Have you ever seen the episode of Schitt’s Creek when they go to an escape room and everyone’s asked to hand over their phone before entering? Johnny spends the entire time fretting because he’s waiting for a really important phone call, so the moment they get out he rushes to get his phone back but no one else does because they already had their phones on them the entire time?

(why yes, I do love Schitt’s Creek)

Well, that’s like weddings right now. There are stupid rules in place that make almost no sense, and some of them do need to be adhered to because they’re law, but there’s also a lot of leeway. No one at any venue is absolutely going to force you and your entire wedding party to stay seated for 8+ hours! There are things like “dancing is discouraged”, but that’s a fairly meaningless statement.

A key takeaway from the latest round of guidance is that you can have a reasonably normal wedding as long as you do as much as you possibly can outside. Once you know the rules of the escape room (wedding guidance) and how to play (use the leeway that’s built in) you can get your phone back (have a brilliantly fun wedding)!

Outdoor Ceremonies

Indoor ceremonies require masks, but the same cannot be said for outdoors. If you’d rather see your guests actual faces and not have a see of masks, you could consider having an outdoor ceremony led by either a celebrant or a close friend. This way, you have much more leeway to celebrate each other in a meaningful way. You could absolutely schedule this at your venue, after your legal ceremony has taken place.

Fun + Games

Sunshine and booze is not a great combo, so distract your guests with fun games and things to do. You could have a pub quiz, board games, little activities. Or you could let folks get off their seats with beer runs (like in the picture), coits, coconut shies, massive jenga…go for it! Guests always make these things work brilliantly.

The Right Size

Last year I only shot one wedding before we were restricted to 30 people or less. Since then, I’ve shot several weddings but only 3 used the full numbers available to them. The truth is that the size of your wedding is really down to you. If you don’t want to invite all and sundry, you don’t have to. Venues calendars are seriously stacked for the next few years, so they’re being incredibly flexible now with wedding numbers right now. If you had mentally adjusted to 30 or less that’s your call. And if you want a big wedding, have one.

Embrace the weather

We live in Britain. It rains. But we’re used to it! In the words of my very wise and only sometimes inebriated mother, you won’t dissolve if you get wet. Embrace the rain if it’s forecast. Marquees, tents, tipis, umbrellas, tarpaulins, ponchos…I’ve seen them all deployed on wedding days. It’s character building. It also makes for amazing photos if you’re up for having a dance in the rain.

Live music

Nothing gets an atmosphere going like live music! If you want people up and dancing and you’re happy to do it all outside, please consider a live musician over a playlist. Not only are you helping to sustain a key part of the wedding industry, your wedding reception will feel like a mini gig. And who’s ready for one of those?

Your photos will look gorgeous

Outdoor light is always amazing. Whether it’s early morning haze, sunset glow or barely there twilight, I love shooting outdoors. Incorporating the landscape is something I love to do, and despite shooting in many gorgeous historic buildings, many of the couples I work with prefer to have their couple shots taken outdoors. Our feelings are tied so much to particular locations, why not embrace this aspect of your wedding day?

Creative booze solutions

Being outdoors all presents some problems that need solving - for one, how do you keep the beer cold? This particular tipi wedding couple grabbed some bags of ice and poured them into a kayak, then stuck their booze in there. The same works for barrels and wheelbarrows!

Make it festival!

How awesome are festivals? I’m not talking about the stinking toilets and half collapsed tents from the messy days spent at Leeds festival, but the colours and vibes of Glasto. You have carte blanche to recreate your entire wedding to be a mini festival! The wedding lover in me is brimming with joy! If you’re going to spend a huge amount of your day outdoors then that means you can decorate the outdoors. Bunting, flags, festoon lights - go for it!

Dance outdoors

In an interesting twist, dancing isn’t banned but dancefloors are. Dancing outdoors is ‘advised against’ but it’s not against the law. And couples have always been allowed a first dance. Everything in me is screaming dance outside. It looks epic, especially if you make a feature of it! And yes, your guests can join in.

However you choose to celebrate your wedding this summer, I know it’ll be amazing. Weddings are always beautiful. They’re always joyful.

Go and enjoy yourselves.

You deserve it.