The light breeze swishing about leaves and flowers, gentle butterflies wafting in and around, the light sun bringing a brilliant blush on the brides face: all this makes a garden wedding very alluring.
Arrangements
The arrangements for a garden wedding have to be perfect to make it a success. Erect a platform with a canopy for the main mantap or the altar for the wedding. This should be visible to all the people sitting around in the garden. Arrange the chairs for the guests so that they converge around the mantap. If you are having a Christian wedding, arrange them such that all the guests are sitting on one side of the altar. Also, while arranging the chairs, ensure that they are all on even ground so nobody needs to have an embarrassing fall from a chair.
The canopy covering the mantap should be a nice and flowy material, so that the breeze is able to stir it. Put in a few canopies or big umbrellas around, so your guests can choose to go under some shade. Alternatively you can arrange for round tables under umbrellas, so your guests don't have to venture out into the Sun at all.
An evening wedding out in the garden will also be beautiful. Just make sure that you have enough lights so that guests can see what's going on.
The music being played should be something light and pleasing. Keep a separate canopy for the musicians so they can seat themselves there. A soft sitar or a light orchestra will be ideal. You can also arrange for a piano forte to be placed under the canopy.
Decorations
Decorating for a garden wedding is a pleasure in itself. Make the most of the greenery outside to add beauty to your wedding. Bring in a lot of flowers and bouquets to decorate the mantap. You can also hang wind chimes on the trees around to bring in a pleasant sound.
If you are having an evening wedding, arrange for some globe lamps or lanterns to be hung from trees. Stars in the night sky will do more than enough to decorate your wedding.
Food
Let the food be a mixture of piping hot and cold cuisine. Keep a corner for cheeses and wines and another for hot chats. Ensure that there is a cold soup and a hot one. Serve a cold cheesecake and hot jalebis. Keep the guests busy by passing around either Jaljeera or cold mojitos. You can also go for a bar which fuses Indian and Western drinks to give you cocktails like Jaljeera Martinis, Spiked Coconut water etc.
Have a great garden wedding!
Author Resource:
Shaadi Invite is a online wedding planning site, which offers local wedding guides,free wedding websites and many other features for engaged couples.