When planning your wedding day, there are an overabundance of details to consider. Pastel pink or dusty blue? Loose bouquet or tight and structured? Indoor or outdoor ceremony? We think that the time leading up to your wedding should be fun and a moment to reconnect with the love of your life, making memories with your best friend.. not googling for hours on end.

So we bring to you: Wedding Tip Wednesday.  A series where we share all of our personal expert opinions on making your day the most magical ever.

Part 1:  Dressing for Your Engagement Session

Part 2. First Look or no First Look?

Part 3: 5 Reasons We Love Long Veils

Part 4: Choosing the perfect Getting Ready Room

Part 5. Indoors versus Outdoor Spaces

So you are on the hunt for your dream venue, and now the time has come to make the decision… what kind of space should you look for? Indoors? Outdoors? Perhaps a mix of the two? Well, today we are going to share some of our favorite guiding questions to help you answer just that! We recommend starting with your ceremony location, then your reception location, and the lastly choosing your cocktail hour location. (Don’t worry, we will explain why below!)

Your Ceremony

Getting married in the middle June in Florida? Well.. it is kind of like standing in a sauna while someone sprays your face with saltwater. (If you are from Florida you know exactly what we mean- it is hot and sweaty!) How about the end of December when it is 40 degrees and chilly to the bone (to us here in Florida that is cold y’all. Don’t judge us! lol!)

But the real question is, does the month you are getting married matter? Well, sure… but that doesn’t mean that your dreams of an outdoor wedding needs to go out the window if you are getting married during a month with extreme weather.

We are going to be honest here… for wedding ceremonies… when our couples have the choice (meaning they are not getting married in a church), well… we love when they are outdoors. No matter the month.  When outside, natural light just flows the way it was intended to, meaning that the light can flatter your skin, making the two of you look your absolute best. Our biggest tip for outdoor weddings: Consider the light! Be sure to look for an area that will provide some beautiful shading for both you and your fiancé. This way you can avoid any hard, direct sunlight on your face while you begin your legacy of love together.

Will we sweat? Well, as your photographers, we are moving around getting gorgeous pictures, so that’s a hard yes for us. But your guests… they will be sitting. And the truth is… if your ceremony is the average ceremony length (roughly 30 minutes), then your guests will be able to handle the scorching heat or brutal cold for just a bit. Plus, this gives our brides an excuse to add some special touches to their ceremony such as custom hand fans for the heat, or laying out adorable blankets on their ceremony chairs for the cold.

Because the reality is… when your guests are focusing on the incredible love that you and your best friend share, they won’t even be thinking about the weather. (Cue the tears and #allthefeels.)

Reception

Intuitively it might seem like you should next plan your cocktail hour location, but bear with us… we promise there is a method to this madness! So you have chosen your ceremony location, and now it is time to decide your reception location! Assuming that temperatures are not an issue (meaning that even during some of the hotter months it will be cooler out at night- and you can always bring in fans, or if it is going to be cold out you can rent some heaters if needed), the next biggest considerations for your reception is pretty simple- what do you want the overall feel of your reception to be?

When you envision your ceremony, do you dream of a soft romantic glow, twinkling cafe lights, and the shimmering moon upon your dance floor? Or perhaps you think of colorful uplighting, intricate draping, and a grande ballroom?  Does one lend to your overall wedding theme more than the other? Once you know that, finding a wedding venue that will have the reception space that you and your future hubby are dreaming of will be a breeze (and dare we say, even fun?!).

Really want to make sure that your reception details and table settings pop? There is something about a gorgeous outdoor ceremony that just cannot be beat.

Cocktail Hour

We like to think of your wedding like a sandwich. And you want to first choose your bread when making a sandwich, right? Well, based on the weather, what you choose for your ceremony and reception will likely determine what location would be best for your guests for cocktail hour.

Since cocktail hour is typically set during sunset for our couples (because golden hour is everything), the temperature begins to drop, but it might still be a bit warm out for your guests. Now that you know what you are doing for your ceremony and reception (the two most important decision), consider what would be comfortable for your guests. Since cocktail hour is short, and not heavily photographed, we definitely recommend putting comfort first here.

Is there a place indoors, with regulated temperatures, that you can host your cocktail hour to give your guests a break from the weather? Or are you getting married during a month with ideal weather temperatures and you would prefer to allow them to enjoy the gorgeous weather outside? Will the reception be indoors because of extreme cold but during cocktail hour it will still be comfortable outside? Simply consider your day as a whole, balance your locations, and decide on what will allow your guests to enjoy cocktail hour the most (since that is what it is all about here!)

Since cocktail hour isn’t a major part of your wedding gallery, we definitely recommend considering comfort first for your guests.

At the end of the day, always remember… indoors, outdoors, cold, hot, whatever it may be… as long as you are marrying the love of your life, that is all that truly matters.

Hugs,

Shauna and Jordon