There are a lot of things to consider when planning an outdoor wedding or even having part of your wedding outdoors. Firstly, the ceremony needs to be legal. Up until recently, Irish law made it impossible to get married in the open air or in a marquee. However, recent action led the Attorney General to give her blessing to outdoor weddings, provided they are still readily available to the public. With outdoor weddings now officially legal, we decided to look at some top tips and venues for having an outdoor wedding.
For an outdoor wedding in Ireland the number one consideration you should take into account is the weather. In Ireland, there are never any guarantees of good or even dry weather, even in the summer months so it’s probably a good idea to have a contingency plan in place if the whole day is a wash out.
A marquee or tent is good for keeping your guests dry. Make sure all your decorations are tied down in case it’s a breezy day and your décor decides to run off. You might want to maximise the hairspray for a windy day as well. Also, make sure wherever the outdoor portion of the event is taking place, that it is warm enough. Hotels will probably have an area that will facilitate what you need but if you’re having your wedding at an alternative location, be sure to provide outdoor heaters for your guests.
Bear in mind that Ireland can often have the four seasons in one day so even if it’s dry for most of the afternoon take potential muddy grass into consideration if it has been raining all morning. Is there solid ground at the location, or some sort of panelling that can be set down? Ideal wedding favours at an outdoor wedding could be mini umbrellas for your guests to use and take home.
Finally, if you’re outdoor wedding reception is longer than an hour or two, you should consider hiring portable toilets for the event as well. Don’t worry if you’re picturing festival-style port-a-loos, there are much more upscale ones with mirrors and lighting suitable for the perfect outdoor wedding.
Now that you have a plan for your outdoor wedding, you need to think about where you're going to have it. Take a look at our top five venues for outdoor weddings for inspiration.
- Jenny Darmody
Image Credits: Seating Numbers: ruffledblog.com | Chair decorations: pinkfrosting.com.au | Outdoor Lanterns: weddingsbylilly.com | White round tables: brides.com | Rustic barrels: wildspectrum.com
White tent: weddingelation.com | Fairy light bench: greenbrideguide.com | Streamers: lezoemusings.wordpress.com | Tree lights: dresslikeyou.com | Floating vases: auoutdoors.com | Aisle of leaves: auoutdoors.com