Outdoor Mountain Wedding Tips from Weather to Lighting
Unlike most urban areas, Southwest Colorado has the wonderful advantage of being able to host a variety of outdoor mountain wedding locations. Most likely, this is why Durango, Telluride, Silverton, Ouray, Pagosa Springs, and several other mountain towns in this area have become such popular destination wedding spots. Which ever location you are planning on, there are a few things to take into consideration in planning an outdoor mountain wedding.
Hosting a wedding outdoors can create an amazing, memorable day for you and your guests. It can also offer an interesting host of simple to complex challenges. These are things that we have noticed over the many years and just offer them up as simple suggestions or even possible solutions. Some of them are related to photography, but it all has to do with you having an amazing wedding day. Simply put, great pictures originate from our couples looking and feeling great and being relaxed as the day moves along!
LOCATION:
One of the first things we suggest in choosing an exterior location is to consider how rugged do you (and your guest) want to go? There are some wedding facilities that are outdoors, yet have all of the charm and amenities that one would expect at an indoor location (shelter, heat, bathrooms, changing rooms, kitchen). Some outdoor locations are simply a beautiful meadow with amazing views. That's it. Finally, there are some locations that are somewhere in between. Meaning, it might have some facilities to take care of you and your guests.
If you're choosing a rather rugged location, the next questions are how to take care of everyone and what if it rains? For this, you might find you are into renting a tent, hiring portable bathrooms, renting a generator for electricity, and a way to heat the tent. While we have been to some amazing weddings in the middle of nowhere, you can see that the amount of work can add up quickly! For this type of wedding, we recommend immediately calling one of the local party rental businesses.
There is no right answer here. We simply suggest that you begin to consider a few of these issues and you'll soon come to the right decisions for you and your guests!
WEATHER:
Most days in Southwest Colorado are sunny and gorgeous and you can have an outdoor wedding without a single drop of rain. However, there are those afternoon storms that can roll in during the later summer season. We call this the monsoons. Typically, this season begins in mid July and can last through August. Not to worry though! A common afternoon shower will hit hard and last for a short time, typically around 20 minutes. If your desire is to have an outdoor wedding, your guests will be gracious and support that by waiting and enjoying each other's company. We've even seen a few cocktail hours start early to accommodate changing weather. A side note to rain is that it often clears the particles in the air and makes for some gorgeous, crisp photography!
LIGHTING:
Also related to the world of photography is the issue of outdoor lighting. We encourage you to plan your wedding at whatever time of day you would like and we have noticed that those weddings planned in the middle of the day can create some problems. The first issue is harsh shadows. If the groom is trying to gaze into his bride's eyes and there is no shade and it is the brightest and hottest time of the day, we have a lot of shots of either one of you squinting, not being able to connect, and actually look at each other with hard shadows on your faces from the direct overhead light of the sun. Additionally, the heat of the day can be uncomfortable for you and your guests. We recommend ceremonies in either the morning hours or in the late afternoon as the light becomes softer.
POSITIONING:
Having an outdoor ceremony allows for a lot of freedom in using as much space as you want for setting up the ceremony. We invite you to use the space and be creative with it! That said, we ask that you consider how your bodies will be positioned in relation to the sun. Often , couples will go for the most amazing background behind them, understandably so. The often overlooked issue is that of the sun. Will the sun be directly in the bride's face, having her squint with hard shadows as she's trying to see her partner? If one of you has to take the hit, it's better to be the groom, sorry guys. Typically what that means is that the bride will be beautifully backlit. One other piece about positioning is to make sure that your officiant is not right on top of the two of you. This makes it difficult to get "clean" shots of the two of you while at the altar. Additionally, you might want to put markers on the ground (we've seen planners use golf tees!) to mark the positions for your wedding party. This ensures a beautifully symmetrical shot when we pull back to photography the whole scene!
SHOES:
Another advantage to an outdoor wedding is the diversity in getting to choose your shoes. Isn't that fun? I don't know about you, but it is all about the shoes! Just kidding. This piece of the article is directed more to the ladies. Nice thing about Durango, Colroado, is that years ago we were voted one of the worst dressed cities in America. With that said, yes, here, you can get away with wearing your Birkenstocks and socks down the aisle if you want. If you are one of those people choosing that, this conversation is not for you. Something to keep in mind around choosing shoes for the outdoor wedding is comfort and practicality. Many locations here have grassy lawns, steep slopes, or wooded fields to walk through. If you feel you can walk comfortably in heels, go for it. What we have noticed is that most women who prefer to wear heels have more attention on looking down to the ground instead of making eye contact with that special guy waiting for them at the end of the aisle. We have seen lots of great shoes, from bling, bling flip flops, to red boots, to white Keds, to elegant flats, and beautiful heels. Whatever your style, just try to keep in mind your comfort and practicality in being able to comfortably walk down the aisle. A second pair of shoes for the reception might also by the right thing for you. Why not have more than one pair?
HYDRATION:
If you are coming from out of town, whether you are the lucky bride and groom or the fortunate family and friends of the couple, one of the first things to keep in mind is to stay hydrated. Here in beautiful Durango, Colorado we are at an elevation of 6512 ft. Telluride is even higher at 8,750 ft. Most people think that drinking water when they first get here may make a difference. It is best for you and your family and guests to start to hydrate a few days before arriving into Durango. The mixture of the altitude, beautiful sunny days, fun-filled activities, and occasional drinking alcohol add to being dehydrated. Oh, and don't forget that awesome cup of morning coffee at one our local coffee spots! Nothing is worse then arriving to your wedding weekend to find oneself laid up on the couch with hangover like symptoms the entire time they are here.
SUNSCREEN:
Don't forget your sunscreen. Similar to hydration, the elevation in Durango causes us to have more intense exposure to the sun. We recommend that you try to remember your sunscreen for all those beautiful exposed skin areas, wedding day or not!
