If dancing is outside,

have the bar outside

In an effort to maintain the best reception ~vibes~, we find that having the bar in the same area as the dance floor is key. So if you're dancing out on the barn patio, have the bar out there too! Your bartender can serve drinks from coolers tucked behind the bar.

hydrated guests are happy guests!

You can never have too much water! Have a hydration station available until the very end of the night. This can be as simple as keeping an open cooler of water out on the barn patio.

coinsider having a faux

send-off and then keep dancing

Having your faux send-off early allows participation from elderly guests or guests that have a long drive without them having to stay until the very end. This is perfect if you don't want to pay your photographer to stay the whole night but still want pictures of the send-off. Also, folks won't be quite as drunk as they wave flaming sparklers over your head. If you want dancing to go until 10 or 11, maybe have your faux send-off at 8 or 9. 

Bring your decor in reusable plastic boxes or totes

For example, put all guest table centerpiece items in one box and then slap a label on that thing. If you're an organized girlie, this is fun! If you're not, it still helps to keep people from asking you a million questions during set-up :) Also, it makes packing things back up after the reception easy peasy. And then you've got a bunch of nice boxes or totes to use for other stuff!

Have a gift table set up along the way from the parking lot to the ceremony site

We've seen this a hundred times - guests roll up to the wedding with gifts and nowhere to put them. If your gift table is in the reception area, most guests don't see it on their way in. Plan on putting a gift table along the path from the parking lot to the ceremony site so guests can conveniently drop off their gifts.

if you've ordered decor online, be sure to open everything before you get here

If you're wanting the wedding decorating process to go smoothly, consider opening up all those packages from Amazon while you're still at home. Opening a bunch of cardboard boxes for the first time once you're already here can be quite stressful. You can also take this opportunity to get your decor organized! (see tip about reusable boxes or totes for decorations)

A quick word on weddings and environmental sustainability

Weddings are magical, but they can also be surprisingly wasteful. Those styrofoam light-up sticks are fun for dancing, but they are immediately thrown away and then sit in a landfill for the next few centuries. Use compostable plates instead of plastic and aluminum cans instead of glass bottles. Not all guests take home their wedding favors, so before you get stuck with a hundred candles, consider packets of native wildflower seeds instead. These thoughtful, eco-friendly little touches can help save the environment, one wedding at a time.