If weather forecasts were more reliable over stretches of time longer than a day or two, you wouldn’t be reading this article. But they aren’t, and your planning still needs to be done at least 6 months ahead.
That’s why we decided to put together a list of must-haves and nice-to-haves so the most important party in your life doesn’t end up thrown off course.
1. Venue Matters
Even if you want your party to be small and cozy, you can’t just place it into your living room because the clouds are starting to roll in.
This is why your venue, even if it’s in a park or a forest, needs to have covered spaces, either tents or permanent pavilions big or numerous enough for everyone. Tents are especially convenient for two reasons. First, they can guard your guests from all sorts of elements: from rain and wind to sun. Second, they are scalable and portable, so you can easily remove one or two if some guests happen to cancel in the meantime. (Which always happens, let’s be honest!)
There are several different types of tents. Sturdy frame tents are best if the terrain is particularly uneven. (They will also be the best safeguard against storms.)
A set of sailcloth tents is the best middle-ground if all you can expect is light to medium rain or scattered showers.
If you’re having a late afternoon or evening party, clear tents are your most elegant option! Their canopy is transparent and usually partially reflective, giving your lighting a particularly beautiful glitter.
However, overhead isn’t the only concern here. If there’s lots of rain, it will soak up the ground, so you’ll need some kind of flooring so your guests don’t end up muddy or worse.
Permanent buildings like gazebos, pavilions or even your garden shed can be a great option, if only to serve food from.
But if you opt to put your garden shed to a creative and festive use, be sure to inspect its roof and walls! What’s good enough for storage might be too neglected and frail for food and people. Especially when there’s hail!
Better yet, it’s something you can easily do on your own, tells us Nick Mason, an expert from a company that does roof repair in Perth. “Just grab a ladder and check for loose or missing shingles. You should also clear debris from the gutters (if you have them). If you notice any small leaks or damaged areas, patching them with roofing sealant is an easy and inexpensive fix,” he points out. Even if this fix doesn’t last you a lifetime, you only need it to work well for an afternoon.
2. Adjust Your Decor
What happens to floral, drapes, candles or lanterns if the day is windier than usual?
They’ll likely end up all over the place, in fact everywhere except where they should be.
The must-haves for this situation are fitted tablecloths and chair covers. Thanks to your tents, they’ll be protected from rain alright. But they can still fly around if they aren’t fastened to the furniture. The bad news here is, they’ll usually be made of some kind of polyester (and we don’t really like plastics). The good news with the bad, these materials are also stain-resistant.
Zip ties and Velcro are the keywords where most of your decor is concerned. They can secure anything that’s hanging, like string lights, banners, signage and paper goods.
If you’ve planned for vases and centerpieces, weighted bases or decorative stones or sand should weigh them down enough. But if the weather gets really nasty, you can always just move them inside.
3. Guests Can Get Cold Too
In all the hubbub of securing the venue itself, it’s all too easy to forget a simple truth.
Even summers can get chilly, especially when after a sudden storm. And your guests can be forgiven for not thinking to bring warmer clothes to a wedding.
That’s why you should have blankets or wraps available for guests as a backup. Umbrella stands are also a must. Needless to say, you don’t need to have an umbrella for every guest. One for every five or even ten guests will do, in case anybody needs to pop out of the party.
By the way, umbrellas can make for awesome photo shoots, especially if you get clear ones! Just take a look at these ideas on Pinterest.
It will also help immensely if you keep your eye on the forecast and send everyone a quick note 3-5 days in advance, so they can adjust their clothing.
If your party is taking place in early spring or the fall, you should even plan for several portable heaters for the elderly guests!
4. Ambient Sound & Lighting
Electricity is your main concern here as you don’t want it affected by a downpour!
That’s why all the cables and extension cords need to be waterproof and safe. Protective casings are the best solution here.
Of course, the safest option of all is anything that comes without cords! We’re talking battery-operated LED lighting, or even solar. But the problem is, solar requires a lot of sun ahead of the wedding in order to be dependable.
To be ready for all circumstances, it’s best to have a power generator at hand. If push comes to shove, the last thing you’ll worry about will be noise!
5. Food & Beverage
Since your outdoor venue will be tented, your food should be safe from rain or wind.
But what if your wedding falls in the middle of a heatwave?
Now, if there’s one thing that looks less appealing than tupperware, it’s flies feasting on your food. That’s why lids are a must for summer as you don’t want the food to get contaminated before your guests have even gotten a chance to try it.
It doesn’t have to be an aesthetic disaster either. When arranged with care and attention to detail, glass containers can look very elegant too! Think Pyrex or just about any of the countless copies of it.
As an added precaution, it’s good to organize your buffet so that dishes are rotated. In dog days of summer, food can go bad very quickly. And it can start looking bad even quicker!
On a brighter note, drinks aren’t nearly as complicated. All you need are ice buckets and dispensers.