Unique Destination Weddings -

Planning an Outdoor Wedding? Don’t Forget the Details
From the DJ to the restrooms, make your event one to remember

(ARA) - An outdoor wedding is a dream for many couples, and there are a variety of locations to consider -- scenic landmarks, historic estates, parks, the beach, or even your own backyard. Getting married outside in the sunshine, surrounded by the beauty of nature and your friends and family, makes for a lovely celebration.

But hosting an outdoor wedding takes planning, forethought and attention to details. For example, you can’t take things like running water, bathrooms or electricity for granted. To ensure a successful event, be sure you know what’s available at the venue you have chosen and ask specific questions about hosting a large event there. Here are some considerations to keep in mind as you plan your special day.

Outdoors Doesn’t Have to Mean Roughing It

Treat your outdoor wedding as you would any first-class event, and make the comfort of your guests your first priority. After all, you want people to remember how beautiful the bride was, not how bad the mosquitoes were.

Walk through the event from start to finish making sure you’ve taken care of all the details. Begin with the invitations; make it clear that guests understand they’re attending an outdoor wedding, so they can dress appropriately. Make it easy for them to reach your location. If there is no convenient parking at the site, consider having guests park in a nearby lot and shuttling them over. Also make sure that the site is accessible, especially for elderly guests and others with limited mobility.

Consider renting a tent for both the ceremony and the reception. Having a tent adds a touch of glamour to an outdoor event, and it means that your guests won’t be scrambling for cover if it rains. A tent also provides welcome shade on a warm, sunny day.

The Comforts of Home

Make sure you’ll have access to the amenities you’ll need for a successful event. You’ll probably need electricity (for the caterers, the DJ, fans or lighting, etc.), which is not usually found in nature. Find out if you need to rent a generator and mobile air conditioning or heating.

Are there restrooms available? If not, you’ll want to rent portable restrooms. Before visions of Port-a-Potties fill your head, you’ll be happy to know that a new generation of mobile restrooms is available to provide luxury accommodations for you and your guests.

Kohler, a leader in plumbing products design, offers mobile restrooms featuring amenities like porcelain lavatory sinks and toilets, chrome faucets and luxurious trim and finish materials such as cherry wood and marble. Tasteful artwork, music, air-conditioning and full-length mirrors are also part of all restrooms, which can be powered by Kohler generators if there is no source of electricity onsite, making them perfect for outdoor weddings.

The mobile restrooms are available in 24-foot and 32-foot units, and include separate male and female suites. Kohler Event Services takes care of all the details, including delivery, hookup, on-site service and removal. “These luxury mobile restrooms are designed to offer the ultimate in functionality, privacy and comfort,” said Steve Hoffmann, product manager for Kohler Event Services. “One of our roles is also to help our customer determine how many portable restrooms they’ll need. We have a formula that helps determine the right number of restrooms, and that’s based on variables such as the number of guests, the ratio of males to females, whether alcohol will be served, and the duration of the event.”

Food and Drink

Be sure the professionals you hire have outdoor experience. Your decision to have an outdoor wedding may limit your menu choices, as caterers need to provide foods and food displays that keep well under warm conditions. Alcohol is dehydrating. Make sure there are nonalcoholic beverages available to quench people’s thirst on a hot day.

Relax and Enjoy

Knowing that you’ve done all you can to plan makes it easy for you to enjoy your special day.

Kohler Event Services has six offices and more than 80 service locations throughout the United States. For more information on Kohler’s luxury portable restrooms, visit www.KohlerEventServices.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content