| Planning an outdoor wedding is a lot of fun, but let's | | | | clear the mosquitoes from up to an acre around the |
| face it, you also have to deal with some extra | | | | unit. It was expensive, but she swore that it did a |
| challenges. The bride and groom are not the only | | | | fantastic job, making her property not only comfortable |
| nature lovers at a wedding; there are also uninvited | | | | for her wedding day, but for her family all summer long. |
| guests, namely insects. It is not exactly the most | | | | A simpler approach is to use a combination of |
| romantic thing, but dealing with the insect problem is | | | | citronella torches, candles, and bug spray at your |
| something that you will have to face if your outdoor | | | | wedding. The citronella torches work best when they |
| wedding is to be pleasant for you and your guests. | | | | create a perimeter of smoke encircling your party |
| I once knew a woman who had a beautiful outdoor | | | | area. Just be careful about using torches if there will |
| wedding by a lake, and afterwards she showed me | | | | be a bunch of children running around at your wedding! |
| her wedding album. The bride and her attendants all | | | | You can also use citronella candles on tables placed |
| looked lovely in their pretty dresses and delicate | | | | strategically around your site. They do have a fairly |
| wedding jewelry. But the first thing that jumped out in | | | | distinctive odor though, so be careful not to place them |
| her pictures was not the wedding gown or the jewelry; | | | | anywhere where they would interfere with the |
| it was the ugly red welts on her arms. For this young | | | | delicious aroma of your food. |
| bride had had a sunset wedding, you see, and did I | | | | A very elegant approach to insect repellent is to place |
| mention it was by a body of water? - that's right, the | | | | little cans of bug spray in the powder rooms, or even |
| bride, the groom, and all of their guests were eaten | | | | in a basket where your guests will see it as they |
| alive by mosquitoes on that fine summer evening. | | | | arrive. Products with DEET are generally the most |
| Don't let this be you! There are many ways to combat | | | | effective, but they are also quite noxious. You might |
| pests like mosquitoes and bees at outdoor weddings. | | | | want to consider providing your guests with a safer |
| You just have to do some advance planning to thwart | | | | herbal spray instead. You can also get products that |
| them before they make a nuisance of them at your | | | | can be sprayed on the legs of the tables and chairs |
| wedding. Mosquitoes are an especially big problem for | | | | about an hour in advance as another line of protection. |
| weddings that are held at dusk near a lake or pond, so | | | | Don't forget about bees. The easiest way to avoid |
| if that sounds like your venue, you might need to try a | | | | bees is to not attract them in the first place. This |
| combination of these tactics. | | | | means no scented lotions or perfumes, and think twice |
| The first thing to do is visit your reception site at the | | | | about wearing a fresh flower in your hair. If you are |
| time of day and in the same season as your wedding, | | | | concerned that the food at your reception will attract |
| if at all possible. After a few minutes, you should have | | | | bees, steal a trick from outdoor cafes, and place jars |
| a pretty good idea of how bad the bug problem is. | | | | of sugar water away from where your guests and |
| One bride that I knew wanted to have her reception in | | | | food will be. It works very well to draw off the bees. |
| her backyard, which was surrounded by woods and | | | | Planning for flying pests at your outdoor wedding is no |
| had a stream behind it. She knew that the mosquito | | | | fun, but it is important to ensure the comfort of your |
| situation was terrible by her house, so well before the | | | | guests. Dealing with these types of details is a small |
| wedding she purchased one of those propane | | | | price to pay for having your wedding in a beautiful |
| powered mosquito vacuum systems that claim to | | | | natural setting. |