#1.  Beneath the Trees: Instead of using an arch, you can find a nice spot where nice, huge trees and act   as your arch. This natural arch makes for great photos and plus it makes for a great shaded area.

#2. Poolside: That’s right! If you have your very own pool in your backyard or a hotel’s pool you can have your very own poolside reception. With some great lighting and a nice tent your wedding is sure to be a showstopper.

#3.  Secluded Meadow:  Let nature take its course and be the perfect stage for your wedding.  You and your guest will enjoy a serene, grassy field located in between mountains.

#4.  A Sail Boat: Sail away with the love of your life. Having your wedding on a sailboat will make a great venue for an outdoor ceremony. Just imagine sharing this moment with your closest family and friends, this could be the picture perfect wedding. Just make sure you bring a couple of umbrellas and parcels just in case you run into some rainy weather.

1.    Simple and Memorable: Many weddings will be based on the foundation of the ceremony and not the magnificence of the evening. Think about spending more of your budget on long-lasting memories rather than the appearance. Allot more of the money to go to photography or videography and scale back on other things (extravagant floral arrangements). You could even consider a longer honeymoon stay and focus less on the reception. You will be thankful for the memories after it is all over!

2.    Home Sweet Home- Intimate and personal weddings in our backyard are another top trend for 2010 brides. Having your outdoor wedding at home brings a sense of togetherness and it helps personalize the wedding experience. You could also scale down on the guest list and go for a more intimate setting for your wedding ceremony.

3.    Skip The Fondant- Out with the fondant and in with the butter cream. Don’t worry about butter cream icing being too messy for your outdoor wedding because many skillful artists can apply the butter cream to look just as smooth as fondant. Another plus, cakes with butter cream icing tend to save some extra dollars in your pocket.

4.     Bring in the Favors- That are right! Favors for outdoor weddings are a big hit! Personalized favors are appreciated and many of your wedding guests will be grateful to have a “thank you” trinket from you and the groom! Remember a small token as a “thank you” goes along way.

5.     Take Me Away- Destination Wedding are a big hit for future brides. With a destination wedding many couples including the bride and groom could use this as their great escape! When planning your wedding keep your options open for a destination wedding! Trust me, if you embark on this adventure it’s one you won’t regret!

6.    Simply Lovely Colors-The hot colors for 2010 outdoor weddings include oranges, vibrant pinks, yellows and greens. Metal colors are also a big hit: gold, silver, copper and pewter. And the color black is back—many brides are going with the black and white mod look and it is just fabulous!

7.    Going Green- Eco-conscience brides are popping up everywhere and that’s wonderful. Organic Outdoor Weddings are taking the wedding world by storm. Being more aware of how your wedding necessities are made, the food that you serve, how things are disposed, the lighting and where the event takes place. Being knowledgeable about the following can make you become a better eco-conscience bride!

You will need:

4′ silk ivy strand

One spool paddle wire

Wright’sB. or OffrayB. ribbon, 2 to 2 1/2″ wide

Assorted silk flowers with stems, in a variety of colors

One bunch dried white baby’s breath

Glue gun with glue sticks

Wire-cutters

First, you take the ivy strand and fold it in half, doubling it for thickness. Measure two 48″ lengths of ribbon. Fold each in half. Attach to the ends of the swag with wire. Then make two four-loop bows with two loops to the right and two to the left. Finish the bow with an extra loop in the center, and tie a piece of floral wire through all the loops, leaving enough wire to tie it to the ivy strand. Leave 15″ tails. Carefully wire the bows onto each end of the ivy swag. Next, trim stems of assorted silk flowers close to the flower, then hot-glue flowers throughout the ivy swag.

Hot-glue sprigs of preserved fresh baby’s breath around the swag to fill in extra spaces. Finally, tie each end of the swag to the back of the chair, using the 48″ ribbon lengths on each end to tie a bow to the chair.

Here are a few extra tips:

Use plain ivy or ivy with grape clusters.

Use several different colors of ribbon, depending on the color scheme and the overall design of the swag.

Once you have the ivy base, select various shades of silk flowers, or purchase fresh flowers to wire into the swag that day.

For a dressier look, weave a sheer green 7/8″ ribbon through the ivy strand.

Add Chair Covers

If you are having wood or metal chairs, place covers over them. You can purchase or rent nice comfortable chairs cover from any table rental establishment. Sometimes the venues offer this as an add-on to your package. You will be totally surprised by how comfortable your guest will be with this small addition to the chairs.

Provide Electric Heaters

Next, make sure you provide the heat. I am sure this will be one of the first things on your list but I want to remind you; keeping your guest warm should be priority. You can add heat to your outdoor winter wedding by renting warming units.  You can also give white throws as wedding favor and your guest can put them to use during your ceremony or reception.

Keep Your Ceremony Precise and Be On Time

I know that this is your special day but make sure that ceremony is not lengthy. Many wedding ceremonies last only about 20 minutes  and you want to be mindful that your guest are there on your behalf, making sure they are comfortable and warm is important.  It is also important that you start your wedding on time, this will make your ceremony run smoothly and everyone including you will be happy!

Offer a Warm Room For Guest

Many of your wedding guests will arrive early and offering a warm place to visit before the ceremony goes along way. Try offering a place, either a heated tent or a heated room nearby where the guest can gather. You can also offer hot coffee, hot tea, or warm cider these hot beverages will keep your guest comfy and warm. Once, it’s time for your guest to be seated you can have your host or hostess let your guest know.

Now that you have a few tips that will help you keep you and your guest warm and comfortable you are ready to plan your outdoor winter wedding. Have fun and good luck!

After you have booked your tent as your backup plan, it’s time to think about decorating the outdoor venue. When you are thinking about decorating make sure that you have an open mind and that you are creative.  I have a few outdoor wedding decorating tidbits that will help you get started, as you begin decorating the perfect outdoor wedding venue!

Leave Your Guest with a Personable Touch—Make A Statement!
As a lover of nice outdoor weddings and receptions, my personal favorite is the horizontal long tables. The long horizontal tables are great with a crisp with tablecloth and you can actually put the table on a beach, at a nice intimate garden wedding reception, almost anywhere outdoors.  If you decide to go with the long tables, it is best that you have a small number of guests because the long tables give off a bit of intimacy or it adds that personable touch to your reception!  From classic tables to fabulous centerpieces, you must have nice centerpieces. If you are having a simple wedding, I would go with a simple, elegant centerpiece. Now your middle name is “flamboyant” you may want to go with a bolder centerpiece, one that is lavish and makes a statement!

Setting the Mood Right
To set the mood of your wedding or reception use candles, all sorts of candles always sets a romantic mood. Candles also are great for lighting, especially if your wedding runs late into the evening. Who knows you and your wedding guest just may party to the break of dawn and we all know that time flies when you are having fun! Another great way to light up your wedding ceremony and reception are string lights. String lights are very decorative and give a fun, intimate party ambiance. These lights are just perfect for your outdoor wedding activities!

Adding Some Pizazz to Your Nuptials
If you want to add some flair to your ceremony, try using drapes and paper lanterns.  Drapes will add a sense of style. T he color and the way the drapes are hung can easily give your guests a taste of you and grooms personality. If you use subtle drapes, you may come off as a calm person. If you use rich color drapes, you may come off as being extravagant! However, it doesn’t matter how your personality comes off, as long as your drapes go well with your wedding theme and ceremony! Choose your drapes based on your wedding colors and you will be fine! Paper Lanterns are also a great touch to an outdoor ceremony. The paper lanterns are used best when they are hung from a tent, canopy or gazebo. It also adds that special “sparkle” to you nuptials!

Wake Up and Smell the Flowers!
Selecting the ideal flower that goes perfect with your wedding theme would be the icing on the cake for your wedding decorations. Flowers add a sense of life to a venue, when choosing your flowers you could even select them off of your color scheme or you could go with your favorite flower, whichever you prefer! Just make sure you don’t forget about the flowers!

You have all the essential outdoor wedding decorating tips that will help you as you go on your wedding decorating excursion! Good Luck and Happy Decorating!

Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Garden

Saying “I do” at an outdoor wedding chapel will certainly be a captivating experience.  You can have the best of both worlds, an indoor wedding with an outdoor wedding setting, how wonderful is that? One of my favorite outdoor chapels is the Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens. Located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Anthony Chapel is by far one of the most amazing glass structures ever made.  With its high ceilings and its captivating floor to ceiling glass windows—this delightful wedding chapel gives an immaculate view and a peaceful ambiance.

Selecting an exquisite creative place to wed would be both delightful for you and your guest but most of all it would be full of radiant photos and unforgettable wedding memories!

Here is a video of a wedding performed at the Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens.

What do you do when a cold front threatens your perfect outdoor wedding?

Imagine, it’s your special day, a few hours before the wedding and you have so many things on your mind. You are hoping and wishing that everything will go as planned and that there will be no unexpected surprise. At that moment, you get a phone call from your maid of honor, who tells you that there is a 45% chance that a cold front maybe heading your way and it may affect your outdoor dream wedding.

Anyone who plans an outdoor wedding during the months of January-April and October-December run the risk of having a cold front being an unexpected guest at their wedding.

Here are a few tips that will help you to be better prepared just in case a cold front wants to be a wedding crasher at your outdoor ceremony.

• Have A Back-Up Plan: Make sure when you are selecting an outdoor venue for the wedding and reception that your location has an indoor facility on standby. If the location does not have an indoor facility to accommodate the wedding event, don’t fret; you can always rent a sturdy wind-proof tent.
• If you are using candles during your outdoor wedding ceremony, make sure you are proactive and have the candles placed in a candle vase or a glass hurricane, so the winds or cold air won’t extinguish the flames.
• Have coffee and/or tea on hand for your guest; it’s a good gesture and it helps to keep your guest warm and toasty.
• The bride and bridesmaids should have a shawl, wrap or shrug on standby. I know many brides may not like the sound of wearing a wrap, thinking it will take away from the dress. However, there are many fashionable wraps that you can purchase that will help your wedding party look chic, while staying warm.
• The bride could tie tiny weights on the veil to help prevent it from flying if a breeze comes through. Fish weights are a great option because they are small in size and they could be easily spray painted over to match your dress.

So there you have it, a few tips that could help you if a cold front decides to make a surprise appearance at your wedding. Remember a bride may be able to control her wedding, but no bride can control the weather. Mother Nature has a mind of it’s own.