Outdoor wedding/camping and rain (how to keep guests warm and dry)

[weddingplannc]

We've had a whirlwind of planning our wedding and it has all come together (thanks to so many of you who have helped!). It will be next Saturday, 200 guests in a series of marquees in the grounds of my parents smallholding. Roughly 60 guests also planned to camp.

I did not consider the possibility of rain. It is now very much forecast. (Yes, this was stupid!)

The most important thing to me is that our guests will be warm and dry but I don't know how I can achieve that. The whole thing has been very DIY so no one to go to necessarily.

Any ideas? What would you appreciate as a guest in these circumstances?

Honestly, I'm happy to throw money at the situation at the moment just to ensure that everyone isn't entirely miserable and freezing.

Please hit me with your ideas. And thank you in advance

Can you get in patio heaters or mushroom heaters? Definitely make sure your marquees are fully enclosed and also ask the company if they can provide heaters.

Gazebo style tents outside for smokers? And maybe a few big gazebos / event shelters pitched around the tents to help the campers?

What's the dress code - you sound pretty relaxed could you make it quite informal so everyone can focus on warm and dry rather than Sunday best?

Look into trackway and / or event flooring suppliers locally to cover the approaches into the fields and also main pathways to marquees / loos etc otherwise grass quickly turns to mud.

Bails of hay or camping chairs under gazebos plus some fire pits and blankets for chill out areas??

Extra blankets for campers to have under and on top of sleeping bags makes a big difference.

A large firepit with seating around it was needed at our wedding once the evening cooled. We had no rain but the fire was the focus for the party for the campers in the small wee hours.

Breakfast tent - get some caterers in to serve hot bacon rolls and coffee in the morning to the campers, in one of the marquees.

Lots of umbrella (you can sell them on afterwards).
Outdoor/space heaters.
Don't forget that the paths outside will get muddy if not protected in some way.

If you have a festival vibe going on you can provide rain capes.
If you are a bit more formal you could do a pashmina basket.

consider some sort of covered walkway to the loos.

And something like "don't forget your wellies!" in any last minute blurb. It gives people permission to take their heels off, and high heels and mud are such a dreadful combo.

Someone (or a few) knowledgeable people to make sure that tents are put up correctly (to avoid leaking in the rain).
Camp beds for those staying the night (not sleeping on the ground is much warmer and much less risky from a damp perspective).
Hot drinks available the whole time.
Minimise the time waiting around - if there is time with nothing planned then make sure it is in a warm and sheltered location.
Agree with the trackway to stop mud developing (old pallets could be used and covered in straw for a festival feel).
Fairy lights and solar lights guiding the way at night.
Lots of torches available (nothing worse than not being able to see where you are going in the rain).
Alcohol for the beer jacket effect.

You may well find that many of that 60 are frantically ringing round to book a local b and b if they too have seen the weather, so may be worth seeing if you can get a vague idea of numbers, so you know how many you are looking to cater for.

I am normally very 'pro guest' in wedding situations, but I honestly don't view their decision to camp - or their comfort - as your responsibility.

And something like "don't forget your wellies!" in any last minute blurb. It gives people permission to take their heels off, and high heels and mud are such a dreadful combo.

Definitely this! As a guest I'd be more than happy to attend the wedding of someone I care about no matter the weather but I wouldn't want to upset the bride & groom by dressing inappropriately. I'd really just appreciate being told if it rains then wellies are welcomed

The ground is going to be drenched if it rains most of this week. Have you gone for a raised marquee with decent flooring?

Wondering if your camping guests will even be able to pitch up if the floor is completely soaking, it would be so messy and miserable but it'll be for them to make other arrangements. They're probably scouring air b&b as we speak!

Buy a load of golf umbrellas for a start. Ditto blankets. That way people can wrap up inside and huddle under brollies to dash from place to place outside.

Are you hiring the marquees? If so talk to the company about heating. If not, try to find somewhere that will hire heaters to you directly. Firepits are great for a cold & dry outdoors but no good if it's pissing down, few people will want to stand around a fire in the rain.

Warm drinks. If it's cold & miserable I'd much rather have a mulled wine or mulled cider than a glass of pimms or prosecco.

Definitely let people know they should bring their wellies!

Make sure there are lots of umbrellas to get to the loos and matting inside the marquee door to prevent people slipping. One friends wedding it was like an ice rink.

Where are people parking? Something to stop them getting stuck in mud or find alternative parking off the grass would be helpful.

Have a great day regardless.

If it's a small-holding, do you have any barns etc? Brushed out, lined with straw/plenty of straw bales = pretty cosy alternative to camping in a wet tent.

I second walkways with tracks to stop the mud, loos etc under cover? Even gazebos covers just to keep going in and out less wet and yuck.

Large enclosed communal areas, especially if there will be kids there. An area with colouring book, games seating etc and steam to make hot drinks etc... I'd buy a load of cheap hot water bottles as well.. unusual wedding favors 😂

Not steam to make hot drinks.... kettles! Few kettles with hot chocolate, tea and coffee!

I wondered at first if this post was a week old as some poor sod had their wedding at Newburgh priory in N Yorks on Saturday when it never stopped raining.
What a miserable day it was.
We went for a visit on the Sunday and it was glorious
Such a shame as it will cost a fortune.

OP, back again, was just thinking of your big day as I tried to get the garden furniture covered from the rain which has been all day and garden cushions are now probably ruined.

Have you considered trying to find somewhere indoors, a hall, as a contingency option? Somewhere my be able to hire quite cheaply as short notice and you could bring your catering / do everything you'd already planned? Totally not ideal but this weather is a bit crazy.

Thank you for your responses! Sorry I didn't come back to the thread all day, I've been working and then brainstorming with my mum (she's so organised, thank god).

Dress code: has always been relaxed. We would expect everyone is appropriately dressed for church but if guests want to change into bloody pjs for the reception we don't care. Will reiterate that to guests this week.

Parking will be okay, 'neighbours' are allowing us the use of their car park, but quite a few are sharing mini buses etc so not too many cars to contend with.

If it's an ABSOLUTE washout and tents can't be pitched etc, there would be space for campers to stay with family and friends if needed (people have offered!) in spare rooms/sofas/floors etc.

Largest marquee was put up yesterday so that is at least "ready", there is also a outbuilding currently not in use that we could also use (but it is still cold and although definitely not 'liveable' it is watertight) but is isn't really big enough, hence the marquee in the first place. Other outbuildings are v much in use or in disrepair, so not much use.

My dad has some ideas for keeping pathways okay, so I'll leave that to him.

Minimal waiting around time already (it's my wedding pet peeve) as the ceremony isn't until 4pm and we're only really having informal photos.

Hmm not sure how I can keep hot drinks flowing. Any ideas? Would kettles be enough or should I look at finding one of those big boiling water tanks?

Currently ordering:

• hot water bottles
• blankets
• fluffy socks
• golf umbrellas
• rain Capes
• torches

(Alcohol will be aplenty already)

@SuzieQ10 - we're looking for somewhere indoors, but are struggling to find anywhere that will allow both external caterers AND no corkage for bringing our own alcohol (our village hall has a strict policy re the bar). Most places are already booked

Any more ideas of how I can make the guest experience any more pleasant?

Our wedding was in a freezing marquee, carpet laid on soaking ground so one table sat in an inch of water! After the wedding breakfast (during which I had my husband's suit jacket and a blanket over me for) the venue finally provided a huge heater, went to machine mart after I threw the mother of all paddies!!! It actually worked well, sadly some people had left my that point (mainly oldies) as it was so cold. A really good heater should see you through, but the second it was off the marquee was cold, so don't get one too big as you'll forever be turning it on and off.
The floor is the biggest concern if it isn't a solid floor, our marquee was permanently pitched for the summer months.
Pathways I'd use straw. I use it on mass in the winter with the small animals so stop pens turning into a mud bath.
Guests are bloody resilient - they are there to see someone they care about get married and that should be their only concern for the day.
Enjoy, and think of the funny stories in years to come if it all gets a little bit wet and silly (it took me about 3 years to laugh about it...)

Heaters, blankets and brollies.
And as others said ensure walkways are prepared so it doesn’t become a mud bath.

@AmIAWeed - thanks for sharing about your wedding. I'm quite easy going but definitely wouldn't be laughing about being cold... and as the bride I won't be able to just go home!

We've decided to use the outbuilding and attach the big marquee and a smaller one to the side to make more space. This way we're closer to the house that way too, which means a safer/shorter walk for guests from cars etc.

I've borrowed a big water tank flask thing for hot water that my dad's friend has and the blankets (all 220 of them...) arrived today. I figure if it isn't cold, at least they can act as a seat cushion! (I'm not kidding myself, I know it will be cold).

Part of me wants to dry and rent one of those big body dryers you get at theme parks after the water rides! slightly OTT.

Campers have all been allocated places to sleep in relatives and friends homes and have either accepted or booked a hotel (the camping area is currently Marsh-like).

If anyone else can think of anything that I've missed I'd be so grateful.

Now you've got a Burco for the water, you'll be fine, OP 😁 I hope you really enjoy the day - I'm certain that all your guests will

This may seem a slightly mad suggestion but If there's a power supply can you get hold of a few microwaveable warming pads for the older folk to hug discreetly? I used to used a mini hot water bottle at work when the office was freezing. Really took the edge off!

As much undercover space as possible

Tell guests to bring wellies

Fire pit always goes down well if it’s dry and cold but it won’t work if it’s rainy!

Stack of blankets

Stack of those £2 rain ponchos

Heaters