Decorations are mostly going to be affected by wind so…If you use an arch, just make sure decorations and flowers are secure. Typically, couples use decorations that fit closely to the arch. If you want to use a unity candle, you may want to try a different method such as a water ceremony or sand ceremony. If you’re hanging decorations on chairs, make sure they’re either tied securely or have enough weight to withstand a breeze.

• Flowers will probably play a big part in any outdoor wedding ideas you're considering. When you discuss flowers with your florist, make sure to find out what types of flowers will look best for the longest period of time for your outdoor scenario.

  Obviously, this varies with climate and season so your florist can take it from there. If you’ll be reusing any of the flowers as indoor reception decorations, make sure the florist knows that too so you can pick the best kind.

• Make sure you have a table covering or dry/covered area for your wedding guest book. Also, position it so that everyone either has to pass by it or can’t miss it. Otherwise, if your ceremony is in a really open area, guests may never get to it.

  

• Let your setting take the place of decorations. Don’t feel like you have to come up with so many outdoor wedding ideas. You can have a beautiful wedding ceremony with simple white chairs, an arch, maybe a couple of tiki torches, and some flowers.

  In one memorable beach ceremony I saw, many of the guests had on khaki shorts and button down shirts for men and sundresses for women. It was casual but not too casual – it was perfect for the setting.

There is one final thought. Since a lot of outdoor weddings are destination weddings, don’t forget to consider your options for an officiant. If you’re in a location far from home, it may be a bit tough to find an officiant that shares your faith.

It seems like a minor problem, but to a lot of couples and families, it’s actually a really big one. Anyway, that’s just food for thought. If that scenario applies to you, it may be cause for abandoning the search for outdoor wedding ideas altogether and having a different style of wedding nearer to home.

See our pages about beach weddings for more outdoor wedding ideas.