Whatever concerns you’re going to raise about this being Britain and our weather only being good at being reliably bad, we don’t want to hear it. We’re daydreaming of balmy summer afternoons and hazy, romantic evenings and even the current deluge of wind and hurricane whipping around Bradford-On-Avon can’t put us off. Admittedly, most of these ideas are ones that you might prefer to execute in the luscious countryside of Tuscany or with the sky stretched out before you in California, but that’s not to say some of these ideas can’t be incorporated into your wedding plans.
Now, if you were thinking of having an outdoor ceremony, don’t forget that here in England they have to be performed beneath a permanent, roofed structure (such as a gazebo) to be legal. Alternatively, you can skip down to the registry office the day before and get all that legal stuff done in the blink of an eye and then have a spectacular (and dare we say, far more personal) outdoor ceremony performed by a non-legal officiant such as a humanist.
We are big fans of bringing the indoors outdoors. Just because you’re having a party outside, that doesn’t mean you have to make everyone eat off paper plates and sit on plastic furniture. Instead, why not bring your most ornate and spectacular chairs and tables outside so that your guests can feel the true grandeur of the occasion? Not only will everyone be much more comfortable, but they make for truly wow-factor photos.
Speaking of which, there’s no scenario where having an enormous, beautiful chandelier suspended from the paradoxically simple surroundings of nature is not a good idea. Whether you use it as a focal point for your ceremony, decor for your reception or a way to illuminate your wedding breakfast as dusk falls, we’re throwing two big thumbs up for this opulent outdoor wedding idea.
Of course, if you want to be outside to be at one with nature then the rustic simplicity of barns and hay bales is still incredibly popular. Make sure you stock up on lots of blankets and cushions to make the space feel really cosy, go all out with a fire pit or barbecue and embrace rustic props and styling throughout.
We’re also dreaming of a pretty pastel theme with shabby chic simplicity for an alternative outdoor wedding theme. Reclaimed furniture, table linen salvaged from your grandmother’s cupboard and an abundance of bunting make for a feminine and beguiling set up. We can imagine this being a languorous picnic, lasting long into the night as you chat and eat and drink and revel in your love beneath a canopy of stars.
