Countryside Gazebos of American Inc.

For those couples who prefer to keep their wedding intimate and relatively informal, an outdoor gazebo wedding is a great choice. A gazebo can be a wonderful attraction or backdrop to your special event. It makes a great alter to announce your vows and a romantic stage for the couple’s first dance.  But before the big day, there are a few things you must plan and prepare.

Plan #1: The bride and groom need to compile a guest list of attendees. This is something that should be done together. Neither the bride nor groom wants any unwanted surprise guests showing up, especially in such an intimate setting.  The bride and groom may also want to agree on how close the relatives have to be to get on the list or, how many people each person gets to invite.

Plan idea #2: If you are not hosting the gazebo wedding in your own back yard, you need to reserve a venue. The expected amount of people invited to the wedding is a good indication of how big the venue should be. Many public parks have been used to hold weddings; some parks already have large gazebos on the property. Gazebos can also be purchased or rented.    

Plan idea #3: Decided whether you will have just the ceremony outdoors or, if you will have the reception outdoors as well. Keeping the wedding in one location is generally the perfect way to stick to a small budget.

Plan idea #4: Have a backup plan in case the weather does not go as planned. Some ideas are renting a large tent that can hold all of your guests, and keep them out of the rain. Another idea is to reserve an indoor venue you can relocate to in case of disaster, such as a relative’s home close by.

Plan idea #5: Make sure to send out those invitations six to eight weeks before the big day. This should be enough time for family and friends to make arrangements to accompany you at this special event. For out of town guests, send the invitation eight to ten weeks in advance, allowing them to make travel arrangements.

Plan idea #6: Make arrangements for a sound system, band or DJ. If you do host your own music be sure to rent a microphone and stand for the ceremony and any guest speakers.

Plan idea #6: Make a list of the music you would like to hear at the wedding. If you are on a tight budget, you can compile a CD of songs to play on the sound system yourself. A thoughtful idea is to ask the out-of-age-range guest for a song or two that they would enjoy hearing that night. A special grandparent or great aunt would be delighted to hear something a little less loud or rebellious as today’s music can be.

Plan idea #7: Plan any additional items you will need during the ceremony and reception. This would include things such as, chairs, tables, linens, gift table, lighting, flowers, plates, cutlery, food and drinks.

Plan idea #8: Don’t forget those very important gazebo decorations! You can find out how to decorate your wedding gazebo in the article “How to decorate a gazebo for a wedding”.