Month: July 2017

How To Have An Outdoor Wedding In Ireland

They say that when the weather is good in Ireland, why would you want to be anywhere else, and when it comes to outdoor weddings, the same is true. The country is packed with a myriad of incredible outdoor wedding locations, such as clifftops, ancient castles, lakes, beaches, lush forests and green fields, and if you’ve always wanted to say ‘I do’ outdoors, then there can be no better place to do it in.

However, it is Ireland and of course that means changeable weather conditions, where a summer’s day in July or August can be a complete deluge. That said, it’s still possible and indeed getting more and more popular to have outdoor wedding ceremonies in Ireland; all that’s needed is a little planning and expertise.

I’ve planned and co-ordinated dozens of successful outdoor wedding ceremonies and if you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

Have a Backup Plan

This is the most important part of having an outdoor wedding ceremony in Ireland or indeed anywhere. Having a backup plan for inclement weather, even in the height of summer, is crucial. Look for venues that have both outdoor areas where you can have your ceremony, but that also offers an indoor area where you can move to if the weather looks like it’s not going to play ball. Often venues will offer beautiful outdoor areas that may even have some kind of covering such as marquees with open sides, large gazebos, or areas with large awnings in case of rain. And have enough large umbrellas in case there is some drizzle mid ceremony.

Be Flexible

Understand, that while you might be dreaming of an outdoor wedding ceremony, the weather might make it impossible, so be prepared for the fact that you may have to compromise. Consider using a tent or marquee that is open on the sides but covered on the top so you still get that outdoor feel. Similarly, if you want something really atmospheric what about finding and old castle or church that is partially open to the elements, yet still provides cover for the guests.

Keep it Casual

By their very nature, outdoor wedding ceremonies tend to be a little more causal or informal, so think about doing away with set sides for the bride and grooms family and encourage them to sit where they wish. Don’t forget to experiment and have little fun with the seating set up. Forget stuffy church pews and have chairs arranged in a spiral with the couple in the middle, or why not have bales of hay dotted around for guests to sit on.

Have Fun

Why not keep the outdoor theme running and consider having your food outside too? Think food trucks, BBQ’s and informal dining. Or if you want to have your food indoors in a more formal set up, then why not have some outdoor games set up for after the meal. Think giant Jenga, boules, ring toss and even life-size chess.

1950s Americana Style Wedding

If you’re looking to try and spice up your wedding décor with something a little different, then why not consider a sprinkling of 50s retro American style kitsch? If you and your husband or wife to be love the era and icons like Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe, have a penchant for rock ‘n’ roll and love the quirky fashion from the time, then it’s the perfect theme for your wedding day.

It’s all about having a little fun and you can really go as full on or a subtle as you like. Think about tea length dresses for the bride, polka dots for the bridesmaids and even a little Pink ladies and T Birds vibe a la Grease. Channel the trend in your food with modern takes on diner inspired American classics like sliders, posh dogs, Coca-Cola, milkshakes and popcorn.
Why not hire a retro style Chevrolet as your wedding transport, have a retro photobooth with 50s style props and have a juke box in your venue too playing the hits from the ear?

If you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

The Fashion
Set the tone for the day with the fashion and have a tea length dress for the bride. Think lots of lace and short veils and why not mix it up and have converse shoes instead of heels? For the bridesmaids why not have bright polka dots or have some Grease style pink ladies chic elements to the hair and makeup.

Table Décor
Music is a huge part of the Americana era, it was all about rock ‘n’ roll, so why not have records as your table names and as you centrepieces? Think about including nods to the big icons of the era, such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Have mismatched retro china and glassware reminiscent of the era. Lace was big, so think about having lace table runners to for added elegance.

Creative Touches
What about arriving in a pink Cadillac as your wedding car? Nothing screams 50s kitsch like a caddy car or truck, no matter what the colour. Also why not have pieces like jukeboxes, vintage luggage, old fashioned food crates filled with florals and retro style photobooths with lots of 50s props for guests to have fun with.

Food and Drinks
You can really have fun with your food with this theme. Think retro Americana in the form of old fashioned Coca-Cola glass bottles, milkshakes, 50s style champagne towers, straws, ice cream cones, hot dogs, sliders and popcorn to name but a few.

Marquee Weddings

A marquee style wedding is undeniably beautiful. There’s something about being out almost under the stars that just adds romance to a wedding day. So it’s not surprising, that it’s a trend that is always popular with couples. There are plenty of options to consider when planning a marquee wedding.

You could go with a traditional wedding venue that has a marquee for their weddings, or if you have access to a private piece of land or indeed you want to hire a piece of land this is another option to consider.

If you’re going with the former, then the pros are that you’ll benefit from the hotels existing facilities, however if you want ultimate control then hiring in your own option on private land is worth considering too.

If you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Hiring in a Marquee Top Considerations

The Cost

Often people assume that hiring in a marquee, works out cheaper than a traditional hotel setting. This isn’t always the case, so make sure to do your research first.

The Site

Finding the right site is crucial. If you are lucky enough to have access to a piece of land perhaps a family home’s garden etc., then make sure the area is flat with good access. If you are looking to hire a piece of land, again, make sure to do your research in terms of access, facilities and suitability.

The Planning

If you’re hiring in a marquee in your home or you are hiring a piece of land with no facilities, there is a lot to consider, from toilet facilities, to electricity, water, proper flooring, catering, crockery, a catering tent, heating, access, a bar and staff. While many catering companies can look after many of these aspects, often it’s good to hire a wedding planner such as myself who can take care of all these very important, but detailed elements of the day.

Have a Contingency Plan

While, your professionally set up marquee should be able to withstand the elements, it’s worth considering having an indoor back up plan, especially if you’re having a winter wedding.

Free Reign

While as you can see there are some drawbacks to hiring in your own marquee, the beauty of it, is the ultimate control you’ll have over the look of the day. If you want a glamping style tent, a tepee, or a grand fairy-tale marquee, with this option, the only limit is your imagination.

If Your Venus Has a Marquee

This can be by far the most straight forward option, as you really will benefit from the best of both worlds, with the hotels facilities, plus the special marquee feel. When it comes to décor, try and maximise the ethereal beauty of the marquee –

Lanterns and Pom Poms

Chinese lanterns and paper pom poms strung from the ceiling look fabulous, but don’t forget traditional style lanterns and hanging tea lights too.

Bunting

Bunting and tents or marquees go together like bread and butter, so have fun with this look. It’s also a very easy to source and an inexpensive piece of décor.

Lighting

Think about using bistro or string lights, gobo lights, uplighters and coloured lights to set the tone and atmosphere.

Chairs

Chairs can really make a difference on the overall look of your marquee. Think about pretty Chiavari or Hannah Jane chairs.

Green and White Wedding Theme

Crisp whites and fresh greens is one of those universal themes that works for practically any type of wedding venue. It’s a tried and tested combination that can be interpreted in many ways to suit your particular style of wedding, be it elegant, rustic, vintage, modern or anything in between. You could want a tropical theme for example and have palms and grasses as your greenery or equally if you wanted an elegant feel, then you could have sophisticated topiaries. The only limit here is your imagination.

The beauty of this colour palette is the scope you have for creativity. You can go all out with elaborate hanging or tall green centrepieces, or keep it simple with low wooden boxes filled with greenery, or candles and greens interspersed around your tables. You can decide to splash out on real specimens, or you can source some artificial pieces too. Don’t be afraid to add some flecks of colour too, such as gold or other metallics which work really well with this theme too.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Ceremony Décor

Greenery makes the perfect addition to your ceremony décor and whether you’re saying ‘I do’ in a church or not, this colour palette will work really well. Think intense greens and white candles in lanterns for pew ends. Why not bring the outside in and have leaf filled branches as tall pew ends? Why not spread soft white petals and green leaves along the aisles? And of course don’t forget the classic baby’s breath too.

Centrepieces

If you’re thinking of making a grand impression, then why not go for tall green centrepieces? Think about matching with crisp white table cloths and flecks of gold. But this colour palate works really well for a more rustic look too. Try low centrepieces such as rustic boxes or candles mixed with fresh greens.

Garlands

Garlands packed with greens and accents of white flowers, were made for each other and work so well for this colour palette. If you’ve decided on long tables for your venue, then garlands or greenery filled table runners will look stunning. Don’t forget to highlight other parts of your venue too, garlands looks fantastic around fireplaces, mirrors and of course staircases.

Creative Touches

Have fun with this look and think about using some greenery on your wedding cake. It looks particularly well with a naked or white cake draped with green leaves. Why not consider having some oversized white balloons with greenery on the tail? Turn chandeliers in the room into floral ones with the addition of white blooms and green leaves? Or if you’re a DIY lover then why not make some hula hoop wreaths? And for a really stunning addition try a floral wall!

Music Festival Wedding Theme

Did you and your husband or wife to be meet at a music festival? Maybe you bonded over your shared love of music? Either way, if you’re both total festival lovers, then it makes sense to channel this shared passion into your wedding day décor with a full on festival theme.

Causal is the key word to keep in mind here. It’s all about laid back fun. Think tents, wellies, food trucks, campfires and even bales of hay. Get creative with little details like access all areas passes, tables named after your favourite concerts and chill out zones for your guests to relax.

Above all, this theme is about having a little fun and throwing off traditional wedding conventions.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

Venue

The venue is key to getting this theme right. So think beyond the normal hotel/function room style of venue. Instead seek out venues that offer outdoor sections and think tents and glamping. You can hire in a lot of the essentials yourself or with a wedding planner such as myself. There are also several venues that can offer the best of both worlds with festival themed outdoor areas, yet with the comforts of a luxury hotel too, so make sure you do your research before you go ahead.

Table Plan and Signage

While this sort of wedding is much more casual than a traditional wedding and a sit down meal may not be what you’re after, having a table plan is an opportunity to have fun with your favourite bands as names. Or why not have escort cards in the form of an access all areas VIP pass or wristband with each guests name on it. Signage is also important to let guest know how the day/night will work, especially as this sort of theme is a little different to the norm.

Table and Room Décor

Even if your venue isn’t quite a yurt in the middle of a field, you can still give it that festival vibe with the right touches. Think about having a record for each table name, use mason jars filled with tea lights or glow sticks, lots of bunting, string lights, streamers and Chinese lanterns to set the tone.