By Georgina Clatworthy

A garden makes for a beautiful venue for a summer wedding and it is worth being creative with the way in which you plan your garden wedding reception to help you make the most of it.  Gardens can lend themselves to a number of potential wedding themes or use them to create a stylish and memorable backdrop to your wedding day.

Your first consideration needs to be the venue itself.  Private and public gardens are all available for weddings or just for a reception site, the tricky part for you is knowing whether or not a potential site is big enough to accommodate your guests, tables, chairs and any entertainment you want put on.  Finding garden venues which regularly host wedding receptions will give you some idea as to the numbers that can be accommodated and the size you will need to enable all your plans!

Next you will need to think about having a marquee or whether you will chance the weather and have an open air reception.  A combination of both is the ideal scenario and you could have your wedding breakfast out in the open air and use the marquee as a retreat when the cooler evening sets in.  Marquee’s are a cost effective alternative to a traditional bricks and mortar venue and can give you the best of both worlds should find a beautiful garden venue.

Location will be another key factor in your decision making.  As with any reception venue it shouldn’t be located too far from your ceremony venue and should be easily accessible for your guests, particularly any who are elderly or disabled.  A location which is difficult to find could see you short on many of your wedding guests when you arrive at the reception!

You will also need to consider other practicalities, such as bathroom facilities, electric, water and noise from other sources.  Think about where to site your marquee (if having one), where your caterers will set up and serve the food from, where your evening entertainment will be and how you will arrange your tables, chairs and other furniture.

You may also be able to have your wedding ceremony at a garden venue which can save you time and money by having both your ceremony and reception in one location.  However, with your venue set up for the ceremony, you will need somewhere for you and your guests to retreat to so that the reception can be set up ready for the wedding breakfast.  It is therefore important that you find a venue which is large enough to be ’separated’ into various areas where you and your guests can go as each element of the wedding day is being set up.

A garden wedding reception is a wonderful way to celebrate your wedding but you will need to think carefully about the logistics and practicalities of any venue before making a final decision.  There are many garden venues available that regularly play host to weddings or you could take a leap of faith and choose a site that has never played to host to such an occasion. 

One final consideration is the time of year of your wedding.  One particular feature of gardens is the foliage – plants and flowers which grown in it.  Find out how the garden will look on your wedding day – will it be in full bloom, and awash with color or will the flowering season be over and the plants be looking decidedly past their best?  Formal flower gardens will work best for a late spring and summer wedding; whilst tree lined parks create a wonderful backdrop for fall and winter weddings.

By Georgina Clatworthy

With many couples choosing to get married in the warmer spring and summer months it is no surprise that a garden is a popular wedding venue and forms the basis for many wedding themes.  So when it comes to finding garden wedding favors you should have plenty of inspiration to help you.

Here are my top ten garden inspired wedding favors to help you along!

1. Flower seeds – these have a popular choice for wedding favors for some time now.  Choose seeds that match flowers you have used for your wedding or that match flowers found in your garden venue, particularly if that garden is award winning or contains some special varieties or specimens.  You can package them in paper bags, packet style bags, fabric bags or stylish aluminum tins.  Remember to let your guests know what type of seeds they are and offer up some growing guidelines as well.
2. Garden selection – staying with the seeds theme you could give your guests several varieties of plant, flower, herb or even vegetable seeds.  A nice idea I have seen has different seed type presented in mini tins (lip balm size) which are then nestled inside a larger tin.  There is a pretty custom label on top and a set of instructions on how to grow inside.
3. Potted plants – you can buy many varieties of potted plant from garden centers and even supermarkets.  Popular varieties include miniature roses, gerbera’s and African violets.  If you are green fingered then you could have a go at growing your own, just make sure you plant the seeds early enough for them to have grown to a reasonable size by the time your wedding day arrives!
4. Gardening guides – check out wholesalers and book stores for mini gardening books which can make inspiring favors to your guests.
5. Scented sachets – these are dear little items which many people will put in drawers or hag in closets.  They are fabric bags filled with lavender seeds or pot pourri and make great inexpensive wedding favors.  These are also very easy to make yourself with some fabric scraps and a shaped template.
6. Candles – candles are popular favors for any type of wedding, however citronella candles are particularly suited to a garden wedding.  Citronella will ward off bugs and flies when lit which makes them great for those who like to sit outdoors in the evening sunshine – the time of day when the bugs are most active!  Look out for floral scented candles or those shaped like flowers.  Alternatively tea lights or votives can be presented in stylish garden themed holders.
7. Edibles – treat your guests to some luxurious handmade chocolates shaped roses or other garden themed shapes. An alternative to this is cookies which can be shaped and iced in a variety of themes.  If you prefer candy then look for flower and butterfly shaped candies, which you can mix with other candy shapes and chocolates.  Honey makes a lovely spring wedding favor and is well suited to a garden wedding.  Look for manufacturers that can offer you custom labels on the jars as well to personalize your favors.  Alternatively check out the favor stores for pretty honey pots and matching server sets.
8. Birds nests – these are a lovely favor idea for a spring wedding in particular and will suit a garden theme.  Look for novelty birds nests which you can find at florist stores and wholesalers and add some chocolate eggs to them or fill with candies.
9. Floral decorations – if you wanted to go down the traditional favor route and give boxes of chocolates or almonds, then decorate your favor boxes with silk or paper flower heads.  You could use fresh flowers if you wanted although you will need to add them at the last minute and take steps to make sure they don’t go brown or wilt.
10. Windmills – these are my favorite garden wedding favor idea.  Look for someone who can custom make them for your or find a kit and template to make your own.  Custom made mini windmills can have your names and wedding date printed inside the windmill and can be made to match your wedding colors.  They make pretty additions to any garden when placed in pots or flower beds and are sent spinning with the breeze.