Pull off the most incredible outdoor wedding, without any of the headaches.
So you’re considering having an outdoor wedding? Congratulations!! Outdoor weddings are incredible for so many reasons, here’s why we love them:
We know that it can feel daunting building a wedding from the ground up, but here at Twilight Glamping we have hundreds of weddings under our belt, so we know exactly what it takes to ensure your outdoor wedding is a HUGE success, creating memories last a lifetime!
We also know the pitfalls and mistakes that end up costing couples a fortune and we want to help you avoid them.
Here are our top tips and things to bear in mind to ensure your outdoor wedding is what you’ve always dreamed of:
When it comes to budget, our advice is to sit down with your partner over dinner and discuss what’s most important to you. Spend your money on these things and then budget on the other things that are less important to you. Here are a few unexpected costs that every savvy couple needs to be aware of:
Put together a list of rockstar vendors that you’d love to work with. Do your research and collect brochures and pricing.
It’s a great idea to jump on the phone with the vendor before booking, rather than just corresponding via email. This way you can determine whether they are going to be a good fit and you can be sure that they get your vision. You can also gain a lot of valuable information and ideas from just chatting with vendors.
If you’re super keen to work with a particular vendor, check in with them before you book your venue to ensure that they can travel and work with your venue.
An unprofessional and unreliable vendor can cause you so much unnecessary stress during the lead-up and on the big day, so here’s a checklist you can use to vet your vendors:
Whether you’re planning an intimate garden celebration or a vast festival-style wedding on a big plot of land, it’s important that your venue meets all of your requirements.
Things to consider:
Marquee weddings are fabulous on so many levels! They allow complete creative freedom and you’re covered from the elements whether its sun, wind or rain.
If you’re set on having a marquee at your wedding securing your marquee should be a top priority, we recommend doing this at least 12 months out to avoid disappointment.
Pick a structure that suits the theme and style of your wedding and remember size is everything! Too big or too small can really affect the vibe, atmosphere and flow of your day. The size will be determined by your guest numbers, the style of wedding (cocktail vs seated) and your ideal floor plan. Your vendor will be able to guide you on this.
If there are quite a few elements to your wedding such as a marquee, glamping, food trucks etc, it’s a good idea to draw up a floor plan. Having a floor plan is essential when organising the logistics and creating a run sheet. Here are a few things to consider:
Some couples want their glamping village to be a focal point of their wedding, others want it in the background simply as a means to accommodate their guests.
Either way, here are our tips and things to consider when creating a beautiful and atmospheric glamping village:
It’s all in the details!
If you’re considering an outdoor wedding in your backyard or private property, here are some logistical tips you’ll need to consider:
Power: Between the extra lighting, the sound system, and the food prep equipment, you’re going to be using a lot more power than most homes can handle. So, to ensure you don’t blow a fuse rent generators to accommodate the extra power you’ll need.
Bathrooms: If your guest list is larger than 20 people, you will need to provide additional toilet facilities. There are so many options for a more upscale portable toilet. Our favourite suppliers are Paddock Dreams. You can even add some personal touches such as small amenities kits with mints, deodorant, Band-Aids, hand sanitiser, hair spray, cotton balls, and safety pins.
Insurance: Contact your home insurer to see if you would be covered against accidental property damage outside or inside the house. It’s a good idea to take out specialist wedding insurance and to check if your suppliers offer cancellation or damage waiver insurance.
Permits: Check with your local council to see if you need a permit to host a large gathering on your property. In some cases, your suppliers might need to file additional paperwork so be sure to include them in communications with your council.
Neighbours: Notify your neighbours of your backyard wedding plans. Give them plenty of time to plan ahead, rearrange any plans, or plan a night away. Give them as many details as possible including the wedding schedule. You could offer them a small gift as a token of appreciation for their patience. A little consideration will go a long way in keeping everyone happy!
Parking: If you Have a large enough property you will need a designated area for parking, or you’ll need to check out the rules for street parking in your neighbourhood. If there are parking restrictions on the streets you could consider hiring a valet service to park the cars at a nearby car park. Just be sure to tell guests ahead of time so they don’t leave valuables in their cars that you could be held liable for.
Clean-Up: Even small weddings produce a lot of rubbish over an entire day, so you’ll need to hire plenty of bins and recycling bins to collect it all. Your caterer might even take care of emptying the bins throughout the day, so ask if that’s a service they offer. If not, you might want to designate or hire someone to monitor the bins so they don’t get too full and cause an unpleasant sight or smell.
Plan B: It’s best to have a Plan B just in case it rains or even if it’s unseasonably hot or cold. If you hire a marquee, ensure that the sides are completely covered to protect against the rain.
One of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make when planning an outdoor wedding is whether you will choose a cocktail-style reception or a seated reception. Both styles have different impacts on the atmosphere, flow and vibe of your day.
Cocktail: Slightly less traditional in that your guests will be roaming and mingling throughout the day, creating a relaxed vibe that’s a little less structured and more flexible. You can accommodate more people in a smaller space (or marquee) with a cocktail-style wedding and the need for fewer tables and chairs and the absence of a big 3-course meal can generally make cocktail weddings slightly cheaper.
If the party element of the wedding is more important than tradition this could be the option for you!
Seated: If a big focus of your wedding is the dining experience then a seated reception would be the way to go! Seated receptions are generally seen as more traditional and create a well-structured and easy flow to your day. Seated receptions don’t have to be formal either, they can also be very relaxed, like cocktail weddings, with simple styling which includes earthy colours and textures.
One downside to a seated reception is having to create a seating plan that keeps all your guests happy!
Some couples love pulling together all the different elements of a wedding and some couples hire a wedding planner to do it all for them. Other couples may choose to hire a wedding package that eliminates the decision fatigue and the need for a wedding planner.
The benefits of hiring a package are that they are often cheaper than hiring individual elements and it also eliminates some of the logistical tasks that come with hiring different items from multiple vendors.
You may want to choose a wedding package that includes every element of your wedding, or if you find that too restrictive you may like to choose a package that includes your big ticket items (like marquees, furniture, lighting) and then choose to bring in your favourite vendors, florist, caterers, photographer etc separately. Many venue and/or hire vendors have recommended suppliers that they work closely with that make this process straightforward if you don’t know where to start.
If you’re interested in wedding packages, check out our expertly curated wedding packages right here.
