Outdoor wedding, asking for advice!

Re: Outdoor wedding, asking for advice!

• tiffanyohio1228 member

  

  July 2013

   Electricity - I don't know about renting a generator, but you can rent just about anything these days so I'm sure it is possible

  Bathrooms- Do you have a large budget? These things can be very expensive (my family has a lot of outdoor parties and they found it was cheaper to actually BUY a port-o-john then to rent one but the nicer rental bathrooms are crazy expensive, and I'm sure you do not want to use a port-o-potty in your wedding dress and neither do your guests in their nice clothing...

   

  Driving - I went to a wedding not too long ago and the couple had some nephews that were like 17 that  they paid to drive their guests home they recruited a couple of friends so they could drive in pairs and not alone... They paid them and then told the guests they were also working for tips (up to you whether you just want to pay them or have them tipped too) but the kids made out pretty well by the end of the night and were happy to make the extra cash... If you know anyone with responsible children who wouldn't mind making some extra cash for driving people back and fourth for a couple hours it worked really well for them.

   

  hope this helps a little bit!

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• nikkiandringo member

  

  July 2013

  That does help, it's an awesome idea to hire the family members to take part on the driving! 

  
  

  I looked into the bathrooms, which were about $300 each, for a toilet and sink combo. I don't have a large budget but I figured two or three of those would suffice. I've been to actual venues where there is only one female and one male bathroom, so it isn't much less than what I could get at a hall. 

  
  

  I'd let people know far in advance that it's an outdoor, woodsy affair. I'm planning on a short dress and I'd likely tell my guests to plan for the same, or at least wear comfortable clothes/shoes. 

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  July 2013

  1. Electricity - is it possible to rent a generator? Yes, but depending on model they can be very loud

  2. Bathrooms - I've seen nice rental bathrooms, just wondered if anyone had used them in the past, or had any comments or reviews for vendors. From the research I've done, the really nice onces are pretty pricey. My sister just rented a port-o-potty for her daughter's backyard wedding and she got a handicap one, they are larger and easier for people to move around in. If it doesn't come with lighting you may want to get some glowsticks or batter powered lights for in the evening

  3. Parking - the plot is 90 acres, however most of it is wooded and not really good for parking. I am hoping to combine this worry with...Check to see if there is a business near by that isn't open on the weekend that would allow your guests to park in their lot & then you can hire a shuttle to transport people. But keep in mind any guests who may be in wheelchairs or walkers or just have a hard time walking distances.

  4. Driving, and drinking, late at night, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere - Has anyone had experience renting a car service for pick up and delivery of guests to a rustic/out of the way location? I don't mean renting it from the hotels themselves, I mean independently. 

   

  I love your idea, but I also love the fact that you and FI are thinking ahead about the logistics of things. Maybe worse case scenerio, maybe you can go to pond for photos.

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• ElcaB member

  

  July 2013

  It's a lovely idea, but think long and hard before you decide to have your wedding there. Your FI is right to have concerns. Basically, you're potentially facing a logistical nightmare. Don't forget, you'll also have to pay for chairs, tables, etc. Of course, if it's an outdoor wedding, you'll either need to rent tents or have a Plan B in case of inclement weather. And a few hundred dollars for bathrooms may not seem like much, but all those little costs will add up. Not to mention if it poured rain on your wedding day and people had to wait in line to use the bathroom...in the rain. 

  
  

  We considered getting married on lake property we have, but it just wasn't worth the extra trouble, coordination, cost, and risk of things ending in disaster. 

  

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• nikkiandringo member

  

  July 2013

  Thanks Erikan, that's great advice. 

  
  

  Elca, I understand the risks, I'm not the first person to suggest getting married in a rustic location nor will I be the last. For us, the cost of renting chairs and a tent (roughly $1000 with set up and tear down) in a location that means a lot to us outweighs the costs of renting a traditional venue. To me, it isn't really extra trouble, it's just different plans. In my heart I look forward to being at the pond and worrying about the logistics more than I look forward to seeing hall after hall of generic traditions and worrying about those logistics. 

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