How to Plan the Perfect Garden Wedding

Tying the knot with your beloved in a garden setting is what you have always dreamed of and now that the time has come, you cannot contain your joy because your spouse-to-be shares the same sentiment.

Having a garden wedding has various perks. For one, there are so many venue options such as city, state, or town parks, summer camps, horticultural facilities, arboretums, your own yard, or the yard of family, relatives or friends.

Aside from that, the beauty of nature and the natural wonderful breeze make a very fresh and cool ambiance for the wedding. Of course, there are also some disadvantages like having to rent additional equipment (tent, chairs, tables, etc) and some difficulties such as bugs, bees, rain, windy conditions, logistics, electricity, and so on.

Even though there are some disadvantages, you do not mind. After all, you and your partner both agree that the pros certainly outweigh the cons. To help you plan a perfect garden wedding, here is a practical guide on different aspects of this kind of wedding that you need to take care of:

Venue

When picking a venue, it would be a good idea to hold your wedding in a place where a wedding has been held before. This would make it easier for you in terms of logistics planning. See if there are electrical sockets or extensions available, and places where you can set up the decoration.

If you are going to hold the wedding in your yard or that of someone you know, make sure the space is large enough to accommodate all your guests. It is also a good idea to rent a tent for the venue even though you do not think it is going to rain since you can never really predict the weather and that even if it does not rain, the tent can be a good cover from the heat of the sun.

For your garden wedding, the basic equipment you will need include tent, tables, chairs, altar, sound system, and bathroom facilities. Arbors, arches, gazebos, and plant hangers are also necessary for decoration purposes. Most of these things can be rented, even the portable toilet. The portable toilet can be optional if the reception would be held somewhere else or if there is a bathroom available nearby.

Flowers

Holding your garden wedding means you do not have to worry about flowers anymore, right? Not necessarily. Even though the garden will naturally be filled with beautiful and fragrant flowers, you still have to think about the flowers that you will use for the table centerpiece or the altar decoration. It is very important to ask a florist what kinds of flowers will stay fresh the whole day even when exposed to sunlight.

Invitations

Be sure to inform guests that your wedding is going to be held outdoors so that your guests would know what to expect. Having a garden wedding means you can have a less formal invitation so be a little playful with the invitation and do not make it look too uptight. An invitation printed on a handmade paper with pressed flowers and raffia ribbon is ideal.

Wedding favors

As for the wedding favors, give guests something that would commemorate your outdoor wedding. For example, votive candles, bags of dried flowers, hand painted terracotta pots and packets of flower seeds are just few of the many great ideas for wedding favors.

Wedding Cake

Choose a wedding cake that will not easily melt under warm conditions. A cake with fondant icing may be your better option than a cake with butter cream icing. Another choice for you to consider is the wedding cupcake tower, which is just as nice and stunning but not as expensive.

Food and Drinks

For a garden wedding, buffet-style is more appropriate than a formal sit-down dinner. Grilled dishes are especially a hit for outdoor weddings. Not only are they sumptuous and tasty, they are also easy to cook and affordable. Drinks such as lemonade, sweet tea or punch can be placed in clear glass jugs.

Decoration

Decorate the trees with lights, tulle, ribbon, and some flowers. Do the same thing for the trellis, arbor, arch or the gazebo. Add some balloons with the same color as the wedding motif for a fun whimsical effect. Line up the aisle with candles placed inside paper bags. You will be surprised at how nice the effect of this would be especially for an outdoor wedding held at night.

Garden weddings are truly exquisite and beautiful. Make sure you follow all these tips but at the same time enjoy planning the event. Have fun!