Planning any event can be fun and exhilarating, but an outdoor event can be extra special. Whether you’re planning a garden party, a picnic, or a wedding ceremony, hosting in the great outdoors offers a fun and unique experience.
However, if you want your event to be successful, it might take a little more planning and preparation than if you were hosting in the comfort of your home.
To ensure that your outdoor event goes off without a hitch, here are some important things you need to be prepared for.
Venue Selection
Before anything else, you need to secure your venue, and picking the perfect spot is critical! You’ll need to consider factors like accessibility, parking space, and proximity to amenities.
You will also want to keep your theme and aesthetics in mind – pick a location that suits your event’s theme, vibe, and purpose and offers some stunning views to add to the ambiance. You might pick a pretty park, a picturesque beachfront, or a simple, pretty garden, depending on what you’re hosting and what sort of feeling you’re looking for.
Pest Control
An important thing that you’ll need to think about when it comes to an outdoor event is the fact that you’ll be out in the great outdoors – which usually comes with bugs. These unwelcome guests can quickly turn a lovely gathering into a nuisance.
You could set up citronella candles or provide bug repellent spray to your guests, or if you’re in an area near a river or you’ve just noticed a lot of mosquitos, then you might need to hire a mosquito fogging service before your event.
You’ll also need to be on top of your waste management to avoid attracting any more unfriendly critters to your party.
Permits and Regulations
Make sure that you do your research and acquire any necessary permits or licenses you may need for hosting your event. When it comes to outdoor public spaces, regulations might be more complicated than hiring a normal venue.
For example, an outdoor wedding will require different regulations than a traditional chapel ceremony. Make sure you look online for any info you can find, and speak to authorities in your area, too, before fully committing to a venue and realizing later on that you need a permit.
Safety Measures
Another thing to remember is that there may be more safety considerations when your event is hosted outdoors. Safety should always be a top priority, so you could conduct a mini risk assessment before your event to determine what measures should be put in place.
You might consider monitoring fire hazards, ensuring you have proper lighting, and keeping a first aid kit on site in case of any emergencies – but this is good practice for indoor events as well!
Comfort and Facilities
Making sure that your guests are comfortable is a pretty pivotal part of hosting a successful event.
You’ll need to arrange for appropriate seating options depending on the type of event you’re hosting – think outdoor dining, comfy chairs, blankets, and cushions, etc. You should also ensure that you’re set up close by to clean restroom facilities (or hire a portable one!) and that guests can park a reasonable distance from the event.
If your event is hosted during the day, you should also make sure that there will be ample shade so your guests don’t roast away in the sun.
Catering and Refreshments
Finally, you’ll need to think about catering, and this can be a little tricker outside than in a traditional venue. Keep in mind that at an outdoor event, you might not have access to refrigerators or warmers, so you’ll need to make a different plan. Discuss your catering ideas with the catering company and see what their suggestions are in terms of hot and cold foods.
If you’re working on a tight party budget, you can choose to do the catering yourself – but be careful to ensure that you prepare foods that can stand out in the open for a few hours without spoiling.
Final Thoughts
All in all, event planning should be fun, not stressful, so don’t let all these preparations get you frazzled! With this list as your sidekick, you can rest assured that you will be completely prepared for anything Mother Nature has to throw at you and that your event will be a success.
Now you can get to the fun part and actually plan the event of your dreams!
