Vineyard Weddings Archives

Having an Outdoor Wedding: Is It Worth the Risks?

Uncategorized

Choosing an outdoor venue can add some extra anxiety when anticipating your upcoming wedding day. For those of you considering an outdoor wedding, you most likely already enjoy the spacious feel and the enchanting experience of having your reception in the setting sun. There are endless benefits to choosing an outdoor venue, but there is one primary con: you and your guests will be subject to the weather. So, is it worth the risk of getting rained on?

Marissa and Nathan – Christa Hitchcock Photography

When you get married, you’re sure that your love will last a lifetime. There’s only one thing that will last longer: the photos. Your wedding photos will look breathtaking when you choose an outdoor venue. With a vineyard wedding, you get an abundance of greenery as well as symmetry within the vines. This saves in travel time in the morning of your ceremony because you won’t have to go around looking for good photo opportunities in the area. This could also save on photography and videography costs as the majority of your photos will be onsite rather than multiple locations. The photos will also hold more nostalgic value if the most aesthetically pleasing backdrops are actually at your wedding venue. Whether you’re framing them to hang in the living room, sending them to your distant cousins who couldn’t make it, or posting to your Instagram; your outdoor wedding photos will be spectacular.

Marissa and Nathan – Christa Hitchcock Photography

Alyssa and Ryan – https://www.helloimemmaquinn.com

Sarah and Ryan – 430 Studios

Considering the time of the year to hold your wedding will also affect your chances with the weather. First, weigh in your preferences. The wedding season for our Vineyard begins in May and ends in October. Spring weddings, on average, are lower in temperature and can have a higher chance of rain, but you have the excitement of the turn of the weather paired with the fresh buds and greenery. To be outdoors in the new approaching summer warmth is an almost magical feeling. For Summer weddings, you experience the heat. For some, this is perfect and the Summer fun can last all day. For others, spending the day in the heat can be exhausting. The sun waits until later to set and the temperature becomes perfect at your reception. With a wedding tent, your coordinator can leave all the tent sides open and your guests will stay comfortable in the midst of the vines. When Fall approaches, the temperature drops again and the leaves begin to change colors. Fall floral choices with the rich hues in the trees can be absolutely gorgeous and you escape the heat. The sides of the wedding tent can be closed at night with the heaters on and you’ll feel perfectly warm. The grapes are full and ripe and the sweet scent on the breeze from the winery beginning to make wine is delicious.

Molly and Ken – May 2016

Sarah and Ryan – 430 Studios – September 2017

Blue Line Photography – 2014

Regardless of the season you’re looking for, there is always a possibility of rain. Having a solid rain plan for your outdoor wedding venue is essential; your coordinator will help you with this. The good news is that in 2018, only two wedding ceremonies had to choose their rain plan with us. Instead of having your ceremony down in the orchard, it will be moved under the tent on the dance floor and you and your guests will be protected by the elements.

Providing guests with items to better cope with the elements can add a personal and caring touch to your outdoor reception. For the hot days we have seen mini, battery powered fans for guests to take as well as providing sunscreen and insect repellent on the bathroom sink. For colder nights, setting out matching throw blankets for guests to use on the lounge furniture or around the fire pit can be a nice idea. Having a bin of umbrellas for your guests to use is a good tip for any season.

Wedding Guests – Michael Koch Photography

Personally, I absolutely think having an outdoor wedding is worth the risk of some inclement weather. As long as you are prepared for the situation, the fresh breeze, beautiful scenery, and the seemingly endless space you’ll have to roam beats a ceiling and four walls any day.

Newly Engaged? Consider a Friday Wedding!

Uncategorized

Ahhhh – engagement season! We can feel the excitement of new fiances everywhere! We can also feel the slight bit of panic from all the couples hoping for a 2018 wedding and finding open dates hard to come by. But don’t despair – a Friday Wedding is your answer!

I could probably write a short novel on why I LOVE Friday weddings. I will spare you the super exciting read and just give you my top five reasons why you should consider a Friday date.

Friday Availability

If you are just beginning the venue & vendor search, you are likely finding most Saturday dates in 2018 have been booked already. It’s crazy how fast dates fill up! So for many couples who just became engaged, snagging a Saturday in 2018 might not work out. If you don’t want to postpone the wedding for another year, make sure to ask your venue and vendors about Friday dates and you will likely get a larger open selection.

Discounts!

Not all venues and vendors have discounted pricing for “off” days – but many do, so be sure to ask! And another insider tip from a venue – ask about guest minimums for Fridays. Even if a venue has a minimum guest count for a Saturday, they may waive that minimum for a Friday (ahem…like we do!).

A Better Guest Experience

Almost every wedding we host is a “destination” wedding even if guests are only coming from 90 miles away so they likely don’t want to drive home after the wedding. If you host a Friday wedding, your guests then have all Saturday to relax (recover!) in our beautiful little corner of Michigan without having to worry about rushing home to get ready for work. Your guests can experience a mini-vacation without needing to spend a fortune to get away. Maybe some guests will need to take that Friday off work but who doesn’t want an excuse to take a day off to spend with friends & family!

More Down Time with Friends & Family

We see it all the time with Saturday weddings, all the last minute details, the rehearsal, the nerves on Friday. The wedding on Saturday. Your guests leave early Sunday morning to get back to the grind. This leaves you with very little quality time to spend with people who have travelled to celebrate with you. But with a Friday wedding, you have all day Saturday, after the rush of the wedding is over, to plan a relaxed cookout at a rental property, organize a leisurely wine tour, sprawl out on the sand and refuse to move for 4 hours….whatever activity you would enjoy. It’s a great way to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate their being with you on such a special day.

Atmosphere

Now, this one could be all in my head (I have an obvious bias toward Friday weddings) but our friends at 1928 Planning Co. will back me up here….Friday weddings as a whole just feel different. There is a relaxed vibe from vendors and guests alike that is unique to an “off” day wedding. For us vendors, Friday is often the start of our weekend crazy-ness so we are fresh-faced and ready to go. For guests, they know they are about to begin an awesome weekend and are ready to let loose. We have been trained to love Fridays and this general emotion of TGIF is carried over into the wedding itself.

Of course, we love ALL weddings – but if you’re curious to know what Fridays are still available at The Vineyard, give me a call!

Photo Credits (in order of appearance)

Victoria Sprung Photography

Rebekah Albaugh

Sarah + Ryan’s Natural Vineyard Wedding

Real Weddings

Sarah + Ryan
September 3, 2017
The Vineyard at 12 Corners

From the moment this couple shared their “first-look” at Sarett Nature Center to the final song that played, it was obvious they just wanted a natural, laid-back, and fun celebration with their family. It just happened to also be a beautiful ceremony and reception with well thought out details and a blush/navy color scheme that worked so well with the natural vineyard surrounding.

vineyard-wedding-real-weddings

We don’t always get to comment on non-bride or bridesmaid attire – but this groom and his fantastic daughter were rocking the navy and gold details found elsewhere throughout the wedding. Polka dot tie, patterned handkerchief, baby’s breath flower crown, and gold sequins for the win!

Sarah & Ryan provided their own arch to serve as a focal point during their apple orchard ceremony. Bridesmaids added some color to the greenery with all shades of pink dresses and bouquets of wildflowers. Even the ring box took on the natural vineyard vibe.

Farmhouse tables, the most beautiful floral wreaths, a naked cake, and simple gold framed seating chart pulled in all of this couple’s natural style. Sarah & Ryan even left guests with a packet of wildflowers to “let love grow” long after the wedding ended.

All in all – this was just one of those weddings where you felt happy the whole way through. Such a lovely family and we were so honored to share this day with them!

If you want to get a better feel for Sarah & Ryan’s happy day – check out the video highlights from Voglewede Multimedia – this pretty much sums up how special their natural vineyard wedding was.