The much talked about wedding of our favourite celebrity couple, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, was exclusive in a number of ways. Right from their Sabyasachi ensemble to imported flowers from Holland, from celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia’s exotic menu to the fabulous textiles used in the decor, their wedding set a new benchmark in almost everything. But what grabbed most eyeballs (and hype) was the outdoor setting of the #Virushka wedding at Borgo Finocchieto, the luxury retreat in Tuscany, Italy.
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There’s something unarguably charming about outdoor wedding idea. The pretty sight, natural light and infinite decor options all make for a fabulous deal. Though there are many perks of an outdoor wedding, you also have to be extra careful when planning one. Before you take the plunge, here’s everything you should keep in mind.
The Best Season For An Outdoor Wedding
The first major decision that you will be taking is: when to tie the knot? This involves taking into consideration several things (like your dates, availability, finances, etc.) and one of them is picking the right season. So, how do you decide what’s the best time for an outdoor wedding?
Rather than blindly following Instagram trends, choose a season that you and your partner are most comfortable in. While a Winter Wonderland theme wedding looks magical, an English Garden theme is no less enchanting in the warmer months. Basically, it all depends on the city you live in or want to get married in. For instance, Delhi has an extreme climate. So, I would probably want to get married in either November or February when the temperature is not too high and not too low. It’s pleasant.
Furthermore, if you want to have a destination wedding, do a thorough research about the destination’s weather during different months before locking all arrangements. You don’t want to get married in Goa in July, unless you want your elegant beach wedding to become a humid raindance fest.
Whichever season you choose to get married in, here are a few things to keep in mind for each season:
A Summer Wedding
Here are a few tips to save you and your guests from the summer blaze.
1. If you are planning a summer wedding, make sure you have enough cooling fans and sprinklers in place so that you and your guests don’t feel warm and stuffy. Things can get too sweaty when there’s a lot of dancing involved. Not to forget the heavy outfits!
2. If possible, go for a night wedding in summer months when the sun won’t be there to trouble you crazy. Evenings are anyway cooler.
Also Read Tips For A Summer Wedding
3. In case of a day wedding, keep the direction of the sun in mind when setting up the pandals for pheras and the varmala ceremony. Besides, you don’t want to be squinting in all your photos, do you?
4. Serve fruit infused beverages as welcome drinks to your guests. Mango, watermelon and mint will help reduce the body temperature and keep the guests cool. You can also hand over refreshing face mists and cute hand fans as wedding favours. They’ll appreciate these more than a mithai ka dabba.
5. Metal chairs look great but getting fabric cushions on them will ensure that your guests don’t burn their bums when they take a seat to enjoy your pheras. You can also go for aesthetic wooden chairs if not sofas or mattresses.
A Winter Wedding
A winter wedding is a cosy and romantic affair but it also comes with its own fair share of problems. Don’t panic because you can avoid most of them with these preparations:
1. Serve a hot drink to your guests on arrival to keep them warm. Green Tea, hot chocolate and espresso are wedding favourites. Warm soup with soup sticks is also a great option to circulate throughout the party.
2. Install heaters at the venue to keep your guests warm and cosy at your wedding.
3. Compared to summer and spring, it gets dark early in winter. Schedule the wedding rituals accordingly so light is not a problem when it comes to taking pictures. Have a discussion with your photographer in advance. They know what will work best in such scenarios.
Keep coverups handy in case your guests are too cold. Shawls will make for useful wedding favours, too.
A Monsoon Wedding
An outdoor wedding is not recommended in the monsoon for obvious reasons. However, if you are still getting married in the season, be prepared in advance by having a waterproof tent at the venue. Talk to your decorator or wedding planner to make arrangements accordingly. You don’t want your wedding to turn into a muddy mess. It can be a hazard for you and your guests.
You can also pick a farmhouse so you have the option to move the wedding to the closed area in case it starts raining. Make sure that the covered area is large enough to accommodate your guests. Have huge umbrellas on stand by just in case.
Setting A Budget
Set a budget and stick to it. Setting a wedding budget right at the start makes it easier to decide what kind of wedding you want, and prevents unnecessary costs that you may incur later. Also remember that one of the major cons of an outdoor wedding is the unpredictable weather. What if it starts raining a day before your wedding? You have to be prepared for the worst. There are chances that if the weather turns nasty, you may have to move the entire setting inside or arrange for a tent. This can add up to your expenses. So while you are setting a wedding budget, keep this in mind and plan accordingly.
Also Read: Beautiful Pre-Wedding Rituals In India
Choosing The Ideal Venue
At the same time, one of the many perks of getting married in an outdoor setting is the vast choice of venue options. From tying the knot at a sunny beach to a romantic soiree on the foothills of a mountain, you are spoilt for exotic choices! Here are the different types of nuptials that you can consider for an outdoor wedding and a few things to remember for each:
Beach Wedding
Private beaches remain a top choice among couples who want an extravaganza. That’s where luxury beach resorts come into play. Peak summer and monsoon can be particularly unfavourable to opt for a beach wedding. The timing is important too. Schedule your ceremonies either in the early morning or around sunset to avoid the sweltering heat and to guarantee amazing pictures, of course. Beaches can also get extremely windy, so talk out your concerns with your decorator/wedding planner beforehand.
Wedding In The Hills
Say ‘I do’ against a stellar hilly backdrop. It can’t get more romantic than this! But also remember that it can get pretty chilly out there, particularly in winter. Make sure you have enough heaters and bonfires in place to keep the guests (and yourself!) warm and cosy. You can organise a bonfire night before the wedding to keep your guests entertained during the pre-wedding festivities.
Lawn/Garden Wedding
Book a farmhouse or a resort with a huge lawn and tie the knot in a lush green setting. If you have a huge backyard or a large terrace that can accommodate all your guests, why not go for an intimate and private wedding at your own house? You must have infinite memories and sentiments attached to it!
Deciding The Decor
The natural scenic beauty adds brownie points to an outdoor wedding idea but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to put any effort into the decor. Here are a few tips to pull off an extraordinary decor at your outdoor wedding:
For A Dreamy Day Wedding
1. Try some origami in the decor. Colourful cranes, boats, and paper fans hanging around the outdoor wedding venue on threads make for some quirky decor. Or how about some colourful pinwheels and bunting around the venue?
2. You can never go wrong with floral arrangements. Decorate bird cages with flowers and put them on tables as centerpieces or put bunches of baby’s breath in mason jars and make them the star of the show.
3. Place cute props that compliment the day decor like sign boards, painted bicycles, autos, and colourful earthen pots.
4. Another fun addition to the outdoor decor can be colourful bangles hanging via threads on trees. Alternatively, you can hang kettles, painted tyres with floral accents, and even colourful paper cones.
For A Romantic Night Wedding
1. If you are getting married at a lawn or a garden, deck up the trees with adorable fairy lights, chandeliers, dreamcatchers and other props.
2. Place string lights in an empty tinted bottle and use them as decorative table lighting. Such an enchanting decor, we must say!
3. Gleaming lanterns dangling from tree branches would look super gorgeous. Not to mention vintage.
4. Day or night, you just can’t go wrong with flowers. Make small bunches and hang them in a way that gives the impression of flowers raining from the sky.
5. If you have a pool at the venue, decorate it with fun elements like floating candles and flower petals.
Regardless of whether it’s a day or a night wedding, people are making photo booths an integral part of their outdoor wedding’s decor. You can also opt for fun shaped cut-outs to pose, and have different kinds of props (like moustache, glittering bow, red pout on a stick) for guests to hold for the pictures. They’re a tried and tested party hit, especially among kids.
You can make your guests walk through your journey as a couple by sticking your pictures on paper coasters and hanging them on jute ropes, or by simply clipping your photographs to threads and decorating the whole frame with fairy lights and/or flowers. Couples have also started displaying slideshows of their pre-wedding photoshoot on LED screens at their wedding. These ideas will work for both a day as well as a night wedding. You’re welcome!
What To Wear At An Outdoor Wedding
Whether you are the bride or a guest, you have to be dressed season-appropriately if you want to save yourself from some serious discomfort. While your short cholis just won’t work in a winter wedding, a velvet saree is not the right choice for a summer affair. Here are a few sartorial tips to keep in mind:
For A Summer Wedding
1. Go the pastel way and avoid dark colours and heavy fabrics.
2. Choose outfits in cotton blend, georgette and chiffon. You may also choose Malmal over velvet. You can ditch your heavy dupatta for a pre-stitched cape–they’re so in trend rn.
3. Opt for a hairstyle that stylishly keeps your hair organised and in place. Open hair can be a big turn-off at outdoor summer weddings. How about a messy bun or chic braids?
4. Choose waterproof or sweat-proof makeup and don’t forget to put on your SPF before you get to the primer.
For A Winter Wedding
A destination wedding in the hills is great but for the bride staying stylish and warm at the same time can be challenging. Here are a few tips for the winter bride (and guests) who love outdoor weddings:
1. Full sleeved blouses in raw silk are the real deal. Plus they look elegant and chic too!
2. Embrace the double dupatta trend. Layering is the key at winter weddings. Another smart way in which brides can stay warm is by lining their dupatta with pashmina shawl. You can drape this dupatta over your shoulders and choose a separate net dupatta for overhead.
3. Try wearing leg warmers under your lehenga. These will keep you warm and comfortable without anyone noticing.
4. Capes are a hot trend in bridal wear. You can wear them over your lehenga or even saree to protect yourself from the cold. Ethnic jackets do the same work and look great too. Guests, are you listening?
We love how brides are ditching their stilettos for juttis and casual shoes. Take inspiration from this bride and flaunt your sneaker love on your Big Day.
Other Things To Remember
Apart from these, here are some other key aspects that need your attention when you are getting married in an outdoor setting:
1. Keep a Plan B handy if things turn south. Plan B here means an alternative indoor option as a backup in case the weather gives you surprises. Remember how Mitchell and Cameron’s outdoor wedding in Modern Family was interrupted by firefighters because of a wildfire in the forest? You certainly don’t want that to happen at yours!
2. You must double check to ensure that you are licensed to host a public event at the property you are eyeing, be it a hotel/resort or an open ground. From playing music to serving alcohol, from setting up tents to using fireworks, there’s a lot to be checked before you zero in on a venue. Ask you wedding planner to go along with you for a recce before you book it for your Big Day. He/she can give you a better understanding of what’s right and what’s not about the destination.
3. Weddings can be a lengthy affair so look for a venue with clean restrooms where your guests can freshen up and touch-up their makeup (mirrors are a must, you see!) It is also necessary to have proper feeding rooms for new mothers to look after their babies. General facilities like these are a must.
4. Resorts are fine but in case of an open ground set-up, parking can be a major problem to figure out. Talk to the broker who’s helping you book the place and get a spacious parking lot in motion. If budget permits, go for a valet parking. Your guests will definitely thank you for this.
Outdoor Or Indoor Wedding – Which Is Better?
Both indoor and outdoor weddings come with their fair share of pros and cons. It is important to have an understanding of both before you finalise one for your D-day.
Pros Of Outdoor Weddings
1. One of the many advantages of an outdoor wedding are picturesque sights. If gorgeous views are everything you want, an outdoor wedding is for you.
2. An outdoor wedding means more space and more space means more guests, so yay!
3. You get super-cute pictures!
Cons Of Outdoor Weddings
1. Bad weather can be stressful. Severe temperature changes can make your guests (and you) uncomfortable and grumpy.
2. Mosquitoes and flies can also spoil the fun of the celebration if you haven’t considered bug-proofing your venue.
3. Extreme weather (like sudden showers and strong winds) can affect your food, too, if you do not have a covered catering space.
4. You may incur additional costs due to last minute changes, courtesy of bad weather.
Pros Of Indoor Weddings
1. You don’t necessarily have to worry about the weather outside because you and your guests are safe and sound inside in air conditioning.
2. Indoor venues usually come all stocked and decked up, so you don’t have to put a lot of thought into the decor and supplies.
Cons Of Indoor Weddings
1. You may find it difficult to get an indoor venue that offers just as stunning views.
2. In the absence of natural light, your photographer can have a hard time getting the perfect shots of you.
3. Music can get too loud within closed doors, and hence, disturbing.
Planning for an outdoor wedding idea may require more attention and thought but in the end, it is worth all the effort. So, happy wedding!
Featured Image: Instagram
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