A South Dakota outdoor wedding or wedding reception can give a couple the chance to express themselves like no other venue. Perhaps you are fun and laid back, a picnic theme may be your thing. Maybe you are elegant and classy, so a day garden party complete china and crystal surrounded by natural flowers is your dream. If you plan on an outdoor wedding and reception at a public venue, such as Great Bear Ski Valley, Tuthill Park or the Japanese Gardens in Sioux Falls, book early and learn the regulations.

If possible, visit your venue a year in advance to your wedding. Look at the perennial flowers and plants, as these will probably still be there at the time of your wedding. Talk to the City Parks and Recreation staff about logistics such as tables, chairs, music, food and drinks. Your event may require a sound permit, which is relatively inexpensive, or an alcohol permit. Think of every possible question – Are tents allowed? Do we have exclusive rights to any available shelters? Where can the service take place? Where can we have food services? How many parking places are there? Are the areas you plan on using handicapped accessible? Can we have candle? Can we move/remove picnic tables? We can be begin set-up? How soon does the event need to be broken down?  How is clean up handled?  – and get all the answers in writing. Using those answers build a plan that will put all the logistics in place so that your walk down the aisle is flawless.

 The logistics for an outdoor wedding are very different from an indoor one, but with proper planning and preparation, the payoffs (both in budgetary terms and in term of being a memorable event) can be huge.