How to Perfectly Embrace the Outdoors for Your Wedding

The British weather is a mystery to us all. On the days the sun should be shining, it pours it down but whenever you’re unwillingly stuck indoors all day the sun comes out to taunt you. As such, many brides and grooms-to-be feel like it’s a risk to commit to an outdoors wedding, even during the height of summer.

The fear that your beautiful outdoor wedding is going to become washed out, like a Glastonbury festival, is too much for some. However, fear not, there are solutions to ensure you can embrace the outdoors for your wedding.

Since 2020, we have all learned to embrace being outside more, enjoying the benefits of regular fresh air and the chance to leave the confines of our homes. So, let’s look at some of the best ways to enjoy a wedding set in the great outdoors.

A small and intimate garden wedding

The trend for outdoor weddings rose in recent years due to restrictions on outdoor ceremonies being lifted during the pandemic. In 2022, those changes were made permanent and outdoor weddings in England and Wales are now legalised. While the option for indoor weddings has returned, the notion of having an intimate wedding remains and the opportunity to dress up your garden is one to embrace.

From adding string lighting to embracing plants and bringing the bar outside, there are plenty of creative options for your garden ceremony. Garden weddings are ideal for a Bake Off styled menu, with plenty of cakes, tea and sandwiches making a welcome addition.

Invite your closest friends and family to share in your love until the sun goes down, and then bring out the sparklers for the perfect wedding photos. Now, you won’t be able to get legally married in your garden, which is saved for licensed venues, but you can still hold your reception at home.

Beach weddings that aren’t 3,000 miles away

The world is filled with beautiful beaches that people jet thousands of miles to get married on but there are plenty of amazing beaches in the UK too. There is a quirky rule in the UK that means couples in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can only marry on the beach in a licensed venue with a solid roof. However, in Scotland, you can legally marry with the sand beneath your feet.

Whether that means making the journey to Scotland or choosing somewhere closer to home in the other three countries is your choice. It’s important to choose your beach wedding venue carefully to ensure that you and your guests are as comfortable as possible. From the searing heat of a summer’s day to the likelihood of a windswept occasion, the UK’s beaches aren’t always ideal for a whole wedding reception.

Instead, it’s better to make the beach an element of your special day, perhaps by reading your vows and dipping your toes in the water for photo opportunities. Your catering can be a nod to your love of the beach and gourmet fish and chips are a great menu option for a seaside wedding theme. With coastal wedding venues up and down the country providing plenty of sea air for happy couples, finding the perfect beach location is simple.

Include a safe retreat

There is no guarantee that the rain won’t come along and interrupt your ceremony, and when the sun goes down you’ll need somewhere to carry the party on. For those reasons, it’s important to have somewhere sheltered from the elements. If your wedding is on the grounds of a country estate you may be able to arrange for the use of a function room indoors.

You may also wish to consider a marquee or tent, which have come a long way from the basic gazebos of the past. Today, your marquee can be decorated exactly to your taste, complete with furniture and hard floors so you can dance the night away.

When committing to an outdoors wedding, do consider your guests’ comfort and ensure you are well stocked with umbrellas. Comfort food will also be a huge hit, so if the forecast isn’t looking good in the lead-up to your big day, arrange with your caterer for an alternate menu.

Country home estates

If you are going all out for your special day then there aren’t many more spectacular settings than a country home garden or estate. You can feel like royalty as the lawns of an ancient manor are converted into your ideal summer wedding venue.

For that quintessentially British wedding, a floral theme should feature prominently, from rose gardens for photo opportunities to cake decorations and table dressings. You can continue that theme with floral headdresses for your bridesmaids and flower girls.

White and delicate is the perfect theme for a summer wedding on the lawns of an exclusive country home but don’t neglect practical but elegant bridal shoes to avoid getting stuck. Consider a classical wedding band to lift the status of your reception and add a sense of whimsy to your special day as your guests sip Champagne in the sunshine.

A magical woodland wedding

Since the pandemic, 45% of adults in England spend more time outdoors than before, which showcases a deeper connection with nature than we once had. As such, why not fully embrace the outdoors for your wedding and enjoy a magical woodland wedding?

There are endless woodland wedding locations and venues to choose from, allowing you and your guests to become immersed in the surrounding nature. From barns and log cabins to pretty treehouses and forest clearings, woodland weddings come in many forms.

Thanks to their sheltered nature, woodlands are perfect for creating a magical atmosphere with lights, candles and a natural altar made from wood. Weddings in the woods work at every time of year, and can dictate your theme; from a winter wonderland wedding to a vibrant and colourful autumn event. Given the abundance of nature surrounding your forest wedding, your food can reflect that by opting for vegetarian or vegan cuisine.