Many people planning a wedding want to have an outdoor event. If you are responsible for planning an outdoor wedding, you will be excited to find out how many options you have. Your first step will be to choose the right site for the wedding. Make a list of all the unique ideas important to you and do your best to find a site where those ideas will work.
You may also lose track of the long list of things that must be done before the Big Day. The best wedding party doesn’t have to be elaborate. A budget wedding doesn’t mean a second-class wedding. After all, you don’t have to have a gourmet chef; some families may enjoy simple picnic food like fried chicken or burgers and hot dogs. Consider the needs of the guests when planning a wedding.
If you are the planner and not one of the wedding couples, ask the two people getting married about their “wedding must haves.” They may want a simple sentimental detail, like a special shade of pink for the bridesmaids’ dresses. They may want you to use small white Christmas lights as Wedding Lights. Ultimately, try to remember that the most precious memories will be interactions with wonderful people.
Outdoor weddings can be dreamlike, romantic, sunny, and beautiful, but they can seem unobtainable for a bride on a budget. While you can dream of tying the knot on warm, tropical beaches or on faraway, breathtaking cliffs, your wedding wallet often puts a hard stop on those options. However, don’t let your hopes of a nature inspired wedding be squashed; there are plenty of gorgeous outdoor wedding venues for all the brides that are a wanderer at heart. Check out these following low cost, nearby outdoor options that are wonderful for wedding photos while still going light on your budget.
A city park wedding. What? A wedding where there is a merry go round and swings? Sure, why not? Many city parks have underrated gazeboes that can immediately take on a whimsical, romantic air with the addition of some soft string lights and flower petals. You may also be able to take advantage of large clusters of covered picnic tables for reception serving and seating. The playground equipment is an added bonus for both the children at your wedding and the adults that are children at heart at your wedding; when a youngster starts getting fussy or bored during the nuptials, they can simply hop over to the playground equipment without making a scene.
A golf course or golf simulators wedding. Eighteen holes of golfing and tying the knot? Of course; golf course weddings are climbing high up on the list of the most romantic wedding places and party venues. If you coordinate with your golf club ahead of time, you will probably be able to reserve the whole club house for your private party and get great discounts on group golfing. At your golf course wedding, you will get to enjoy adorable ponds, fairy tale-esque bridges, and breathtaking rolling greens. Depending on the size of the golf course, they may be able to be your caterers, as well.
The downside to a golf course or golf simulator wedding is that, while you will certainly receive great deals on reserving the club house, catering, and golfing in large groups, reserving a whole golf course for a private party is oftentimes an inconceivable cost. To avoid your big day being interrupted by drives that just can’t seem to stay on the fairway, rogue golf cart drivers, and other disturbances, talk to your golf course manager about partial reservations for golfing or what days are generally low-traffic days and would be best for a golf course wedding. High definition golf simulators are available for when golfing isn’t available.
In wildflower fields. Who needs those overpriced floral arrangements, when nature can provide you with a stunning backdrop all its own? A wildflower field is one of the most gorgeous, unexpected outdoor wedding venues you can find, with unique, natural arrangements of flowers that don’t have to be picked just to die.
While getting married in a field of wildflowers does sound like a true fairy tale, you will have some more things to check off your list if you choose this venue. You may need to get in touch with people such as the county that the field is in, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the owner of the property themselves to get permission to hold your big day there. Even after you get permission, wildflower fields are just that—wild. You will likely need a space in the field matted down or cleared out to have your ceremony, and will probably need to invest in some form of bug control, like tiki lamps or a preemptive fogging. Regardless of the hoops, a wildflower field wedding at golden hour will produce unforgettable memories!
Don’t let crushed dreams of a destination wedding stand in your way of a ceremony of a lifetime. Beautiful, unexpected outdoor venues can be found right in your neighborhood—all you have to do is look around for them.
