How to Prevent Bugs at an Outdoor Wedding

Don't let insects bug guests at your wedding.

Pesky, bothersome bugs thrive outdoors, which can make an outdoor wedding an ideal habitat for such irritants. Aggravating bugs can make an outdoor wedding unbearable for guests, the bride and the groom. Mosquitoes, gnats, ticks, spiders and other bugs will nuisance guests with itchy, swollen bug bites and more. If you want a flawless, lovely outdoor wedding, there are a few precautions to keep in mind that could save your wedding and all of your guests from insects.

Things You'll Need

• Bug-zappers
• Bug repellent
• Bug spray
• Light-colored paper lunch bags
• Ruler
• Scalloped rotary cutter
• Paper doilies
• Utility knife

Instructions

Basic Bug Prevention

1. 

   Bug-zappers will quickly eliminate insects.

   Put rechargeable, portable bug-zappers near the area of the wedding.

2. Inform the facility managers that you would like the area to be sprayed with an insecticide.

3. 

   Bug spray will block insects.

   Pass out small tubes of bug repellent to your guests. Stock the bathroom with bottles of bug spray.

Make Luminarias

1. Lay a light-colored paper lunch bag on a flat surface. Put a ruler 1-inch below the opening of the paper bag.

2. Cut off the 1-inch piece of paper bag above the ruler using a scalloped rotary cutter.

3. 

   Doilies are an elegant decoration for a wedding.

   Lay a doily on the paper bag. Put a ruler on the doily, so the doily will be measured .8-inch narrower than the width of the paper bag.

4. Cut a straight line against the ruler using an utility knife. Do not cut the paper bag. Coat one side of the doily with a glue stick.

5. Attach the doily to the inside of the paper bag. Close the paper bag, and rub your hand over it firmly. Open the paper bag to let it dry for 1 hour.

6. Put citronella candles inside the lacy luminarias. Set the lacy luminarias on tables, ledges or walkways.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want less bugs at your outdoor wedding, plan the wedding in cooler months, such as May, September or early October.

References

• "Brides"; How to Have a Garden Wedding; Allison Winn Scotch
• "The Knot"; Top Tips From New Jersey Wedding Planners; Caitlin Moscatello; January 2010
• The Knot: Getting Rid of Bugs at Outdoor Weddings?
• Martha Stewart Weddings: Lacy Luminarias

Resources

• Brides: Choose a Tent