Outdoor wedding ideas on a budget

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Hosting an outdoor wedding is a wonderful way to take advantage of all that nature has to offer. Because of the wide array of vibrant colors found in nature, an outdoor wedding has endless possibilities for color schemes and can provide a backdrop that requires very little help in impressing your guests. While the perfect wedding can become costly, having the ceremony and reception outdoors can actually help eliminate some of the expense.

1. Location

   • Renting wedding ceremony and reception sites can often eat away a large portion of your wedding budget, so choosing an outdoor location is a great way to save money. With natural landscaping, vibrant flowers or inspiring views, you will need minimal decorations. Local parks, gardens or beaches are popular outdoor venues. Many gardens and parks are maintained by on-site groundskeepers that can assist in planning the wedding. Locate hotels or other privately owned beachfront organizations that cater weddings for information on your ceremony or reception. Ask each venue if they require additional fees and if they provide seating, tents and other necessities for an outdoor wedding. For those on a budget, create an atmosphere reminiscent of a picnic by providing towels or blankets for guests to sit on. Tents are not necessary if the weather is cool and clear.

   Lighting

   • Not only does it create a welcoming ambiance, but the right lighting also adds style to your wedding. To save money, turn lighting into a do-it-yourself project. Drape string lights in trees or along the ceiling of the tent or net lights on bushes or poles. Use lights with a warm hue, like amber or pink, for a welcoming glow. If time permits, purchase lights after the holidays when the prices are greatly reduced. If the venue contains a pool, turn the lights on inside to create a romantic feel. Wedding Channel recommends using luminaries for inexpensive, elegant lighting. Fill white paper lunch bags with two inches of sand and place a votive candle inside. For an outdoor wedding during the day, you may not need lights at all.

   Favors

   • Instead of giving guests favors they will dispose of, present them with functional gifts or homemade goodies. Wrap favors of small candies, flower bulbs or seeds in brightly-hued tissue paper. Bring the edges of the tissue paper together to create a flower and tie with a ribbon that resembles leaves. Purchase pretzel rods or strawberries and dip them in milk chocolate. Drizzle with white chocolate, if desired. Place the goodies in small, economical cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon.

   Decorations

   • Because decorations can get expensive, you may choose to assume some craft projects yourself to cut costs and avoid pricey florist fees. Piece together bouquets made of crepe paper, or use inexpensive vibrantly colored fruit as part of the table centerpieces. Martha Stewart Weddings suggests placing lemons in clear bowls and pinning yellow taffeta ribbons in each lemon. If decorating with fresh flowers, cut the expense of glass vases by positioning flowers in white lunch bags and tying vividly-colored ribbon around the bags. Replace traditional table runners with gift-wrap. Cut the paper to the desired width and allow it to hang off the table at the same length as tablecloths. For an autumn wedding, use typical autumn decorations, such as hay bales, colored leaves, pumpkins, squash or gourds.

Source: www.ehow.com

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