Recently, I just finished coordinating a beautiful fall outdoor ranch wedding outside of San Antonio, Texas. The planning had taken over a year by the bride and I was hired about 3 months out to coordinate the day of. The ranch she had her reception at was originally owned by her grandfather who had passed away. He had wished for one of his grandchildren to have their reception there and his wish came true! It was a really special day for the entire family.
My bride was very DIY when it came to décor. She had a vision in her head and knew to make it just the way she wanted she needed to create it herself. If you are crafty I say, “Go for it!” You can save a lot of money and get exactly what you want by making it yourself. But, please give yourself extra time to do this. Even with all her planning, well in advance, she was still scrambling for help the night and morning of trying to complete her projects. Who wants to stress that close to their wedding? You can also hire a wedding coordinator to assist you in these tasks at hand.
Be sure to book your vendors well in advance (6-8 months) and be sure to follow up at least 1 month prior to ensure your order is correct. Two weeks before the wedding, we learned that the bathroom company didn’t have her order on file for some reason and we were frantically trying to ensure having a bathroom even up to 2 days prior to the reception. There are so many items to figure in when having a wedding on a ranch with nothing but land. Here are several points to remember:
1. Tent – does it need flaps, heat or fans for the weather expected? Will it be big enough to hold all your guests, dance floor, DJ & band, other vendors (caterer, bartenders, etc.)? Having a CAD drawing is crucial.
2. Bathrooms – Do you want a comfort bathroom with 2-4 stalls?
3. Electricity – Do you need to rent generators?
4. Water – Do you have a water source?
5. Tables, chairs, bars, dance floor, linens, china
6. Parking area – Do you have some of the land cleared for parking?
7. Decor
8. Large cleared out grassy area with no weeds for tent (need to maintain this space up until the wedding) and prepare for bugs (spray the area)
There’s a lot to consider, isn’t there? Don’t forget to prepare for the weather and have heaters/fans/additional tents on standby so they are available to you if needed. If you wait until the last minute they will be rented out and then what will you do?
Lastly, you need to think about your budget when planning a wedding of this caliber. It will probably cost you more than a typical reception at a venue for all the items you need to consider for. The venues already have all those items in place.
If you need help with planning your wedding and where to get the items needed for an outdoor wedding please contact Trudy Scott with Royalty Event Parties, 210-595-9263 or info@royaltyeventparties.com. I’m here to help with coordinating, planning your honeymoon and ordering invitations/stationery.
The 2nd and last photos were provided by The Wedding Shoppe.
Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Nassau, Bahamas to become certified in Sandals Weddingmoons. Basically, it means their wedding and honeymoon options. I have traveled all over and I must say that this was THE BEST resort I have ever stayed at. Not only was the resort beautiful and offered so many amenities but the staff was extraordinary! I was even welcomed with champagne at check in!!
What I learned the most from my stay was the value guests receive at Sandals and Beaches. Everything is included during your stay…delicious food, premium liquor, large beautiful rooms, gratuity, lots of land and water sport options, daily entertainment & so much more! The value is point on for the price! You could even choose to have your own personal butler for a luxury stay in a Butler Category!
If you are a bride that wants more involvement with the planning to create a look and style specifically for you, Sandals offers that option as well. The easiest way is to use the Planning Tool of 6 simple steps on the Sandals website. 
Sandals also offers other specials. Please take a look at 
Make sure you get every business transaction in writing. This is very crucial! I had a bride, in the past, that hired a mariachi band for her ceremony and cocktail hour. I asked her for the contract so I could review it and she hadn’t signed one. They said they were good for it. WRONG! I insisted she get something in writing from them. They put together a vague one page sheet and guess what….they couldn’t do the ceremony at the last minute. It ended up working out after she said she wouldn’t use them at all if they didn’t come to the ceremony. However, their contract didn’t outline each and every location of service. She asked for a more detailed contract and could never get one from them. Be sure all specifics are laid out in the contract in writing! If they don’t offer you a contract then walk away!
Read the fine print. Inquire about additional fees they might be trying to sneak in. If you do not agree with them then ask that they be taken off. Most vendors will want your business and be open to this. Also be sure that all the details of their service and what was agreed upon is stated in the contract. I had a bride attend a bridal show and sign a lengthy & well drawn out contract that day so she would receive the show special, a free keg. The day of the wedding there was no keg and I asked where it was. They were not aware of the keg because they had failed to mention the show special on the contract and had forgotten it. They ended up running to the store and bought canned beer instead.