Outdoor Summer Wedding Reception Ideas
- An outdoor reception offers a chance to enjoy summer weather and plenty of space.wedding chairs image by Kimberly Reinick from Fotolia.com
Summer is by far the most popular time to get married. It's easy to see why: typically warm weather and a wider choice of locations, since many venues have outdoor areas for hire during the summer months. Receptions at outdoor venues not only look beautiful, but also have the benefit of offering more space for guests to relax and unwind. - Not everyone has access to a beach for their reception, but for those with the option of heading to the seaside, the beach is a superb setting. Guests can walk barefoot on the sands, kids can paddle in the water, and you can seat everyone in a marquee. For lighting when the day grows dark, you'll want to invest in torches which can be set up on the perimeter of the reception area and near the guest tables. Remember while you're planning the reception that you'll need to get the permission of the local authorities to use the beach.
- If you can't get to a beach, a seaside theme is another option. You can host the reception in a park and decorate the guests' seating areas with seaglass-color table cloths, as described by The Knot website. Use bamboo chairs and light the whole area with candles as evening draws on.
- You'll be eating al fresco, so you'll want to think about how your reception food matches your setting. Consider fish dishes such as fresh tuna, served with salad. You can serve up other seafood too, such as lobsters, crab and prawns. You should also have a large selection of refreshing fresh fruit on hand, which will be welcomed by guests on a hot day. As suggested by the Wedding Plan Secrets website, barbequing both meat and vegetables is a tasty option, too.
- Serve plenty of fresh juices, including varieties such as orange, grapefruit and mango juice. These juices also make a suitable mixer for fruit cocktails, which can complement traditional wedding drinks such as champagne at an outdoor reception. The Weddings Day website suggests serving Pimm's--a summery spirit--and lemonade with fruit; you might also want to consider Buck's Fizz or other fruit-based cocktails.
- Since your venue is outside, you might as well take full advantage of all that space you've got to play with. Set up games of Frisbee or football to entertain any kids, while later in the day, the adults might want to try their hand at boules or croquet, both simple and low-key sporting games easily available at online or traditional retailers.
