Outdoor Wedding Decoration Essentials, Tips and Ideas

Decorating for an outdoor wedding can involve more, or at least, a different type of planning. There are many things to take into consideration, such as grounds, weather, temperature, lighting, and more.

Start Decorating Early - If you have the luxury of holding the wedding ceremony and/or reception on your privately owned property, you are at an advantage, but start working early. Springtime will require a lot of work; the area should be raked and cleared of leaves and undergrowth. Trim low tree branches that might block visibility or that guests might walk in to. Sidewalks can be edged if they are overgrown, leaving enough time for new grass to grow in so they look natural. If the wedding events are to be held in a field setting, you will need a cut area so everyone can get around easily. The wedding "lawn" should be mown in the spring and kept up until the ceremony so that the grass is short, soft, and groomed instead of stubble. In the spring, you can also plant flowers and other plants so that they will be grown up by the time of the wedding. Wildflowers can be planted in fields where grass will remain uncut. Remember to find out when the flowers bloom, or the flowers may be gone by the time the wedding comes up. Don't forget to plant in wooded or yard areas, too. You may also want to plan a special area to be used for wedding photos.

Bugs can be a huge problem in many areas. Your wedding guests will be miserable if they are spending the whole time being bitten by mosquitos or bombarded by black flies. Check if there is a professional in your area who can spray for bugs, but talk with him or her well in advance. It is not healthy to be in an area immediately after it has been treated. Also, be sure there is no standing water on the property (check buckets, wheelbarrows, plant containers, etc.) because that is where pests like mosquitoes breed.

No matter where you are having your wedding ceremony and reception, be sure to check on the availability of electrical outlets or supplies. Will you be able to hook up your lighting, microphones, speakers, DJ, and caterer necessities?

The Week Before the Wedding - Wrap trees in the area with white miniature Christmas or party lights. These are decorations the guests can begin to enjoy once the sun goes down and the rest of the decorating is left in the dark. The ceremony and reception site will turn into a wonderland. Strings of lights can be hung from the branches of trees, or wrapped candy-cane style around the trunks. Just be sure the cords are out of the way so that your wedding guests don't trip.

There are also candle lanterns available that can be hung from lower branches. You may want to consider using citronella candles, to help keep away bugs. Another choice is to use citronella torches in select areas. They may look like decorations, but they will be providing an essential function! Be careful not to place them directly in high-traffic areas; watch which way the wind is blowing so that the effectiveness is not blown to the wind.

You may also want to set up other decoration "props" such as arches, planters, etc. If you set up arches in the spring instead, you may be able to start a quick-growing plant to grow up and fill it. Sweet potatoes, for example, have a vine that grows quickly. Another choice may be morning glories, a flowering vine.

Final Decorations - If you are decorating with cut flowers, and it is a hot day, you may want to keep them indoors as long as possible to prevent them from wilting. Remember not to keep them too cool though, or they will not be open in time for the ceremony or reception.

When setting up reception tables and centerpiece decorations, be sure that everything is either sheltered from the wind, or heavy enough so that it will not blow over or away.

In case of a light rain, keep plenty of towels or clean rags that can be used if the guest seating needs to be dried off.