Wedding stories during the strict months of lockdown have inspired us with the message that love doesn’t have to be postponed nor canceled. Of course, it’s not a matter of love that people have changed their wedding plans, but rather the willingness of their guests to come. On the other hand, the travel restrictions have given the excuse for couples to marry in silence, saving what would have gone to a one-day event. Of course, some couples want a grand ceremony given that it’s an important occasion in their lives.
Now that restrictions have somehow eased up, many of you could be thinking if it’s feasible to have your wedding soon. Well, people are still wary of attending indoor gatherings, and winter isn’t the best season for outdoor setups.
But these should not deter you. People who want to celebrate your momentous event with you will go. They would not mind a little cold. And the temperature is just a circumstance that you could do something about. After all, Lake Geneva continues to host its famous fondue in open-air dining all-year-round. People continue to play board games at Central Park in New York, one of the places that experience the harshest winters. And all around the world people enjoy going outside despite the temperature.
Go ahead and start doing your diet to fit into your wedding dress. Get out your teeth bleaching or whitening kit and prepare for your best smiles. To help you lessen the discomfort of your guests, though, we have compiled some suggestions on how you could turn up the temperature of an outdoor wedding.
Get your RSVP confirmation way ahead.
You need to know how many you’re preparing for so that you could decide what kind of heaters you would put up. In regular times, you wouldn’t have to think about the distancing of the chairs and the space you would need to set up. This time, it would matter. Don’t hesitate to give a cut-off date. The fewer the people, the smaller you need to worry about.
Setup wind guards around the perimeter.
Temperatures could be tolerable up until the wind blows. If you have chosen a scenic location and you don’t want to block your guests’ view, there are glass wind guards. They would be more expensive to set up, though. You don’t need to entirely enclose the area. After all, it wouldn’t be any different from an indoor wedding if you do so. Just space them adequately. You could interchange canvass and glass to make it cheaper.
Use fire to decorate your venue.
Bonfires are often associated with rugged themes and designs. But you could set it up in a concrete pit at the back of the chairs during the ceremony. Make sure to put wind guards so that it doesn’t accidentally blow directly onto your guests. Kiln-dried firewood burns efficiently and would smoke less than ordinary firewood.
Use patio heaters and fire pits to decorate your venue. If you have time and money, you could build a platform with heated floors.
Cover your chairs with faux furs
Your guests would probably come in layered clothing. But the ceremony plus the reception banquet would take hours. Having a warm seat would be so much more comfortable. Plus fur has so much potential for designing your venue. Get creative. Layer it with other thick fabrics like wool. Maybe treat your banquet like a huge living area.
Offer hot drinks before the ceremony.
But reserve the wine for later. Prepare a drink stand with hot chocolate, apple cider, coffee, and tea that your guests could sip on while waiting for you and your entourage to walk down the aisle. It should be enough to warm their insides to last them through the ceremony. During the reception, you could still have these drinks available, but maybe they’d be going for alcohol.
Additionally, offer spicy food options on top of hot soups. Soups are rare at weddings, but this deviance would be welcomed. Check out spicy Cajun cooking, or introduce dishes from as far as India and Thailand.
There are so many exciting possibilities for a winter wedding. If your dream had been to swim in a sea of flowers, you could still do it if you’re willing to spend more. But why imitate what’s already been done? Go for something unique. You could even give your guests Santa Claus hats or mittens, and leg warmers they could wear during the ceremony. It’s ok for the guests to look silly because everyone’s sporting the look. In truth, there are no reasons to postpone your wedding. Love is the reason for your wedding and nothing else. Take your motivation from there.
