Top tips for outdoor ceremonies
A Winter wedding or funeral in Scotland is a magical thing. All the set dressers in Hollywood couldn’t recreate the natural splendours we enjoy.
This Winter wedding is a perfect example. The mist hung atmospherically. The river tumbled boisterously. The procession through the forest to this magical spot built atmosphere. Gorgeous.
In fact, it wasn’t the couple’s Plan A. They had done lots of venue research and selected a very fine, elegant country house for the big day. But thanks to Covid, like many other couples, they had to make several rounds of adjustments to plans. As it turned out, I think they and all their guests would agree, at the end of the day, this intimate Winter wedding could not have been more perfect.
Ceremony planning in 2021
Right now, you can have 20 guests at a funeral or wedding ceremony and they can enjoy hospitality with the hosts afterwards. (Appropriately socially-distanced, sanitised and masked, of course.)
Right now, whatever our hopes for a vaccine and relaxation of current rules that safeguard us against Covid, in reality, we’ve no idea what 2021 will bring.
There’s a fair chance more couples who are determined to marry will scale down plans just so they can go ahead confidently. We have just such a family wedding coming up in February. It’s being planned to be in the garden with just a handful of guests.
Like the couple above, if the act of getting married is more important than the number of guests you can have at the ceremony, then you can still go ahead and make plans.
If that’s you, here are a few top tips for making an outdoor ceremony work.
For guests
Focus on the bits that will be seen when choosing your outfit: coat, scarf, hat. No-one will notice anything else.
Here’s the essential toolkit:
Thermals. (Sorry kilt wearers, you’re on your own there… a real test of manhood.)
Layers. (If you’re lucky and you have to discard one or two, that’s so much better than being underdressed.)
Flatties: go for sturdy boots and warm socks. Doc Martens look great with a dress. (Keep the glamorous heels for later in the day.)
Hankies. (In my book, you should have them to hand for a good wedding anyway.)
Hand warmers.
Brolly: even on a dry day, a forest can be drippy.
Hipflask: for a wee Winter warmer swig after the ceremony. (Drink responsibly.)
For planners
Reccie: most people pick an outdoor location because it has meaning… maybe the place they visited when they were courting or a childhood favourite. If you’re picking an unknown spot, make sure you do one or two reconnoitres to check the setting and know the lay of the land.
Timing: be realistic about how much time your guests might want to spend out in cold, damp weather (even if your wedding is in July!). This is particularly important if you have old, young or fragile guests. Share the guest tips above so they can prepare.
Parking: check there’s hard surface parking for enough cars and that it’s close to the ceremony location. Showers pass but if it pours down it’s good to be able to make a run for it. Ideally you want a short trip from car park to ceremony spot for retreating and reheating after.
Toilets: if there’s one thing a gushing river and a cold, drippy forest will do, it’s remind you that you need the toilet. Of course there’s no harm in tucking behind a tree or bush - quite the natural thing to do in the woods - but if there are toilets around (as there often are at National Trust and other managed woodlands), so much the better.
Groundsheets and cloths: if there’s a big white dress in the frame, maybe have a groundsheet to create a walkway or aisle. The gorgeous net skirt on the dress above did fare remarkably well despite the muddy wet ground… at least net can be scooped up for short sprints. (And who doesn’t love a romantic runaway look.)
Amplification: a lively Scottish river is a mighty impressive feature in a landscape, but like a windy day, it can be surprisingly noisy. If you pick a ceremony spot right beside a river, even a small crowd might struggle to hear your carefully crafted words. Hire a buskers PA to make sure everyone can hear.
Signing: your ceremony could be null and void if the Marriage Schedule is rained on. The celebrant can keep the Schedule in a polly pocket till it’s time for signing. The wedding supporters - Best Man and Best Woman roles - can hold a big brolly for the moment of signing.
Streaming: it’s worth streaming the ceremony for all those who can’t attend. It also means your guests can watch the ceremony at the celebration afterwards and at any time over the next month. This is lovely for the couple too since the day can be a whirlwind. (Remember, every word will be picked up, so those little private exchanges between the celebrant and couple or the couple and their witnesses during signing are not so private.)
Plan B: think about a Plan B just in case of stormy weather.
