Outdoor wedding decorating tips

When planning decorations and amenities for your guests at your Idaho outdoor wedding, consider the following tips:

• Amenities: When selecting your venue, be sure the location has access to adequate bathroom facilities, parking space, electrical hook-ups for lighting, music and other items.  You may need to consider rental of: a generator or restroom trailers. Note: Bug spray is also something to think of providing.
• Food and alcohol: If considering a caterer or do it yourself, need to be sure there is plenty of space for a kitchen set up or caterers vehicles for delivery and set up, recommend a buffet-like style keeping with the natural ambiance of the outdoors. Need to see if there are permits needed if providing your own beer and wine or if the outdoor wedding venue prefers a vendor they work with.
• Décor often makes the wedding: It is wise to use the natural décor of the area—the trees, shrubs and flowers. String lights or patio lanterns are very inexpensive and always add charm and elegance without over powering the surrounding natural beauty.  An arbor, gazebo, water feature or well-placed floral arrangements and candles will add class, sophistication and subtle charm.

Submitted by:

Diane Estey  —  Delicate Designs –  www.delicatedesigns-coord.com

Idaho Outdoor Weddings - things to consider

Outdoor Wedding Venue tips

Having an outdoor wedding is a trend we see more and more from Wineries, Inns and retreats to large city parks and gardens.  We are lucky here in Idaho, to have such amazing locations and natural scenery.  An outdoor wedding venue provides bridal couples the freedom to customize a design that is completely their own, with little to no limitations of an indoor venue.

There are a few things that are a must when using an outdoor wedding venue and a check list is very important to making sure every detail is accounted for, so your special day go according to plan.

Outdoor Wedding venue location:

Selecting a venue can be challenging, due to a lot more thing you as a couple needs to consider when visiting each location.  Below are a few items to consider:

• Size and terms: Larger enough accommodate your wedding guests, yet still able to provide an intimate atmosphere.  If on government land, what paper work and permits are needed, along with any special codes and rules?
• Level ground:  The perfect location will have plenty of level surfaces for a dance floor and tents.  Size up the level areas, not be to at a bottom of a hill, incase of rain before, during or after your reception, it may be muddy or very soft.
• Tents/Gazebo: This is a fantastic back up plan, to your outdoor venue. Even though the open-air concept is amazing, the weather; be it heat or rain, can be unpredictable. Make sure to do this well in advance, to get the best quality for the lowest price.
• Table/Chairs/Linens and other items: Some outdoor wedding venues may supply tables and chairs, but linens, tableware (plates, silverware, napkins and glassware) are all extras through a rental company. Renting and setting them up your self will cave cost, yet time consuming. Note: Average wedding reception table seats 8 people, so arrange table accordingly).
• Time: It is critical to visit the outdoor venue you’ve selected a few times, approximately the same time as you wedding and reception is scheduled, so you know how the venue will appear to your guests, photographer and many be where you will place the tents for shade.

Submitted by:

Diane Estey  —  Delicate Designs –  www.delicatedesigns-coord.com

Idaho Outdoor Weddings

Are you an Idaho bride planning your wedding  for this year or next? Moving your wedding celebration outdoors is definitely a trend that is continuing through 2010. When moving your wedding outdoors, there are still a number of ways you can go.

Outdoor – Upscale:

Enhance the beauty that mother nature provides in your location by utilizing rentals. Rent chairs and tables, tents and a dance floor. Add decorations that tie in with the outdoor beauty such as lights, crystal and other decorative elements traditionally used indoors. Make sure that you rent tents to provide areas of shade and protection from any light breezes or possible rain. Hire a wedding decorator or coordinator or talk with rental companies to find unique ideas that will help to elevate the natural beauty of the location you choose.

Outdoor – Casual:

Go simple. One of the advantages of living in Idaho is we have such a wide variety of possibilities for outdoor wedding locations. Consider a casual “summer dress” style wedding. Have your bridesmaids choose their own dresses off the rack but matching your colors. Consider asking your guests to dress casual for a wedding in the park. If your family and friends are the outdoors type anyway – you might want to even have games lined up such as croquet, horseshoes, frisbee, etc. – and consider renting a bounce house or other entertainment for kids. You could even do a shoes optional theme and hand out custom designed flip flops or flower anklets. Be creative and use mother nature as your inspiration!

When having your wedding outdoors in Idaho you have many choices and sources of inspiration. Take advantage and think outside the box to help make your wedding day unique and a perfect reflection of you!

What's old is new again

One popular trend brides are leaning towards is revitalizing styles from the 20s and 50s. Gowns are trending towards shorter and more color than the traditional white or ivory. Check out old TV shows or movies from those eras for inspiration for your wedding. Look at renting more traditional or older style venues for your wedding location to fit with a retro theme. You can probably find a great bargain on a “non-traditional” wedding venue rental.

Not only are the look and feel of weddings taking inspiration from the old – but brides are using heirloom items in their decor. Take a look at vintage items to spice up your decor – incorporate photographs of parents and grandparents into your decor. Utilize vintage napkin holders and chandeliers into your decor. Visit antique stores and second hand stores for a variety of old looking picture frames.

Look for other ways to include generational items into your theme as well. Perhaps (with a little altering) you can wear your grandmother’s wedding dress or your mother’s necklace. Your wedding is, after all, a celebration of the creation of your new family. Incorporating traditions and pieces from your family and your new husband’s family into your wedding day can increase the memories and traditions you are building.

Choosing an Idaho Wedding Location

No doubt about it, if you are an Idaho Bride there are many locations to choose from for your special wedding day without having to travel too far. Keep in mind these things when considering a location:

1. How many people are you going to invite?
   • Obviously, the number of people you are inviting will affect your budget, but will also have an impact on parking – make sure there’s enough room for everyone to park and consider how far Grandma will have to walk if that’s an issue.
2. What time of year are you planning your wedding?
   • Well, indoors or out? Weather definitely tends to change around here, and your Idaho wedding location needs to consider the time of year and what your backup plan might be.
3. What is your realistic budget?
   • Don’t just look at how much the facility costs to rent – consider also any special transportation for your wedding party, does the facility come with seating and tables or will that be extra? Also, how decorative is the area you’re looking at – will you want to bring in minimal or extensive wedding decorations or is mother nature enough if you’re looking at an outdoor wedding location? If you are outdoors, will you need tents for your guests and food?
4. Is your reception going to be in the same location as your wedding or a different location or different day?
   • Separate locations can be wonderful – but make sure you’re leaving enough time for transportation between venues and that you reserve each space for plenty of time to set up and clean up. If you’re an all in one location – do you need extra time or extra space for staging setup or to move guests around?

Whether you are an avid outdoor enthusiast or looking for a lavish dream indoor storybook wedding – there are a vast array of Idaho wedding locations for you to choose from. Consider everything – your day should be a representation of who you are as a couple and should above all make you feel special. To get you started on ideas – check out some of our wedding and reception location spaces available!

• Event site indoor
• Event site multi-use
• Event site outdoor
• Hotel accommodations
• Hotels – full service

Smaller wedding cakes and environmentally friendly decorations

Catering – Choose a caterer that uses locally grown organic ingredients, not canned, frozen, or packaged ones, in the preparation of their food. Not only will the food taste better, but you will save on all of the packaging and on the pollution associated with transportation.

You can prevent a great deal of waste by asking your caterer to use real dishware, not disposable plates and plastic utensils. Also rent coffee cups and glassware rather than using plastic or Styrofoam. Avoid using plastic tablecloths or paper napkins. Though it may cost a bit more to rent dishes, glasses, and linens, and they will all need to be washed (by the rental center, not you), you will keep a huge amount of refuse out of the landfill. If you choose to use disposable plates, eating utensils, and napkins, choose ones made from recycled paper, sugarcane, cornstarch, or other biodegradable materials, such as those found at http://www.earthwarebiodegradables.com/.

Ask the caterer what happens to the left-over food. If you are having your reception at a hotel, restaurant or another facility that has an in-house kitchen, you won’t be entitled to leftovers. If you are using the services of an outside caterer to bring prepared food to your location, ask for those leftovers that can be safely consumed later. You paid for them, so you should get them. Health laws require that foods containing eggs, cream, seafood, mayonnaise, and some other ingredients must be disposed of after setting at room temperature for a period of time. Other items, such as pasta salad, green salad (minus the dressing), some meats and cheeses, fruits, and breads should be fine for you to take. Be sure to bring zip-lock bags and coolers with ice in which to store the food. If you don’t have a need for the food, donate it to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen.

Ask your caterer and bartender to provide containers to sort cans and glass for easy recycling later. You will need to arrange for someone to remove the items from the reception site and take them to a recycling center.

Wedding Cake – If you are inviting more than about 100 guests, order a smaller wedding cake and supplement with sheet cakes. The sheet cakes require less icing and decoration and therefore cost less, as well as saving on ingredients. If you have left-over cake and you don’t think you will eat it soon, take it to a shelter. The residents will enjoy the treat.

Check back next week for environmentally-friendly wedding transportation options!

-Submitted by Glenna Tooman, Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC
© 2006, all rights reserved
www.memorable-events.com

Donate silk flowers or use real biodegradable bouquet

It takes only a few changes to make a big impact on the amount of generated waste. Following are suggestions for environmentally friendly choices that you can easily incorporate into your wedding.

Decorations - As you plan the decorations for your ceremony and reception, omit items such as balloons and crepe paper. Instead, choose flowers, herbs, leaves, grasses, and other natural materials. Rent vases for centerpieces from your florist or from a rental center. That way, the same item is reused many times. Consider using potted plants, including pots of herbs, for centerpieces. If you don’t have a garden in which to plant them later, give them as gifts to people who helped with the wedding.

Flowers - If you like the look of silk flowers and you have a use for the bouquets and arrangements later, then use silk. Otherwise, use live flowers, which will biodegrade. After the wedding you might donate large arrangements to your church or to a nursing home, shelter home, or assisted living center where the residents can enjoy them.

Check back next week for more green wedding planning tips!

-Submitted by Glenna Tooman, Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC
© 2006, all rights reserved
www.memorable-events.com

To find theme ideas, be sure to check the obvious sources: search the web, check out wedding blogs, pick up some bridal magazines. There are some other places that you might be able to pick up some wedding theme ideas while you are researching. Check out these locations for additional ideas:

• Wedding rentals – look at the displays and talk to the experts about what themes they have seen
• Wedding planners – if you are working with a wedding planner be sure to pick their brain – chances are they’ve seen a lot!
• Wedding locations/ venues – when touring locations, ask the folks in charge about themes they’ve seen – what other folks have done that worked really well

1. Where will everyone park? Established outdoor Idaho Wedding Venues come with parking for your guests because weddings are their business.
2. Are family members comfortable with having the wedding party, etc. in their home for changing into wedding attire? Do carpets need to be cleaned? Rooms cleaned for the wedding party? Bathrooms readied for extra people? Extra yard work done?
3. What about tables and chairs, tents, portable outdoor restrooms for your guests? And who will set it up and tear it down afterwards? Many established outdoor venues include some of this, it not all, in their price. Some venues even have areas for dancing or dance floors so you do not have to rent one.
4. Insurance- be sure you have enough coverage to cover someone getting hurt accidentally or a child falling in a water feature or pool. A rider on your homeowners policy would be a good thing when you have a wedding at your own home.

Before choosing where to have your outdoor wedding, consider all the rental fees and work involved getting the location ready verses the cost to have your wedding at an established Idaho Wedding Venue. This is your day, make it as relaxing and stress free as possible for you and your family. Let the professionals make that happen!

Ruth Anne Inselman
Fourth Street Gardens
398-8273