Question 1

What are your top planning tips?

Accepted Answer

Allocate start and finish times for each key event of the day and allow time for overruns. The most important thing is to forget about everybody else on the day and enjoy yourselves. Whatever happens, you need to take it in your stride. Don't dwell on minor mishaps, but laugh at them. Never lose sight of the reason you are here: to become a married couple. There is an order to the wedding ceremony, including how and when the guests should be seated and in what order your guests, bridesmaids, and you should enter the ceremony room. Have music playing on a decent stereo during the 30 minutes or so it takes for all your guests to arrive and be seated in an orderly manner. The procession often starts 10 minutes or so late (as is the fashion) but should still have a set time. Decide who is standing where and draw up the order and location of the bride, groom, and their respective 'attendants'. Stay organised and understand what happens when and what you need to get done in a timely fashion to ensure you aren't stressed on the day.

Question 2

What are your top tips for planning an outdoor wedding?

Accepted Answer

Probably the biggest challenge you'll face when planning an al fresco wedding is – all together now – the weather! But if you plan, plan, and plan some more, you'll find ways around it, while still having the best open-air celebration you could wish for. Make sure everyone's adequately informed. When you send out your invitations make sure you're clear which parts of your day will be celebrated outside, so that guests know to make their own arrangements, in terms of attire and protection. Keep an open line of communication with your suppliers too and collaborate with them on wet-weather backup plans. For example, at which point will you be prepared to make the decision to take it all inside? Who is going to be responsible for moving the whole shebang? Check on the access to your venue. If you're tying the knot in a field, is there parking nearby? Are there accessible roads and paths to get to you? If not, have a think about how you can overcome these challenges. Perhaps you need to lay on extra transport from a local car park for example. Also, think about accessibility from a point of view about any less able-bodied guests you may have coming. Sound tends to drift away in the open air, so make sure you have all the tech in place to ensure everyone can hear you as you say, "I do." You'll also need to check with the venue whether there are any restrictions on late-night music, as you don't want to be disturbing the local wildlife or residents! Also on the tech front, do you have all of the creature comforts in place such as loos and generators? Have a think about what cover you want to provide for you and your guests. This is, of course, crucial for the comfort of all, not only in terms of wet weather protection, but also from the sun – we've had some scorchers in recent years. Once you've settled on a vibe for your nuptials, this should all become clear. An elegant, lined marquee is ideal for a classic wedding, whereas a tipi is the perfect choice for a boho or rustic vibe. When it comes to styling, really take a look at your setting and plan ways in which you can complement it with your theme. Nature can do an incredible amount of heavy lifting on this front if you strive to work with it, rather than against it.

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