How to Plan an Outdoor Wedding
Here’s where to start if you’d love to get married outside
Looking to plan an outdoor wedding but not sure where to start? If you’re dreaming of an al fresco wedding then here’s some bohemian wedding inspiration to plan your unique day.
Outdoor weddings are my favourite to photograph! I love being surrounded by nature, and the true freedom it allows couples to hold love as centre stage on their wedding day. From intimate garden ceremonies, to woodland parties, to tipis & marquees.
The Legal Bit
At the moment, you can only get legally married outdoors in England as long as it takes place under a fixed & licensed structure. This means that you can only take your official vows under something like a gazebo, pavilion or arbour which has been sanctioned for wedding ceremonies.
Oaklands Wedding Venue in East Yorkshire is such a venue, with its’ covered ceremony area featuring a wild & beautiful setting on the lake. You get the best of the views, whilst not needing a Plan B should the great English weather decide to take a turn for the worst.
Old fashioned marriage laws in the UK (from 1837!) currently prohibit fully outdoor ceremonies. Fingers crossed this will change soon following the current review by the Law Commission. Meaning for those who dream of a beautiful beach wedding, or tying the knot under the starry sky, then you might be able to do this legally soon!
Humanist Ceremonies
If you’d like more of a blessing in a location which means a lot to you, then use a celebrant and do the legal bit later on or before hand at the registry office. It can take 5 minutes to sign the papers and then you can focus on the ceremony being more you!
Humanist celebrations feature a non-religious ceremony conducted by a humanist celebrant. It can be completely bespoke to you as a couple - you don’t have to choose vows from options in a booklet like a civil wedding, and you can do and say whatever means the most to you and your loved one.
Humanist marriages are deep rooted in the history of Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and is slowly creeping into England. Handfasting is a great symbolic tradition to include, as shown in my photo above, where you as a couple bind your hands together in a literal joining together.
Woodland Weddings
If a woodland wedding is more your style, Yorkshire has many wild romantic settings you can include in your day. Yorkshire has a few but Escrick Park Estate really does have it all with a hidden woodland dell which is part of their incredible family owned eco-friendly estate.
You can also say your vows in a magical forest at Camp Katur in North Yorkshire. They even have glamping for you and your wedding guests to sleep over, completing your outdoor theme. There’s all sorts of accommodation, from safari tents to tipis, yurts and even hobbit pods. For before and after there’s a hot tub, sauna, outdoor eco spa & Nordic-style BBQ cabin, meaning you can relax and feast to your hearts content in the run up to the wedding. Celebrate around the camp fire in the evening with music, singing & roasting marshmallows.
Yorkshire wedding venue outdoor gems
Lincolnshire beautiful wedding venues
Woodland tipi venues
Top Tips For Your Outdoor Wedding
↠ Your set-up should be sympathetic to the surroundings ↞
Create a tented or covered space for your wedding guests to enjoy. This will be provide some relief to your guests in all weathers - from summer rain to bright sunshine and create a focal point for after the ceremony. Make sure you choose the right type of tent or marquee to suit your overall aesthetic & theme for your day. This could be a traditional sailcloth tent with the peaked middle, a canvas tipi, a more unusual and modern tree marquee or even a yurt!
Marquee & Tipi UK Companies
↠ Why not add a focal point to your ceremony with a Naked Tipi ! ↞
↠ Bring the outdoors in & the indoors out ↞
The interior of any tent or marquee is a great blank canvas to decorate with floral arrangements. Consider how you can move any flowers or foliage from place to place during the day to reduce cost and repurpose. What could you hang from the centre of a tipi or put around the poles? Could you also use these down the aisle for your outdoor ceremony? Use bridesmaids bouquets on the tables later on. Use interior furniture to create an outdoor seating area, add light shades to the trees, use rugs for your focal point for the ceremony, or to create an aisle. If you need a helping hand with styling these guys are all on hand to make suggestions and ensure your vision comes to life.
↠ Make it personal with some DIY ↞
Add personal touches to your day through decor, accessories or flowers. If there’s a few themes or ideas which means something to you, make sure they are carried through your day - from the invites, to the ceremony, to the entertainment to the table settings.
↠ Create a journey for your guests ↞
As you plan what your outdoor wedding will look like, think about it from start to finish for your guests. From arriving and making sure they are in the right place, to where they can go to the loo, to is there enough seats at the ceremony to how are you going to do the speeches later on so everyone can hear. Will you do the first dance outside, or under your canopy? Why not hire a country vehicle to arrive in style via Yorkshire Vehicle Hire.
↠ Plan the basics ↞
Many outdoor wedding venues have done all the hard work for you, but if you’re hiring a tipi for your own farm or outdoor space then here’s a few things to consider in your budget before you get too far into the planning. Sound, lighting and temperature control are one of the most important things at a wedding. Make sure you have a sound system that will carry far enough in the space you’re using. Do you need festoon lights, or lighting within your canopy for when it get’s dark later on? Where will everyone park and will the cars get in the way of the photos? Think about all weathers for your guests, providing blankets, wellies and umbrellas, or fans and suncream depending on the month.
↠ And Relax! ↞
There is a lot to think about when it comes to planning a wedding, but once your big day arrives, try to relax and enjoy it. After all, it will be one of the best days whatever happens, and the start of your married lives together.
If you’d love to get married abroad, check out my blog post about destination weddings.
Find out more about making a booking with me & how I work!