Wedding rules in the UK are a strange and mysterious thing. There are all kinds of rules and regulations about what constitutes a legal wedding and where it can take place, and perhaps the strangest is that (in England at least) a wedding must take place under a fixed and permanent roof, making it impossible to have a truly outdoor wedding. There are ways around this of course (and the rules are set to change soon) and it’s one reason why bandstands have become popular as wedding venues, but are outdoor ceremonies a good idea or is it better just to stick to the traditional indoor route?
Time to find out!
Outdoor Vs Indoor
In the Red Corner, fighting for the outdoor ceremony, she’s a documentary photographer who uses only natural or available light and it don’t get much more natural than direct sunlight, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”
In the Blue Corner, fighting to keep it indoors (well he has spent many years working in theatres where daylight was rarely glimpsed) it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.
FIGHT!!
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Dom: The first thing most people do to make their wedding ceremony venue look really beautiful is to bring in natural elements – flowers, garlands, sometimes even trees! Why not save yourself all that effort (and money) and get married surrounded by the full beauty of nature?
Matt: **WARNING: UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR ABOUT TO BE MADE**
The weather in the UK is a little unpredictable. Getting married in driving wind, rain and (based on this year at least) snow isn’t all that appealing. You can’t really plan ahead for what the weather is going to be like on your day and so going for an outdoor wedding is a very risky plan.
Dom: I think the key is to have a backup plan. Choose a venue that has facilities for both an outdoor or indoor ceremony so that if the weather’s bad you can move indoors. That way you’re safe either way.
Matt: It’s not just the weather actually on the day that can be a problem – if your guests are sitting out on the grass and it’s rained in the last few days it might get muddy or the ground might be too soft for all the ladies dressed up in their high heels.
Dom: Again there are ways around this – if it is taking place on grass you can still lay an outdoor carpet down the aisle to make it easy for the guests (and the bride) to get to their seats. Practical and pretty!
Matt: It’s not just the weather that can cause problems, a solitary bee can cause chaos at a wedding! Imagine saying “I do” whilst half your guests are looking in the air and cowering from a winged terror! Or what if the guests have hay fever? Those tissues might be needed for more reasons than just the emotion of the ceremony!
Dom: Although you can’t get married completely outside in England you can in the beautiful landscape of Scotland or indeed for many destination weddings. You also have the option to complete the legalities in a separate smaller ceremony which means you can have the main ceremony completely outside however your want it.
Matt: Your wedding is a massively private event and it’s much easier to keep it that way if you’re holding the ceremony inside. Unless it’s in a private garden then people may well be looking on or even coming and almost joining the guests in watching proceedings and you can end up feeling very self conscious.
Dom: Getting married outside opens up so many opportunities that are just so different from traditional weddings! Imagine getting married on the beach at sunset (the rules on timings do now allow a sunset wedding) or getting married in a forest. Being outside in beautiful natural light can just be amazing (and lead to some EPIC wedding photos!)
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So those are our points but which side do you fall on? Outdoor or Indoor? You can register your opinion by voting below or leaving a comment!
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images by York Place Studios
