The smell of the fresh air, the blue sky above, birds chirping, violins playing in the background…. sounds like an outdoor wedding! But sometimes, Mother Nature has her own plans. So you best be prepared! Here are some excellent tips for your outdoor wedding.

1) Where’s the Sun?
Depending on the time of the year and the time of day, the location of the sun in the sky will play a direct role on your wedding photos. For example, If the aisle runs north-south and the ceremony is at say 6pm in the Fall or Spring time, one side of the aisle may have the sun directly in your guests (or your photographer’) eyes. Conversely, if the ceremony is at 2pm in the Summer, the sun can be so bright that everyone might need sunglasses, if there is not enough shade. So just keep the sun’s location in mind when planning the wedding timeline. There are websites out there that can calculate the exact position for you, depending upon your location.

Bonus Tip: Keep some oil blotting tissue handy, so that you don’t get too shiny in the sun.

2) Golden Hour
Generally speaking, the best time to take photos outside is during “Golden Hour” it’s roughly the 1-2 hours before sunset. It’s usually the prettiest and most flattering light. So if you can schedule your ceremony or portraits during this time, your photos should have a little extra amazing-ness to them.

3) Backup Plan
And of course, there’s always the potential for rain! We all dread that possibility, but you must be prepared to have an indoor location (or potentially a tent) to save you and your guests from getting completely soaked. If the property doesn’t have the space for tent, they may have an indoor room that will work out well.

4) High Heels & Grass/Sand
If you’re having your wedding on a beach and you plan on wearing high heels, you might want to hide a small piece of plywood under the sand where the bride will be standing at the front of the aisle, so the bride doesn’t sink.   Otherwise, your calves are going to get a pretty good workout during the ceremony. If you’re having your wedding on grass, you can’t exactly hide plywood, but maybe you always use those clear pieces of plastic that you can attach to your heels so you don’t sink. Here’s one brand called: Sole Mates.  You could also just wear flats.

5) Music
Because you’re in an outdoor location, the traditional music playing over speakers may not fit the mood. So it’s a great opportunity to hire some live music, like a quartet of string instruments or maybe just a harpist or violinist.

Ask Us to help plan out your wedding photos.