The Top Things You Must Ask before Booking an Outdoor Wedding Venue

Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE an outdoor wedding, and most of our couples gettng married here at The Barn on The Bay say their vows in one of our amazing outdoor spaces. But, a lot of planning goes into it behing the scenes by our Coordination Team and here’s the things that they recommend you ask before taking the plunge.

What’s the back up plan?

This is a must. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding in the UK you should always have a back up plan. Remember that it’s not just rain but winds that you should plan for, some of the windiest days of the year can come in August. 

Whether you’re marrying at home in your garden, in a marquee or at a beachside venue like The Barn on The Bay you need to have a plan of where you and your guests will go in case of bad weather.

Luckily, most of our outdoor couples who want to marry in the paddock garden or the beach side ceremony area are granted their wishes but they also have the back up of the wedding barn just in case.

How late can you switch to your back up?

Again, this is pretty important. Do you need to make your final decisions the month or week before? If so you need to factor this in as you might not necessarily know what the weather will be like. Ideally you want to be able to have 24 hours before the ceremony to be able to make your decision when you will have more certainty about the weather.

Where can you sign the marriage certificate?

This has all changed recently so if you booked your wedding a while ago you may want to re-check this with your venue. At The Barn on The Bay we previously had to bring couples back from the beach side area to sign the register in the Barn for legal reasons. Now though you can sign the register outside where your ceremony takes place. This should be discussed with the Registrar though as they will need to know your plans in advance. You can also opt for a celebrant led wedding where you won’t sign any official documents on the day.

Where can you have your drinks reception?

Whether you are getting married in an outdoor location, like the beachside ceremony area in the dunes, a woodland or up a hill and you have guests with you remember to ask if the venue’s alcohol licence covers the space so that drinks can be served.

A glass of fizz after the ceremony is a lovely way to start off your celebrations but just check that this can be served, who is there to chill it, serve it, provide glasses and clear up afterwards.

What seating is provided?

As well as asking what seating is provided, check what style it is and make sure that there are chairs available for older guests. We offer bench seating as standard but we have chairs for the front rows for close family and older guests.

Who will set it up and take it down?

Whether you’re styling outdoor areas or if you’re just having a simple set up with benches it’s always important to ask who sets up what. For example we set up all of our benches and chairs as well as a signing table and the arch and any additional items are added by the couple.

Check if this is something that you have to do or is there is a venue team to do that for you. If it is self set up we really recommend hiring a planner or stylist to do this for you. Some of the most wedding stresses we see is where couples have delegated this to friends and family who’ve been delayed, or didn’t understand the plan. You don’t need stress on your wedding morning!

Are there recommended suppliers?

Teams that work well together are invaluable. From photographers who know just the right spot for the best images to florists who know the venue inside and out. If you team up with vendors who have been to the venue in lots of different conditions they’ll know what works there. For example we work closely with a florist who is all very familiar with the beachside location that many of our couples marry at and suggests flowers and arrangements that will live up to the North Sea breezes.

There are some amazing companies out there who will be able to style your ceremony to make it personal to you, with additional arches, aisle runners, props and even different chairs. Our advice here is to ask your venue co-ordinator and they will point you in the direction of a stylist suitable for your theme.

Are dogs allowed

Such an important question! As an outdoor venue on the coast, many of our couples are outdoorsy types and have four legged fur babes. If the venue is dog friendly remember that this is probably for your own dogs, especially if it is farm based where it isn’t a great idea to have lots of pets running around.

A great idea here is to hire a pet sitter for the day. We love it when pet sitters comes to look after the couple’s dog for the day. They get to have their best friend there for the important parts of the day and know they’re being looked after the rest of the time.

Where are the toilets?

No explaination needed! If you’re not getting married at an approved venue make sure you know where the nearest loos will be located. If hiring in loos check where they can plug in. 

Is it accessible for guests with additional mobility needs?

If you’re having a woodland, beach or garden wedding make sure that there is a way for guests with mobility issues to access the ceremony site, we allow cars up to the dunes but it may not be possible on public dune land.

Are you planning an outdoor ceremony? Our Coordination team would love to show you our wedding space. Drop them an email with any questions you have.