Wedding
WITH A
View
A
THE MARRIAGE OF LOCATION AND LOGISTICS
BY JENNIFER COX
Most people love to embrace the warmer months, and the
majority of couples choose dates in May to October for their
weddings. And while a perfect, clear summer afternoon with
just enough sun are the ideal conditions for a beautiful outdoor
ceremony and reception, it’s not always possible when Mother
Nature’s having a fit.
Having a wedding on a beach in the surf and the sand, or at a
park beneath the trees, is an idyllic setting for exchanging vows.
However, the biggest challenge of coordinating an outdoor
wedding is something the bride and groom can’t control: the
elements. So couples need to pay close attention to the two L’s:
location and logistics.
A place with personal significance can make this decision that
much easier. “One bride I worked with wanted her wedding at the
Ottawa Rockcliffe Pavilion because they used to go there for family
picnics when she was young,” he says. “Another groom wanted his
wedding at his favourite fishing spot.”
One of the most impressive outdoor weddings Viau helped
coordinate involved a ceremony on a lake. “The bride and groom
wanted their wedding to be on the water so they got six sailboats,
tied them together, and anchored in the middle of a river.”
Madeleine Kojakian of Maddy K Weddings in Montreal, along
with Dr. Alan Viau, an Ottawa-based officiant with All Seasons
Weddings Ltd., gave B&G readers more of their best tips for
throwing an outside ‘do.
Viau says the destination choice should really coincide with
whatever vision the couple has for themselves. “Today we
can make almost anything work if the vendors are willing to be
flexible,” he explains.
LOCATION
LOGISTICS
Choosing the ideal spot for an outdoor wedding is the biggest
decision a couple will have to make, and Viau suggests that the
venue should have some sort of special meaning to the bride and
groom. “If they are naturalists they will enjoy a wooded area or a
140
spot next to a stream,” he explains. “A different couple might enjoy
a unique courtyard or a rooftop in the downtown area.”
2016
Nothing is worse than attending a quaint outdoor wedding and
being squished into a space like a sardine, being miles from a
functioning washroom, or melting into a puddle on a humid day.
Outdoor wedding planning not only requires choosing a location