New Zealand offers many exotic outdoor wedding locations such as white sand beaches, snow capped mountains, lakes, rivers which all provide a beautiful backdrop for weddings.  It is not surprising that people travel from around the world to have their wedding in this country, and many New Zealanders are making the most of our natural surroundings.  If you do choose to go outdoors for your ceremony there are some things you need to consider:

The Weather!  Always have a "Plan B".  What is the heaven's open up and there is a thunderstorm on the day?  What would you do if the wind sweeps everyone off their feet? Plan B should include what you would do if the weather closes in.  It may be as simple as having umbrellas available for everyone including the Bridal Party (if you have umbrellas you may want to choose the same colour and style to match your wedding.  They can look great in photos!).  Or, you may want to pre-book an alternative indoor venue.  Let your guests know what will happen if there is bad weather, otherwise, you may get a lot of phone calls on the day!

Sound.  This often gets overlooked, but it is amazing how much background noise is generated by small lapping waves on a sandy beach.  Throw in a good sea breeze and it can be difficult for the guests to hear what anyone is saying.  Many celebrants have their own portable sound systems and it pays to check with them if this will be available for your wedding.  If not, it would be worth hiring one to make sure that everyone can hear the ceremony.

Lastly, if you are having your wedding in a public location, consider the timing of your wedding to ensure that you are not going to get crowded out by lots of other people enjoying the same location on the day.  Busy times for beaches are late morning and early afternoon, so a late afternoon wedding may work better.  If you are having your wedding in a public reserve or national park it also pays to check with the local council if you can hold your wedding in the location you have chosen as you may be required to apply for a special license to hold a wedding there.