subject: Outdoor Weddings: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly [print this page] Outdoor weddings can be magicalOutdoor weddings can be magical. Incredible sunsets can light up the wedding couple as they dance their first dance. A rainbow might be captured after a light summer shower. Or, a hailstorm can blow through; snow can have guests wearing winter coats over ball gowns, shivering in the cold. With outdoor weddings, you never know what you're going to get. So how do you protect yourself against the bad and the ugly? Courtyard weddings.
Let's start with the ugly. You decide to have your wedding on a scenic ranch in Wyoming. Despite the fact that you are on a remote ranch, people driving down the backcountry road cheer and honk their horn during your wedding ceremony. Your guests show up and so do the clouds. A storm breaks loose, rain crashes down, thunder and lightning have guests running to the nearest shelter: the barn.
Because this is a working ranch, there are livestock in the barn. The storm doesn't appear as if it's going to break any time soon. So, dripping wet, surrounded by the fragrant odors of horse dung and chicken droppings, you say your vows. It's memorable, that's for sure, but it's definitely not pretty.
The bad. It's a beautiful summer day for your wedding. The morning starts off at a comfortable 85 degrees. As the sun rises high in the sky, temperatures soar to over 100 degrees. You realize you have no shade for your guests until the reception. You scramble to get bottles of cold water for your guests as they wait for the grand entrance of the bride.
Men in suits are soaked in sweat, and even the women can't hide the dark splotches under their arms. The ceremony is rushed, the bride and groom share a sweaty kiss and you head off to the reception.
The good. You decided to book your wedding at a venue that has a courtyard. Because the courtyard is only one portion of the venue, there are additional rooms to adjourn to if the weather turns bad. The courtyard offers privacy, so there are no passersby interrupting the ceremony and certainly no horns honking around you. There is no bad or ugly with a courtyard ceremony. There are no risks. Every option is covered and there is a back up for every situation.
If you want to relax and know that your wedding is going to be perfect, then choose a wedding venue with a courtyard. You will be guaranteed privacy and there will be alternate rooms for the ceremony in the case of inclement weather. You have the choice between the good, the bad and the ugly. What will you choose?
