Outdoor weddings ceremonies can look gorgeous, with fantastic photo opportunities with some stunning scenery. With the Covid pandemic ensuring that indoor spaces have a limited capacity for hosting guests, an outdoor service for your wedding can be a safer option for you to plan at short notice. However, hosting an outdoor wedding in Sussex comes with its own set of issues and challenges to deal with, whether it is transporting your wedding ceremony seats and décor outdoors, or preparing a marquee for your guests in case of rain during your wedding service. If you can find ways to mitigate these issues, an outdoor wedding ceremony can offer a wonderful experience for you and your guests. Here at Bewl Water we host wedding ceremonies outdoors as well as incredible wedding receptions in the Boat House Bistro, providing a wedding experience like no other.
Your wedding is an event you will remember for the rest of your life, so customising the event to suit your interests and personality is a must. For many couples, holding their wedding ceremony outdoors means they have a blank slate on which to prepare their décor and the area where the wedding service will be held. Here are a few details to keep in mind when planning your event.
Weather
While the forecast can be a good indicator of what the weather will be like on your wedding day, the rain often comes and goes without any regard to the forecast or any beautifully set up seating for your outdoor wedding ceremony. As we all know, relying on the British weather to ensure everything works out well is a disaster in the making. If you are planning a wedding with an outdoor ceremony, it is always a good idea to ensure you have a plan B, such as an indoor space in the Boat House set aside for your ceremony, just in case.
There are a few reliable ways to improve your chances of a fantastic outdoor wedding ceremony:
- In the run up to your wedding day, watch the weather forecast. Of course if you are holding your wedding in the summer then the chances of rain are a lot less than if you hold an autumn wedding, but keeping an eye in the forecast for your date can help you prepare for the weather on the day.
- If you are worried about holding you wedding ceremony outside due to weather concerns, book a venue with plenty of outdoor and indoor spaces. You can plan for an outdoor wedding ceremony, but if the weather refuses to cooperate, then moving your wedding ceremony indoors to the same space as your reception can save the day.
- If you are holding an outdoor wedding ceremony, then dress in a warm and practical way while outside. Wedding services can take quite a while and it is better to be prepared for a bit of a chill rather than being cold. Coats or capes can look quite beautiful during your wedding service and when you move indoors for the wedding reception, you can take the coat off.
Space
One of the best factors of an outdoor wedding ceremony is the space you have to work with. When you are planning for an indoor wedding ceremony, you are generally confined to a separate space set out for the ceremony to the side of the main function room. Depending on your budget, these areas can be spacious, but an outdoor wedding often means a much larger area to play with, at a much lower cost.
While an indoor setting is often better suited to a formal wedding service, if you are inviting a few families with children as guests, or have children of your own, then a more relaxed atmosphere is perfectly suited to an outdoor wedding ceremony. An outdoor setting acts as a blank canvas, with numerous themes and ideas that can be brought in. Here are a few themes to consider for your outdoor wedding service:
- Secret Garden – A secret garden theme can be beautiful; the aesthetic is of a wild and overgrown garden. Incorporating the natural environment, as well as a range of different coloured flowers and foliage can create an incredible space for your wedding service. A spring wedding is often all about appreciating the beauty of nature, and a secret garden theme ties in perfectly. When you move to the Boat House Bistro for your reception, live plants in pots can continue the theme indoors.
- Festival Style – A fantastic style for a more relaxed and fun wedding for music lovers, a festival style wedding ceremony can allow you to bring in bright colours, and perhaps a band to play a favourite song as you walk down the aisle. Festivals are all about sunshine, the open air, live music and fun. If the décor for a festival themed wedding is arranged right, it can make your wedding ceremony unforgettable.
- Eco Friendly – If you are holding an outdoor wedding ceremony, the connection to nature allows you to enjoy the natural environment. Having a sustainable wedding using recyclable and ethically sourced food and décor can be a great way to incorporate your passion for nature into your wedding. When you move inside for the wedding reception serving drinks from local breweries and adding vegan options to the menu can be a great way to continue the theme. Just because you want your wedding to be sustainable doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the décor – using live plants in pots to decorate the area you are using for your wedding ceremony can give you some fantastic ideas.
- Rustic Charm – A rustic farmhouse themed wedding can be a lot of fun to play around with. Using homemade decorations and more rough and ready style when setting up can create a beautiful outdoors wedding ceremony. Using pastoral style colours in rich burgundies, greens and blues, with foliage and beautiful mismatched decorations in the Boat House for your reception can produce a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere than a more formal event. Take cues from the season your wedding is planned for, using the tones of the landscape to accentuate your decorations.
- Adventure – A wide range of outdoor activities can be enjoyed during your Hen or Stag party, with the Bewl Water Aqua Park, Laser Challenge and the range of watersports that we offer giving a fantastic choice for more adventurous couples. Weddings with an outdoor wedding ceremony often offer a more relaxed atmosphere, which can be brilliant for a more adventurous event, especially if you have small children attending.
If you are considering Bewl Water as a host for your outdoor wedding ceremony and reception with the Boat House Bistro, then please contact us here. Our staff will be delighted to discuss what Bewl Water can do for you.