Celebrating your recent nuptials under the cool night sky and stars can be a great way to start your new life together as a married couple. Outdoor wedding receptions offer greater flexibility for you and your guests, when it comes to finding choice locations. However, they can present some added challenges, because you are outside.

Our Vancouver and Kelowna wedding DJs have provided entertainment for hundreds of outdoor wedding receptions and are pleased to offer these tips to ensure your reception is just as successful and memorable as your wedding ceremony.

1. Discuss what electrical needs your DJ will require. Many outdoor locations have access to electricity and just requires running long extension cords. Other more remote areas may not have this type of access, so you will need to ask the vendor if they supply generators or if you need to rent them to ensure you have plenty of power to accommodate all of your electrical needs, not just for your DJ, but also any lighting.
2. Plan for rain and hope for sunshine! Everyone, who plans an outdoor wedding desires perfect weather on their special day. Unfortunately, predicting if it will be sunny, cloudy, or rainy on your wedding day, is difficult to do, considering the actual date is several months or longer away. Consider renting huge party tents with side flaps, or arrange for an indoor location to move the reception to in the event of rain.
3. Provide your DJ with a covered outdoor area. Even if you decide to risk not getting a party tent, it is still highly recommended to have a covered area where you DJ can set up their equipment and perform. Plus the added shade will help protect their equipment and keep them cool on those warmer summer days!
4. Rent a portable dance floor. Unless you are using an outdoor area that already has sufficient space for a dance area on a firm surface, you will want to consider having one set up for your reception. Portable dance floors can be set up under party tents, too, so even if it rains your guests can still dance the night away.
5. Have the DJ and dance floor near the reception area. If you place the DJ and dance floor in a separate tent or far away from the main reception area, your guests are not going to be as inclined to dance and have fun. A great option is to have the DJ and dance floor near the area where guests enter the reception area, so they can play music as your guests arrive and keep them entertained until dinner is served.

For more tips and suggestions for ensuring your outdoor wedding reception is a success, or to arrange a consultation appointment with one of our professional wedding DJs, please feel free to contact Airwaves Music at 1-888-676-7772 today! We provide entertainment at weddings in Kelowna, Vancouver, Calgary, Victoria, Toronto, and Ottawa, and are willing to travel to other areas!