The Best Outdoor Wedding Reception Ideas for Your Big Day

Do you love the romance of an outdoor wedding but aren’t sure how to make it a reality in North Georgia?  We’re sharing our top outdoor wedding reception ideas. Keep reading for ideas on decorations, how to plan for weather, mother nature and enjoy a beautiful wedding surrounded by natural beauty.

We were so excited to meet Krystle and Sully at their tour and hear about their wedding vision.  They had a unique background merging growing up in California which is ideal for year round al fresco events and summer camp seasons spent in Italy.  Their dream was to host both the ceremony and dinner outside, but the struggle of how to plan an outdoor wedding in Georgia’s weather was a concern.

Outdoor Ceremony

Outdoor ceremonies are very common – especially at barn venues in North Georgia.  Krystle and Sully wanted a few unique elements for the ceremony.  The summer camp culture centered around community and time spent talking and hanging out before any big events.  To keep that culture intact, they started the festivities with cocktail hour instead of jumping straight into the ceremony.

Additionally, they wanted a unique ceremony in the round setup for all of their guests to feel included in the ceremony and not just observe. The team worked with them to get the setup just right to include the guests, highlight the views and bring their vision to life.  

Planning the outdoor wedding reception involved the most strategy.  For Georgia, keep in mind the changing weather and have a plan.  Spring or Fall can easily feel like Summer.  Having a backup plan (or 2) will help ensure you have a plan for a day you will fully enjoy no matter what Georgia weather throws at you.

Outdoor Wedding Planning Tips

Have a rain plan

In Georgia, cross your fingers and pray doesn’t work as a rain plan. No matter what season you choose (Spring or Fall), a pop up shower is a possibility.  Start with your ideal plan (no rain, perfect weather) with the tables outside, gorgeous florals and string lights overhead.  Then, talk through how you can transition if it rains.  Do you need a tent?  Is there a covered pavilion or indoor space that items can be transitioned into.

Make sure the rain plan is in place at least 30 days before the wedding day.  The more elaborate your reception plan is, the earlier you need to develop your rain plan.  Since Krystle was planning for large wooden farm tables which are hard to move, the rain plan was developed early on.  Her reception plan also included a beautiful lounge setup on the porch.  All of these items were laid out for the ideal outdoor reception and an indoor backup to make sure everything would work before rentals were finalized.

Consider the venue

There are lots of outdoor wedding venue options in Georgia.  Some are outdoor only.  These have no covered pavilion or indoor space.  Some may not have permanent restrooms.  These spaces often offer beautiful views and private locations.  Keep in mind the support structure (tents, restroom trailers, generators, etc.) that will be needed to support a celebration for a large group of people you love.

Some venues offer a middle option with a large covered pavilion and restrooms.  These help by offering shade and some weather protection.  Consider the time of year and if you will need to bring fans or outside heaters for the space.  You may want to add a tent with side walls for additional rain or weather protection.

Best case scenario is to find a venue with a gorgeous outdoor space and indoor support if needed.  The backup plan for Krystle and Sully’s outdoor wedding included moving the ceremony to the large covered porch overlooking the blueberry fields and flower gardens.  This would still provide a ceremony surrounded by natural beauty.  The dinner portion of reception would have been set up inside the barn with the large barn doors leading to the covered porch open to bring the outdoors inside.  The live band and dancing would be set up on the large porch.  Thankfully, the weather cooperated beautifully, but a lot of stress was handled early on by having the backup plan fully worked out.

Mother Nature in Georgia

When planning an outdoor wedding in Georgia, have items available for your guests’ comfort.  If natural shade is not available, consider a tent, popup umbrellas or individual sun shades.

Beautiful individual fans help keep a breeze moving (or a pesky fly away) and work as guest favors.

Include non-greasy bug spray and sunscreen for any guests not prepared for the Georgia outdoors.

Outdoor Wedding Reception Ideas

Ok, we’ve talked about the boring (but important) items to plan for, but how do you truly plan the best outdoor wedding in Georgia?  How do you take advantage of the natural beauty and create an event your guests will talk about for years?

Embrace the season

Start by working with the natural season and setting.  Krystle and Sully chose Spring for their outdoor wedding.

Krystle worked with Lauren of Blooming with Lauren to create gorgeous bouquets, aisle meadows and table décor that highlighted seasonal flowers in bright colors.  Her arrangements featured peonies, larkspur and snapdragons.  Many of these flowers could be found blooming throughout the landscape and gardens at the venue.

Related post: Best Local Flowers for your North Georgia Wedding

They worked with a local farm to table chef at 61 Main for a menu highlighting Spring flavors.  Spring flavors in North Georgia often include delicious salads filled with fresh lettuce and greens highlighted with sweet strawberries. Krystle and Sully included large family style platters of fresh baked breads along with salads on the farm tables to encourage the sense of community among their guests.

Their bar menu featured seasonal cocktails with freshly made mixers.  Along with signature cocktails, consider adding local wines or beers to your bar menu.  Make sure you have plenty of water and non-alcoholic beverages to keep your guests hydrated.

Casual Outdoor Wedding Reception Ideas

Outdoor weddings are great for a casual environment that encourages guests to mingle and interact with each other. Casual doesn’t have to mean casual attire or décor.  It’s more about the feeling of relaxation and time spent with your guests.

Some great ways to encourage this is by providing outdoor games for guests.  Casual games are a great way for guests who have met for the first time to interact and have something to do together.  You can use traditional outdoor games like bean bag toss games or giant jenga.  We have also seen some couples bring mini games (think checkers, connect 4, etc.) to place on cocktail tables.

Provide time to mingle

Krystle and Sully really wanted their guests to mingle and enjoy time together.  They built their timeline around this priority by placing the “cocktail hour” at the beginning of the event instead of the ceremony.  Working with your photographer is a key element to make sure you have time to spend with your guests, also.  Try to get as many photos done with the bridal party and close family as possible before guests arrive.  That way you can mingle with your guests and celebrate together.

Live Band

A live band is a great addition to an outdoor wedding.  This can be simple through one performer with an acoustic guitar, a small band with 3 – 4 members or a large 8 person band.  Fit the size and style of the band to your overall wedding vibe.  A wedding planner or experienced venue team is a big help in making sure the appropriate space, power and other requirements are available for your band.

Simple Outdoor Wedding Reception Ideas

The beauty of outdoor weddings (especially in North Georgia) is you can lean on the natural setting and keep the décor and items you add to it simple.

Using seasonal flowers like Krystle and Sully allows you to effortlessly blend the palettes of the season.  Choosing a garden venue or space with views to woodlands with blooming trees adds its own décor and reduces the budget you need to spend.

Consider a ground arch instead of a traditional arbor.  Blooming with Lauren brought Krytle’s vision to life with arrangements that mimicked a blooming garden for their ceremony.  The arrangements were repurposed to the farm tables for reception.

Let the cake be its own décor

Krystle and Sully’s cake needed no additional flowers or arrangements.  The gorgeous cake was its own work of art and highlighted the cake table all on its own.  

Use painted flowers or pressed edible flowers to decorate the cake.  Consider a painted cake using different colors of frosting in colors from your wedding palette.

Wedding Exit Ideas

Choose a wedding sendoff that works with your outdoor setting.  Many outdoor wedding venues in North Georgia are surrounded by farms or woodlands.  Georgia can also alternate between rainy and dry seasons.

Krystle and Sully’s choice of LED balloons were gorgeous in the photos taken at dark, but didn’t pose a fire risk like sparklers might.  They also stay lit for much longer which allows for lots of pictures and poses!

We can’t wait to see how you incorporate your outdoor wedding vision into a beautiful reality!  If you’re wondering about the best time for an outdoor wedding in Georgia, check out our post below!

Best Month for a North Georgia Wedding

Find more outdoor Pleasant Union Farm wedding photos here!