Outdoor weddings can be absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, they depend on the one person who thinks she’s more important than the bride: Mother Nature.
Brides have enough to worry about, and I know! I personally was looking at the forecast 2 weeks in advance of my ceremony which would be taking place outside. I even swore to myself that I would never have an outside wedding. Whoops.
Thankfully, the day of my wedding there were clear skies, and it was absolutely beautiful. But 24 hours prior to that, a tropical storm had just finished sweeping through the area. My wedding was in October, and yes, that is still hurricane season.
There are a few things to think about when planning an outdoor wedding. First off, look into the general climate of the area you’re getting married at. You may think you know what the weather is in the place you’ve lived in for your entire life, and you may have heard that it never rains in Aruba, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Obviously you’re not going to have an outdoor wedding when it’s below freezing and there’s a chance of a blizzard, but what about during the summer? If you live in a hot and humid area, those summer thunderstorms could strike right as the wedding march begins. Just google your climatology in the area you want to get married in. Look and see when it rains the most, what the average high temperatures are, everything! You can never be too prepared.
For my destination brides, hurricane season is June 1-November 1. Depending on the month, hurricanes strike different areas. Take a look at the general tracking of the storms and what your destination has been through during the past 20 years in the month you want for your wedding!
Even if you plan everything correctly, you should always have a backup plan. A stray 20 minute thunderstorm could change your entire wedding day. If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour and reception, or even just one of the three, you need to have alternate ideas. Work with a wedding coordinator (shameless plug: www.goldenweddingplanners.com) and tell them your ideas of your perfect outdoor bash. An experienced coordinator will make your dreams come true rain or shine. Golden Wedding Planners offers long range forecasts as well, to help you pick the best date for your big day.
Happy Planning!
