Event Planning Tips, Wedding Planning Tips
Risks and Advantages of Hosting Outdoor Events
Outdoor events can be beautiful experiences. When the weather is warm, the birds are singing, and the sun is shining, who wouldn’t have a giant smile on their face? Even when you’re looking at the event pictures afterwards, you can feel the upbeat atmosphere exuding from them. And contrary to popular belief, outdoor events can still be enjoyable in the winter… so long as everyone is dressed appropriately!
Preparing for an outdoor event is slightly different than ones held indoors. And with the modified planning process, there are also different risks and advantages. If you’re a newbie at planning events outside, don’t worry! We’re going to take you through all the risks and rewards of hosting an event outside!
The advantages of outdoor events
You’ve probably seen gorgeous pictures of destination wedding receptions on beaches with white sand and azure surf. Even on a smaller scale, birthday party picnics in colorful gardens or anniversary dinners on cobblestone patios look like joyous experiences. This is all due, in part, to their outdoor locale! There’s no doubt that outdoor events can be some of the most memorable for guests. But for wedding and event planning professionals, these events have several appealing elements as well.
Enjoy the weather and the season:
Everyone loves taking advantage of good weather, so incorporating the outdoors into an event can be a great way to enhance a celebration. Who wants to be in a stuffy banquet hall when there’s a cool breeze and sunshine outside? And we’re willing to bet that your clients and their guests probably love attending outdoor events as much as you do.
Even in colder months, outdoor events give people an excuse to enjoy the crisp air and colorful autumn leaves. People can take a break from their normal routine to enjoy a brisk, autumn walk or a snowy sleigh ride through the forest. People don’t always make time for themselves, so giving them these opportunities can make a special occasion extra special!
Enjoy the space:
Taking advantage of the space that outdoor venues provide can be both practical and fun. Organizing seating charts or floor plans for large parties indoors can be tricky when working with quirky spaces and odd layouts. With outdoor events, you’re often working with a blank canvas. You can plan the seating, tables, podiums, and mingling areas where you see fit. Children have space to run and play, and guests are less confined to one small area. Depending on the space, working in an outdoor area can be far less limiting logistically compared to working within four solid walls.
Enjoy the natural scenery:
Scenic outdoor venues can decrease the amount of event decor needed to make the space look aesthetically pleasing. A bare bones warehouse would require hiring a large decorating team to liven it up. But a country garden will likely need less altering because of its naturally beautiful scenery. But just because an event is held outside doesn’t mean that it can only be nature themed. You can use as much or as little of your surroundings as you’d like.
You could take flowers that are already growing nearby for centerpieces or hang fairy lights on the branches of trees to create a magical grove. You may also prefer to take the less invasive strategy and make use of the abundant natural lighting.
The risks of outdoor events
From your event and wedding planning course, you’ve probably learned all about the uncontrollable factors that can wreak havoc on your plans. Planning for possible complications is a must! And even if you’ve never developed a formal contingency plan before, you’ve probably had some sort of backup plan in case something goes awry. No matter how much you plan in advance, you can never truly avoid all issues or complications. Your clients are paying you, the professional, to anticipate unexpected issues and to fix it ASAP if they do arise.
Weather:
You can never truly predict what the weather will be like. Especially for events that are planned months (or years) in advance! The possibility of unforeseen changes in weather is always present during outdoor events. You can find some comfort when checking the weather the week before, but there’s no guarantee that the sunny skies won’t suddenly be hidden by a dark, thundering storm.
Your best strategy for dealing with weather is anticipating every feasible outcome and having a plan. Whether it be providing everyone with umbrellas or having a massive tent set up, do your due diligence. Bad weather doesn’t have to ruin your event, but it certainly might if you haven’t planned a way to keep the party going, rain or shine.
Equipment failure:
You will rarely organize an outdoor event that doesn’t require some type of seating and electrical equipment. Ensure the venue has backup generators or toting your own extension cords or projectors is never a bad idea.
If you’re on your toes about planning for unexpected weather, you might also be dealing with the set up and take down of tents. You’ll have to have the material resources and manpower to ensure it’s all done quietly before guests start milling about the grounds. These tents also involve some risk. Structures that aren’t installed properly can become unstable or unsafe and electrical systems can fail. You should prepare contingency plans for how to handle these risks if they become reality, particularly where peoples’ safety is involved.
The uncontrollable outdoors:
There are hundreds of factors during outdoor events that are simply not within your control. Once again, there are some things that you can prepare for and some things that you’ll just have to deal with as they arise. Before the event, think of each possible risk or issue, no matter how small, that could arise in your outdoor scenario. Account for things like bugs, sun burns or frost bite (depending on the season), allergies, stings, or even tripping hazards!
Don’t stress unnecessarily about every little ‘what if’ situation, but it definitely pays to think ahead. Is it something that you or your guests might feasibly encounter in that outdoor scenario? Will is cause problems if it happens? Then you should prepare for it! Once you’ve outlined all possible complications, it’ll be easier for any outdoor event you plan moving forward.
Make informed decisions!
Don’t let the risk of complications stop you from organizing beautiful outdoor events. But also never assume that an outdoor event is guaranteed to happen smoothly. Being prepared means doing everything you can to stack the odds against disaster.
What are the most important risks and advantages you consider when planning or hosting an outdoor event?
I really like how you talk about enjoying the natural scenery that comes with a wedding reception held at a venue that is outdoors or has a garden. I’ve always thought that the idea of a wedding reception at a garden venue would be nice cause you could have the beautifully arranged garden given a nice natural tough to your reception. I’ll have to talk with my fiance about having our reception at a good outdoor or garden venue. Thanks for the useful information!
Personally, I like taking a little time to myself to reflect on the event. Having the outdoor space allows me to wander and bask in the peace of the surrounding outdoors. I agree with the article that it is nice to not be confined to one area.
I like how you said that you can’t be absolutely sure that the weather will be agreeable on the day of a wedding. Getting a reception venue that has both indoor and outdoor options would probably be a good way of ensuring that you have a beautiful place regardless of the weather. My son will be getting married in October so I wonder if there are any places nearby that would be good for them to have the reception at. Hopefully the weather won’t be too crazy around that time of year.
I’ve been assigned to find some event space for a corporate party from my boss, and I think that being able to get some good ideas would be smart. I’m glad that you talked about the weather, and how you can’t really plan around that in advance. I think that being able to get some good event space would be good, and help us to know we’ll have a good event! Thanks!
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I think an outdoor wedding is so dreamy. I think it’s nice because the natural beauty serves as decorations. I will probably have my own wedding at an outdoor venue someday.
Outdoor weddings can be a tricky beast to tame, but we definitely think it’s worth it! Thanks for reading our blog! – Celina
I’m planning to hold an outdoor event for my sister’s upcoming birthday party; which is why we’re also thinking of renting several portable toilets so it will be more convenient for the guests. I agree with you that it would be best to organize the starting charts because this will avoid the hassle. Your idea of placing fresh flowers at the center of each table seems like a great plan as well.
The outdoor space allows me to wander and bask in the peace of the surrounding outdoors. I agree with the article that it is nice to not be confined to one area.
There are definitely a lot of people who would agree with you, Jude! Indoor celebrations are wonderful, but for a lot of people, they can quickly become stifling. It’s nice to be able to attend an event where there are no walls to confine you, and where you can enjoy nature. Thanks so much for reading! xx
All the best,
The QC Team
In feb 2020, my brothers birthday will be help outside in a park. I thoroghly read this article and its worth reading. I will decide something better and will follow your guidelines.
Hi David,
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this article and sharing your thoughts. 🙂 We’re sure your brother’s birthday is going to be awesome! We’re happy to hear that you found the advice offered in this article beneficial. Which guideline do you find the most useful?
All the best,
The QC Team
“Enjoy the natural scenery” is the one which is most useful in my thoughts 🙂
Hi David,
Thanks so much for taking the time to read our article and leave your thoughts! We’re very happy to hear that this particular tip stood out to you. We completely agree! If a client wishes to have their special day outdoors, and they pick a specific location, it’s because they like what that space has to offer. So, why try to cover it all up and take away from its natural charm? 🙂
We also recognize that this article was written back in 2015, prior to the major changes brought on by the COVID-19. Sorry if there was any confusion or side-eyeing, haha! Still, a lot of these tips are – in our opinion – still relevant, and will absolutely be useful one day when events and weddings can go back to functioning as they once did. 😀
Thanks again for reading, David! xx
All the best,
The QC Team
It stood out to me when you talked about how scenic outdoor venues make it easier to decorate in an aesthetically pleasing way. Additionally. depending on the specific location of the venue, you may want to rent restroom trailers for your event to make sure guests can stay as long as they want to. This will allow your guests to stay comfortable even during events at remote natural locations!
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks so much for taking the time to read our article and share your thoughts. We’re glad that you found some information in here that was useful to you, and we definitely agree – renting restroom trailers is another great idea when planning an outdoor celebration! Awesome tip! <3
All the best,
The QC Team
Wow this is very interesting blog for all readers and I really love to see this blog it is really lovely moment to enjoy this natural beauty… And i hope its best to enjoy outdoor hosting when family we have family get to gather..
Thanks for sharing this blog to us..
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, Zoe! We’re glad to hear that you found this blog post informative and useful. 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
Thanks Sarah-Lynn Seguin for sharing this amazing piece. This is soo awesome. I love Outdoor Events and I want to do my engagement event like that. Thanks again. Please share here more like that.
Hi Calvin, thanks so much for reading and commenting! I’m thrilled to hear that you particularly enjoyed this article and the tips offered within it. I hope your engagement event goes wonderfully! Make sure to come back and give us an update once it’s over, as we’d love to hear how it went. 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
What a great article, This is really beneficial for outdoor events.
Hi David, thanks so much for taking the time to read an leave such a wonderful comment. We really appreciate it! We’re thrilled to hear that you found this article so beneficial. Which piece of information stood out to you most? 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
Hi Sarah, in my opinion natural scenery is one of the best suggestion and para in your article 🙂
I agree with the article that it is nice to not be confined to one area.
We definitely agree, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for reading and commenting! xx
All the best,
The QC Team
What a great article, This is really beneficial for outdoor events.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! We’re thrilled to hear that you found the information in this article so beneficial. 🙂 Which risk and/or advantage of hosting outdoor events stood out most to you (and why)?
All the best,
The QC Team
Outdoor events are so beautiful. I have already attended one. Going to help in organizing an outdoor b’day this weekend, it’s going to be so much fun. Will keep these points in mind. Thanks ❤️
We couldn’t agree more, Amara – we LOVE outdoor events! <3 We hope the outdoor birthday party this weekend goes well! Best of luck! xx
All the best,
The QC Team
Thank you for such an informative article! Our plan B will move us inside the venue. Perfectly acceptable, however the outdoor tables seat 6 with the indoor tables seating 10. This is a large event with 200 or so guests. Do I make 2 seating charts? I really wanted to use acrylic signs for the seating chart, but doing 2 of them will be quite expensive! Any thoughts?
Hi Maggie, thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment. 🙂 We’re so glad you found this article so beneficial! It’s always important to have a backup plan (or two, or three) just in case you run into any unexpected scenarios on the day of.
Regarding your inquiry about the seating charts, it’s really up to you. 🙂 Since we don’t know your budget, it’s a little difficult for us to provide concrete advice that would perfectly suit your unique situation. That being said, it never hurts to have a backup seating chart handy, particularly since the indoor seating arrangement would be quite different from the outdoor seating arrangement. However, we totally understand that putting even more money into something you likely won’t even need isn’t exactly the most attractive option. Hmm… You could always shop around and look for alternate sign options that aren’t quite as expensive. You don’t necessarily need to spend as much money on the backup seating chart as you want to your original one.
Let us know whatever you decide to do, as we’ll be very interested to know how it all goes! 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
Thank you for such an informative article! .Enjoy the natural scenery” is the one which is most useful in my thoughts
Hey Chair, thanks so much for commenting, we really appreciate it! 🙂 We couldn’t agree more – one of the BIGGEST perks about hosting outdoor events is definitely the chance to enjoy the natural scenery. Plus, natural scenery can easily be used as event decor, which is another bonus! <3
All the best,
The QC Team
Your articles taught me a lot! This is my 1st comment here, so I just wanted to give you a shout-out and tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog posts.
Hi Hayden! Wow, thank you SO much for taking the time to read and leave such an amazing comment, we really appreciate it! 😀 We’re beyond thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this article and found it so useful and informative. We hope that we can continue to leave the same impression with future articles! <3
All the best,
The QC Team
I have learned a lot from your article. I will definitely share this article with my friends.
Hi Daniel! Wow, thank you SO much for leaving such a kind comment, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate it! <3 <3 <3
All the best,
The QC Team
I was planning to have my destination wedding in the mountains and was worried about complications but now I am sure I can manage my event in a great way and can be prepared for unforeseeable circumstances. You have written a great article. I will definitely share with my friends too.
Hi Robert, thanks so much for taking the time to read our article and for leaving such a thoughtful comment! We’re BEYOND thrilled to hear that this blog inspired you and motivated you, with regards to your own destination wedding. We’d love an update and to hear how it went, once your special day has happened! <3
All the best,
The QC Team
I’m intending to hold an outside occasion for my sister’s forthcoming birthday celebration; which is the reason we’re likewise considering leasing a few versatile latrines so it will be more helpful for the visitors. I concur with you that ideally, let’s put together the beginning graphs since this will stay away from the problem. Actually setting for you new blossoms at the focal point of each table appears to be an incredible arrangement too.
Hi Nalona,
Thank you kindly for taking the time to read our article and for leaving such a thoughtful comment. We’re happy to hear that you found the info discussed in this post to be so useful. When is your sister’s birthday? We’d love to hear how the event went after it happens, so please keep us updated. We’re sure you’re going to do a wonderful job! 🙂
All the best,
The QC Team
It’s nice that you mentioned how you can plan the seating, tables, podiums, and mingling areas where you see fit with outdoor venues. I was watching a concert on the TV last night and I noticed that it was held on an outdoor venue. I heard there are premiere outdoor charitable concert venues being offered nowadays so I could really see the advantage of doing an event outside.