Tips for planning an OUTDOOR wedding? (with zero power outlets)

Everything Jeleebeenz wrote. I think you're being unrealistic.

Whelp! It's happening anyways c: and I'm still very excited about it all the same.

I've seen lots of blogs where people had their wedding in the exact same location (which is how I found out about it in the first place) and they made it work (rain or shine) and it was beautiful and amazing.

I wish you the best but it stops being about the 2 of you when start involving other people. I really do wish you well, but I think you are ignoring reality here. And it is not about trying to talk you out of an outdoor wedding - it is about planning one with solid logistics.

No matter what happens, I think we'll still have a wonderful time and that's what really counts, logistics aside.

Again, I will definitely be keeping in mind what everyone is saying and remember to ask all these questions to a wedding planner.

Yeah, sorry, once it's more than you and him, it's all about them. You'll never see a blog about a rainy icky, muddy weekend wedding outside. And I've done them. And not only are they not "pretty", they're not even bearable. And no, your family will not have a wonderful time, "no matter what happens".

Just be ready to throw money at it. And keep us posted after you talk to a planner.

Do think about that lighting. Two people have now said that LED candles will not light up the area. My picture of my paper lanterns lit up with LED lights is above, and they simply do not light up anything other than themselves. If you want people to see each other, or what they are eating, you either need to have the whole thing over before dark, or come up with much more powerful lighting options. And I'm not sure that more powerful options are available without an electrical outlet.

I think your space is beautiful and I always loved the idea of a clear tent. Oh, and who needs catering when you have s'mores?? I personally could eats just those for dinner!

My only suggestion is that you must have Reese's peanut butter cups with the s'mores.

Sorry I wasn't more helpful. Good Luck!

Okay...you're sold on this idea. If you don't provide power, you will pay your vendors more. I know your FH doesn't want a generator because of the noise. I agree, however, there are silent generators -- sound proofed -- and they are available for rent in the northern California area. I would at least call these people and get information about their product (they also rent a product called a GloBug Light Tower -- a single 1,000 WATT bulb that provides pure white, 360 degree maximum glare free illumination. This could help with your lighting issue). Also, I would hire a wedding planner. It will be a major relief for you to have someone in the area who can put this all together for you. I know -- generator rental and a planner are two extra expenses, but they could make all of the difference in the world when it comes to realizing your vision.

http://www.generatorsunlimited.net/products-pricing/

Clear. tents. cost. more.

I didn't know about the sound proofed generators! And thanks for the tip about the GloBug Light Tower, we're having the ceremony and reception starting at the late morning and going through to the early evening so we're thinking we won't need a lot of extra light, the LED candles are more for decoration than practicality.

We are looking into the wedding planner idea, our venue is only $100 to use it for the whole day so we've got a little extra to spare because the location is incredibly inexpensive to rent. Thank you so much @TCF !

You are getting a lot of great ideas; and I appreciate jeleebeenz logistics!

Don't forget - you may want a easy-up tent with sides for each of you to get ready in, or wait in, to walk down the aisle. Or not...you may be coming from your own tent or rv. Just something to consider.

I think you'll be fine with a BBQ caterer, they are used to outdoor weddings and cooking without electricity.

What is the name of the location??

Best wishes!

It's in the Humboldt Redwood State Park in Weott California @Monique W.

There are a few hotels close by and my mother is taking about reserving it 2 days for us so I have a cleaner place to get ready and then we also it have it for after the wedding.

I just have to check and see what all is allowed BBQ wise, the park ranger I needed to speak to about restrictions and what not isn't back to work until tomorrow so I'll be trying them again on my lunch break and I'll give an update then!

Hey OP! @hilary

Wondering how this worked out! We are deciding between two venues- outside a friends' mansion (long story/depends on how pandemic is at that point) or an outdoors camp with limited (but not NO) power. Any feedback or tips? Hope you had a great day!

View Quoted Comment Sheesh some people just love to be negative naysayers! The excited bride was asking for tips to make this outdoor option more feasible, not for people who are strongly opinionated against outdoor weddings who clearly are not Nature lovers and who don’t get it, to harshly criticize her vision. I too am having an outdoor wedding at a state park, thousands of people do it successfully a year, and many of us have supportive mothers and friends who won’t try to dissuade us because of their own personal bias against rustic settings and the great outdoors. Hope your vision came to be, Hilary- sounds incredibly doable! My venue doesn’t even have public bathrooms so we have to rent fancy flushable portapotties with sinks or porta trailers , and the parking area is a bit of a (stunningly beautiful) walk from the antique covered stone pavilion, so we would rent golf carts to shuttle the elderly up to the ceremony space. But many weddings have been done at this park, our neighbors told us about a couple they attended, and our families are big Nature lovers and hikers. It’s far more important to us that we are married somewhere with stunning Nature as the backdrop and to create a fun, unique and memorable experience for all, to feel a spiritual connection to the natural world as we vow to spend our lives together in a way that honors the Earth, than to be in a generic boring run-of-the mill venue that people use all the time. That is just a bit too lame and lacks any sentimentality or spirituality for lovers of Nature like us. Nature is where we fell in love, is a big part of our daily lives, and therefore will be one of the witnesses to our union. We will be able to return to this popular hiking destination time and again, someday with our children, to revisit and reflect upon the fond memories of our wedding day. To each his own, which is why I found some of the Negative Nancy judgmental comments here to be quite unnecessary and downright insensitive. Why try and take the wind out of someone’s sails? The bride was so polite in her response which set a boundary, and yet instead of respecting that your disapproval was not asked for or welcomed, she was met with even MORE adamantly negative comments trying to convince her to not even try to make her wedding idea work (an idea she already explained many others have successfully done before). If you want to play it safe and generic, maybe don’t respond to a post looking for advice on a unique adventurous experience like this one.

View Quoted Comment Good for you! I love your vision and learned some tips for my own rustic state park stunning Nature wedding idea, so thank you! For your ideas, your grace in handling the meddling negative naysayer comments, and your upbeat hung-hi attitude! Hope your wedding was a great time!

How did it turn out? I am planning on doing something similar and there is no much info online.