outdoor weddings

Outdoor Wedding Essentials: Have a Backup Plan!

Posted by Tabitha on Sep 6, 2011 in outdoor weddings | 2 comments

Photo Credit: Adrienne Maples

Editor’s Note: In light of the Hurricane Irene, I have decided to re-post this article to remind those of you planning an outdoor wedding or beach wedding ceremony to create a back-up plan. It is not too late in the planning process to implement some of these recommendations. Original blog post published in April 2009. Please note content has been modified.

Today, I want to talk about the importance of having a back-up plan for inclement weather. Here in the eastern region, the biggest thing to take into consideration is hurricane season. Hurricane season for the Eastern North Carolina is from June to November. Our official hurricane month is September and this is the time when tropical storms are most likely to occur. That said, if you are planning to host your wedding during this time, it is imperative that you have a backup plan. Some practical tips are as follows:

Choose an outdoor location that also has an indoor facility. For example, if you are getting married on the beach. Choose a hotel venue that has a designated beachfront area to host your nuptials as well as a ballroom that you can reserve in the event it storms on your celebration. For the most part, my outdoor wedding clients have hosted just their ceremony and maybe cocktail hour outside, but held the reception indoors. This is ideal, but if you wish to host your entire event outdoors then another option, if your outdoor wedding site does not have an indoor facility, is to reserve a nearby chapel. Some chapels do have both ceremony and reception facilities available. This will cost you some extra money, but it is well worth it if you want the festivities to continue, that is if it is safe to continue.

Monitor the weather forecast the week of your wedding. If you have chosen an outdoor wedding location that has an indoor facility and the site manager calls you up and tells you that it is going to storm and ask if you would like to go ahead and set everything up inside, then do so. Especially, if you can see the storm coming with your bare eyes and the meteorologists has predicted in his or her forecast that there is a high percentage that it is going to rain. There is no need to inconvenience your guests, because you are hoping that the storm will miraculously move in the opposite direction. You are not that special. You can read our featured “rainy day advice” on Randi Martin’s blog to learn why I am saying this.

Send out rain cards with your invitations. First up, your guests should be aware that your wedding will be taking place outdoors. In addition to this, you need to let them know of your backup plan in the event that inclement weather occurs. This is especially important if your outdoor wedding site does not have any indoor facilities that can accommodate you and your guests and you have arranged for an alternate location. Rain cards are an enclosure that you can include in your invitation set and they are the best way to inform your guests of your backup plan should it rain. In this way, they will know ahead of time where to go if it rains as opposed to having to call and or wander around trying to figure out where to go.

Take precautions even if you are having a tent wedding. Tent weddings can be really nice, but you still need to be prepared ahead of time should it rain or storm. Tents for the most part serve their purpose of providing shade from the sun and shelter in case it rains. In addition, they are pretty sturdy and actually have to be inspected upon setup to make sure they are in compliance with your city’s wind and fire codes as mentioned previously. But, what if heavy rain occurs and you do not have at least flooring? Well, the ground will soak even if you have a tent. So, my advice here is to consider at the very least adding flooring for the entire dimension of the tent if your budget permits you to do so. Imagine having to walk around in wet and muddy shoes (and feet).

Take Out Wedding Insurance. Considering that you absolutely do not have control over the weather, it is a wise idea to insure your wedding. In the event that extreme weather conditions do occur that will prevent you from having your wedding, such as a hurricane, you will be able to recoup some costs. To learn more about wedding insurance, please click here.

The key thing to remember is to “think logically and act smartly” and don’t inconvenience your guests. In addition, I would also like to add that it’s a good idea to have some umbrellas on standby in case it rains, in this way your hosts can quickly distribute them to guests or have them in a place where they can quickly grab one.

Happy Planning!

Destination Weddings: North Carolina’s Hurricane Season

Posted by Tabitha on Feb 8, 2011 in outdoor weddings | 0 comments

When planning a destination wedding on the coast of North Carolina, it is important to know that we rank third in the area most prone to hurricane strikes with Florida being number one, followed by Texas.

Our hurricane season begins June 1 and goes through November 30, but our official hurricane month is September. It is during the month of September when tropical development is at its highest, and our coastal region is threaten by storms that are formed in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, including any storms moving from the Gulf of Mexico.

If you are planning a destination wedding on North Carolina’s coast during the hurricane season, it is imperative that you are flexible and have a backup plan in the event of adverse weather conditions. Should a hurricane warning be issued during the weekend of your wedding, you must understand that curfews may be imposed as well as mandatory evacuation.

Is it worth having a beach destination wedding?

Why, of course…it’s beautiful here and just like Florida, we do not have hurricanes every day. In fact, most days are filled with beautiful, sunny weather during the season. You just need to know in the back of your mind that tropical storms and hurricanes are a possibility and to plan accordingly. For tips on creating a backup plan, please check out my outdoor wedding essentials blog series.

Happy Planning!

Why Choose North Carolina for Your Destination Wedding

Posted by Tabitha on Apr 13, 2010 in destination weddings, outdoor weddings | 0 comments

Photo Courtesy of Chris Van Atta Photography

The obvious reason is that we have the best of two-worlds—majestic mountains in the western region and a beautiful coastline in the eastern region. However, North Carolina also offers many other things in between making it an ideal wedding destination for both Carolina brides and out-of-state destination brides.

The allure of North Carolina is in part because of its southern charm and hospitality, which is the icing on the cake. Of equal appeal, North Carolina is the home to a host of private estates, including historic plantations and venues, vineyards and wineries, botanical gardens, farms for barn weddings, and a few secret jewels that are all perfect for hosting a weekend long of wedding events with your closest family and friends.

I was born and raised here in Eastern North Carolina and through the years have grown to appreciate the beauty of my native, especially our beaches. I have decided to re-launch a blog series where I will introduce you to places to host a destination wedding in North Carolina.

Tomorrow, I will introduce you to an island here on our coast that was once one of our best-kept secrets. However, destination brides are becoming to privy to this treasure. Can you guess what island I am referring too? If so, take a guess by commenting.

Photo Credit: Chris Van Atta Photography, a destination wedding photographer based in Wilmington and Asheville, NC. Please be sure to visit his website and blog.

Tips for Hosting an Outdoor Wedding

Posted by Tabitha on Mar 8, 2010 in outdoor weddings | 5 comments

Last year, I wrote a six part blog series about “Outdoor Wedding Essentials.” Considering that spring starts this month and some of you will be hosting an outdoor wedding and/or are planning an outdoor wedding for this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight those outdoor wedding essentials.

In that series, I discussed the following:

the importance of checking city ordinances, especially if you are hosting a beach wedding or your wedding in a public garden or park, or a tent wedding

the importance of having a backup plan and what that plan should include

tips to combat the heat and ways to make sure your guests are comfortable

a handy gadget for combating mosquitoes and other insects

luxury portable restrooms for special events

and the lastly, the importance of hiring a wedding day coordinator to manage the logistics and setup of the day-of the wedding

Do you have a plan in place for your outdoor wedding? Who’s going to handle the logistics?

Event Décor Ideas – Mason Jars Used for Lighting

Posted by Tabitha on Jul 26, 2009 in event design, outdoor weddings | 0 comments

I love mason jars and they remind me so much of my grandmother. She used them to make jams and preserves, to pickle, can or store various foods. Heck I even remember drinking lemonade and sweet ice tea out of mason jars when we were children.

So, naturally I am inspired that many brides are wanting to incorporate them into their wedding design. One of the most awe-inspiring ways I have send them used is as lighting–candle holders and lanterns.

Here are a few inspiring ideas I found on the Internet and wanted to share with you of how you can use mason jars as lighting for your event.

In the photo to the left, the designer used a manzanita branch as the base and then adorned it with rose pomanders and hanging mason jar candles.

What I love about this is that the designer combined both the flowers and the mason jar candles. Truth be told the design would have looked very nice with either the mason jar candles or the rose pomanders alone, but the designer took it a step further by using both. Don’t you just love it?

This is a simple, elegant and inexpensive way to decorate your wedding ceremony using mason jars. I really like the idea of using mason jars as aisle decoration whether it’s to hold flowers or candles, though I really like the candles a lot because of the warm and romantic ambiance it creates. On that note, candles for an outdoor wedding ceremony work best if your ceremony will take place in the late evening.

This is another great way to use mason jars to add lighting to an outdoor wedding. Now, just imagine if you setup a lounge area under a tree like this that has been decorated with mason jar laterns and kissing balls. Here’s a visual for you.

What I like about this last photo is that it peaks one’s interest or curiosity. It’s like what’s that over there and as you can see the mason jars serve the same function as your typical candle holders, providing the perfect lighting to attract guests to this focal point. In case you are wondering, those are glass ornament favors, which have been displayed on grapevine trellises. Lovely idea!!

Photo Sources: Manzanita branch with mason jars – DC Nearly Weds; Photos of the ceremony and lounge area by MQ Photography; Photos of mason lanterns in the tree and with the glass ornament favors (last photo) – Beautiful Days Event’s blog

Destination Weddings – Elizabethan Gardens

Posted by Tabitha on Jul 14, 2009 in destination weddings, nc wedding venues, outdoor weddings | 0 comments

As mentioned a couple of days ago here, I have decided to launch a new blog series where I will highlight places to host a destination wedding in North Carolina each week. Naturally, I have decided to start with destination wedding locations in Eastern North Carolina primarily because I am based here in the eastern region.

First up on my list is a treasure located in Manteo, NC which is a town located on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks. The reason I have decided to start with Manteo is that I recently had a bride email to ask if I knew of a place on the coast where she could host a garden wedding. The first place I thought of was Elizabethan Garden.

Elizabethan Garden was founded by the Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc. and is located on the same site where the first colonist settled, hence the name “Elizabethan”. The garden is open seven days a week all year long. The place is truly a “jewel.”

The setting is so beautiful and is a great location to host a garden wedding on our coast. Whether you are looking to have a small and intimate wedding of 20 guests or a large outdoor wedding of up to 400 guests, Elizabethan Garden features several locations on-site to host both your wedding ceremony and reception, including a “16th century-style gazebo that overlooks Roanoke Sound,” a perfect backdrop for your wedding. In addition, they do have an indoor reception facility that will accommodate up to 100 guests. To learn more about the “jewel” of Roanoke Island, please click here.

Photo Source: Elizabethan Garden

NC Barn Weddings – The Barn at Valhalla

Posted by Tabitha on Jun 18, 2009 in green weddings, nc wedding venues, outdoor weddings | 0 comments

As mentioned here, this week I wanted to feature a couple venues where you can host a barn wedding here in North Carolina.

Next on my list of North Carolina wedding barns is The Barn at Valhalla located in Chapel Hill, NC. This barn is truly a treasure and is set in a very natural and serene setting.

Featured below is a fall wedding that took at the Barn at Valhalla shot by Silvas Photo, an awesome photography and videography studio owned by husband and wife team, Honey and Briar. They are based out of Charleston, SC and serve bridal couples worldwide. Please be sure to check out their blog!

How beautiful is that walkway!

What I love most about this venue is this gorgeous outdoor fireplace. It is the perfect focal point for an outdoor wedding and it’s very warm and inviting. Wouldn’t you agree?

Finally, this is a photo of the inside of the barn. The Barn at Valhalla is a great wedding venue to host a green wedding, outdoor wedding, fall wedding, or a combination of them all.