Everyone loves a nice outdoor wedding, right?  Cool breeze, not too hot of air, 0% humidity and there are NO bugs.  Well, this is Alabama and none of those things happen around here, y'all.  (If you know me, you know that y'all is foreign word on my lips but it was very appropriate here.)

Please, PLEASE if you are having an outdoor wedding at dusk, provide some mosquito spray to your guests.  Or better yet, hire one of those services to come and spray the location the day before. Everyone is miserable when they are covered with a zillion mosquitos!  We have even picked out mosquitos that have been caught in the bride's veil.  How romantic.  

Photo courtesy of Kelli + Daniel Taylor Photography

You don't see if often, and of course, it wouldn't work in a church, but for an outside ceremony, it is PERFECT!  After you say "I do" and share your first kiss as husband and wife, your guests throw rose petals or lavender as you exit the ceremony!  

So many wonderful things about this. The first is that you don't have to worry about having enough guests to "fill the picture" at the end of the reception.  Everyone knows that your guest count will dwindle as the evening progresses.  I say that your older guests tend to leave right after you have your 1st dance and cut the cake.  

For your photographer and videographer, they (we) will be excited because the lighting will be excellent if you leave after the ceremony!  

Photo courtesy of Morgan Trinker Photography

And although I don't recommend this, but we have done it a couple of times in twelve years, it does allow you to stay and continue to party and have shorter hours for your photog and videog.  The times when we have done this is when the couple is not planning on a traditional going away from the reception, their reception could even be at a hotel and they just plan to ride upstairs.  They might have tons of friends and family from out of state that they don't get to see very often and really want to stay and play.  (or go to the hotel bar afterwards)  

We like to tell the story of the wedding day so having a formal going away at the reception helps with the natural flow of the video.  But our solution is to do a great "last dance" before your vendors leave.  It is a perfect way to end the day!