Planning an Outdoor Wedding in Seattle? Here are the Best 10 Tips

 

Organizing a wedding is an amazingly fun full-time commitment, one that you do with grace, elegance, and generous attention to detail.

If you are looking to create a gorgeous outdoor wedding in Seattle, I can happily provide you with some things you might want to take into consideration. Whether you are after creating an opulent garden affair, or you want your bold personality to shine by adding a pop of color; there are several things you need to know.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

 

1. CONSIDER THE WEATHER

This one is pretty obvious, right? The first thing that should be on your list when it comes to your outdoor wedding planning is the weather. Couples have different wishes – some love the rain; but if you want to have sunny weather for your event, choose the period between May and September. These months are considered dry in Seattle. Think about that and whether planning an outdoor wedding in Seattle in the summer would be a nice option for you and your loved one.

 

2. IN CASE OF RAIN, A BACKUP PLAN IS A KEY

Even for the most wonderful and dry summer months, you need to have a plan B. Take some venues into consideration that offer an indoor possibility too, in case the weather decides to change mid-wedding. Look through some options that require minimum moving of the wedding in case of rain. Another wedding planning tip is to choose a venue that has the option of renting a marquee or has a covered area that can shelter your celebration. But don’t worry, even if your venue doesn’t have any indoor or covering option, you can prepare clear umbrellas just in case. Those can even be a perfect prop for your rainy wedding day!

 

3. TENT AND COLORS – WHITE OR CLEAR! 

If you are going for a route of renting a tent, before you make a final decision, do consider the color of the tent. Function-wise, of course, the color of the tent does not matter. No matter what color it is, it will provide shade for your guests on a hot sunny day or protect everyone getting from wet on a rainy day. However, a white or clear tent will help your wedding photographer to capture your day without any weird color shadows on you and your guests’ faces. Trust me, you wouldn’t want all your wedding photos to look yellow-y or orange-y.

 

4. THINK SCENERY

Seattle can provide you with the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. When you are thinking about options, dive deep into your romantic side and choose some of the most spectacular wedding themes. You can pick everything from an urban theme to an elegant waterfront scenery, and even go a step further and dive into the uniqueness that is Seattle. Maybe your wedding can be on a boat! Try to write down what scenery you would like: Beach, mountain, lake, park, architecture – and go through an elimination process! After all, the best part of outdoor wedding planning is to make use of one of the most wonderful and iconic cities!

 

5. HAVE FUN WITH A BACKDROP!

You have found the perfect outdoor venue – maybe it’s at a beach or at a park. Although the natural outdoor scenery might be enough for your wedding, you might want to add more uniqueness to your ceremony. This is when you should consider countless options of wonderful backdrops! Imagine you and your partner holding hands, interlocking your eyes during the ceremony in front of a gorgeous backdrop – it can be an elegant flower arch or a modern color block backdrop that’s trending these days. The options are endless and there for you to take your pick to make your wedding more unique to you! You can also check with your venue if they offer any backdrop options.

 

6. DISCUSS THE TIMELINE WITH YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Any outdoor wedding in Seattle (or any celebration at all) should be discussed with the chosen photographer. Make sure to share the venue conditions and your timeline so they can plan ahead. Not only is your photographer an expert in lighting, but paired with the chosen location – they will guide you both for the perfect positioning and when is the best time to take portraits. If golden hour – about an hour before sunset when the light is soft and golden – is during your reception time, your wedding photographer might sneak you two out to a beautiful location nearby for a gorgeous portrait of you two.

7. TAKE THE WIND INTO CONSIDERATION

Another wedding planning tip is looking after the decorations and choosing the ones that would suit you the most. In Seattle, even when the sun is shining throughout the entire day, there may still be wind. This means that any loose pieces of paper can fly out like little white birds all across the venue in just a second. Consider collecting anything that can fly off that easily (such as the wedding programs) in one place, or add an artistic touch to them – maybe find a different way to deliver them to your guests. In addition, make sure to book a professional makeup and hair artist that can secure your hairstyle in the best possible way.

 

8. PREPARE COMFORTABLE SHOES

Walking through Seattle, especially if the wedding venue and the intimate session are in different places, can be a bit of a stretch. Try preserving your wedding outfits, and doing that with ease by taking some flats with you too. The best thing about it is that, nowadays, you can easily find a flat comfortable wedding shoe that looks just as elegant! Furthermore, if your celebration will be hosted on a lawn or a garden, have in mind to choose the right footwear because if you are wearing a heel, it is likely that those pointy heels will sink and get stuck on soft ground.

 

9. AN OPTION FOR AN INDOOR AFTERPARTY

This is the wedding planning tip you never knew you needed. Of course, if you already are planning some game and dance party at your reception area, you won’t have to consider this. But more often than not, especially if you had a simple early afternoon wedding, once the wedding is starting to wrap up, some people have even more energy and want to keep on celebrating! If you are an outgoing couple, you might want to consider looking into some after-party locations nearby. Whether it is a high-end, elegant club, or a bar, the options are all there, all you need to do is choose. You can even take the party a step further and take your photographer with you too – I am sure you would love to see those moments eternalized.

10. FIND A SEATTLE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU AND YOUR DAY

Once you have decided to marry in the Seattle area, and gone through this list thoroughly, the last thing to consider is tracking down the best photographer. You are probably considering one that would infuse your wedding photos with your candid emotions and artistry, and make them look incredible. I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and actually spend time chatting with your possible wedding photographers – talk to them about your vision, and your wedding planning, and even talk to them about how you guys met! Chatting with them will make you realize if that photographer fits your personality and help you decide on one of the most important decisions for your big day – choosing a photographer that would manage to capture the happiness of your heart and the joy of the celebration.

 

If you are looking to create the perfect outdoor wedding in Seattle or in the surrounding area, and romantic candid photos with an artful touch are high up on your list, feel free to take a look at my gallery to see the weddings I photographed and contact me. I would be honored to be there on your wedding day capturing your love story that gets unfolded before my eyes. Talk to you soon!