Outdoor Weddings

Wedding ideas: The Great Outdoors
Think of the setting sun as your back drop as you and your soon to be spouse recite your wedding vows to each other; or the crashing of waves as the soundtrack to your day. Even better, a grassy field where love is uninhibited or anywhere under the greatest venue of all—the blue sky. Summer is here--when love blooms just like new flowers and romance heats up like a day on the boardwalk. Many couples are opting to have their ceremony and/or reception outdoors during this time. Here are three great outdoor site ideas plus some favor ideas from American Bridal to add a special touch:


A Garden Wedding

Pick a garden, any garden! Whether it is the garden of a close friend with a green thumb or the garden of the hotel where your reception will be, any ceremony or reception will look classy and romantic in a garden where flowers are in full bloom. The number one perk of having a wedding in a garden is you do not need the florist to make the extra floral decorations and you can keep your wedding décor to a minimum. In doing this, you eliminate the extra cost of labor and decorations, leaving room in your budget for other special extras. Many hotel reception sites offer gardens with gazebos, ponds, and the sweet scent of beautiful flowers in bloom this time of year!

Garden Wedding Favor and Décor Ideas For favors, try individually planted flowers of your choice in tiny terra cotta pots tied with a gingham ribbon of your wedding day color theme. You can also tie a tiny card with the name of a guest onto the ribbon or set it against the pot and create not only a favor but a place setting as well! You can find adorable Garden Salt and Pepper Shaker sets at American Bridal and give them out as a unique keepsake of your garden wedding. With every garden comes the wonderful beauty of butterflies fluttering around making your surroundings magical. May we suggest our Click here to view Butterfly Place Card Holders to add to the magic of your table settings.

A Beach Wedding

We here at American Bridal love the idea of having a wedding on the beach! There is nothing like the sand between your toes, the warm sun hitting your face (please wear sun block!) and the lapping, or crashing, of the water as you say “I do.” Beach weddings are fun and natural. It can be casual or you can go ahead and wear that wedding dress on the sand and go barefoot underneath it all! There is so much you can do when it comes to décor and favors!

Beach Wedding Favor and Décor Ideas For Favors, you can find big synthetic shell shaped bowls and set it upon a table scattered with seashells and sand. Place our mini Ocean Gel Candles in these bowls and have guests pick them up as they pass! To personalize, tie Wedding Favor Ribbons with your names and date around the candle rim and replace in clear box. Or you can set Click here to view Seashell Candles complete with bow on each table setting along with matching Seashell Place Card Holders . You can also find synthetic starfish at craft shops and use them to hold down items such as printed menus if you hold your reception by the beach. Beach weddings are often breezy so please remember this when choosing favors and décor. You can find many beach related favors, gifts and décor for your ceremony and reception in Click here to view Beach Weddings under our themed wedding section.

National Parks

Nothing could look more majestic in your wedding photo album or to your guests than the grand natural vistas of picturesque mountain peaks and valleys that most of the National Parks in America have to offer. Once again, the décor should be kept to a minimum since Mother Nature is at her best in a National Park, which will be a nice break to you in regards to your budget.

National Park Wedding Favor and Décor Ideas Simple is best when it comes to favors and décor for your park wedding and/or reception. Keep to the natural look by using natural items like pinecones found in the surroundings to decorate. Create an aisle out of rose petals, preferably petals of soft and natural colors, ending in a circle made for the groom and bride to stand in. For your reception, decorate your tables with centerpieces of wildflowers placed in monogrammed Mint Julep Vases. it fits your budget, give out nature loving poet and essayist Henry David Thoreau’s “Walking” which can be purchased less expensively in paperback form as wedding favors that tie in to your nature theme.

Other Great Outdoor Wedding Sites

* A vineyard
* Lakeside
* On a yacht
* A hotel deck with a view
* On a golf course (country club)



Outdoor weddings are beautiful and perfect for the summer months but please do remember to consider a back up plan if in any case an outdoor event turns awry due to the change in weather. Most hotels and resorts will provide a back up provided that you do ask ahead of time what could be done to insure the wedding will go on rain or shine. Almost all outdoor sites do require permits and fees so you must also look into what must be done to secure your site. Temperatures can rise to an uncomfortable degree so consider may be holding the wedding ceremony outside and moving the reception inside. If you choose to hold both ceremony and reception outdoors you can rent party and even tents to keep your guests (and yourselves) shaded and cool. An outdoor wedding offers so much and is best during the warm summer months; it also allows you to do something that will help you relax through it all—the opportunity to breathe the fresh clean air.

by Naomi Castro