Wedding Department Wedding Blog

Many theme events such as weddings and anniversary parties are well suited to out door venues.   The advantages include ample space, fresh air, sunshine and sounds and smells of nature.  There are disadvantages as well including unwanted sounds, smells, insect and animal pasts and most of all, unexpected inclement weather.

With the advent of weather radar we can easily predict rain and snow and forecasters can easily predict the temperatures days in advance.  However thunderstorms can come up unexpectedly and forecasts more than a few days in advance are not reliable.  If a wedding is being planned 6 or 8 months in advance it is impossible to plan for weather.

Planning for hot weather is fairly straight forward.  First make sure there is a place for people to get in out of the sun.  This could be under trees, or a canopy or tent.  Deciduous trees provide a nice shade and they offer the added benefit of allowing any breeze to blow freely.

Other sources of shade would be a permanent pavilion or a tent.  Tents large enough for a large number of people can be rented and are usually set up by a professional team.  Unlike trees, tents often have sides and they tend to intensify the heat.   If insects are an issue some tents can be equipped with insect netting, an option not afforded by trees.

If the trees are sparse a canopy could be fashioned from yards of white muslin fabric strung and over ropes or wires strung between the trees in an Arabian night’s fashion.  If care is taken and the fabric is not too badly soiled it could be sold to quilters who could then wash it and use it for quilt backing.  Even if there is slight damage so long as the fabric is in fairly good shape the quilters should be happy to give you a fair price for gently used fabric.  Ask around in advance to quilter guilds in your area. 

No matter what the cover sudden weather can be a big problem.  A sudden downpour that brings people under a tent can be fun and add to the festive atmosphere but powerful thunderstorms can be down right dangerous. 

It is wise to make an evacuation plan to be used in an emergency, before the emergency is upon you.  Some one should immediately be able to take charge and guide the guests to safety.  For a garden wedding you may be stuffing people into the house and garage.  If the event is held at a resort or other facility there is probably some where to gather out of danger.  The key is to make the plan well in advance, before disaster strikes.