Horses at your Wedding
By Gina Vorster
As a young girl you may have dreamt of riding a beautiful horse with flowy hair – in your wedding gown! This romanticism is similar to walking barefoot on the beach, with your veil blowing softly in the wind. Equestrian-themed weddings are majestic and not that difficult to bring into fruition. We can help you with ideas!
Get married in a barn or at an Equestrian Estate
Opting for one of these will mean that you can have horses at your celebration the whole day long.
A barn is perfect for more relaxed wedding themes, while an Equestrian Estate could accommodate a more formal theme and atmosphere.
Kids can be entertained with pony rides, while an elegant dressage show, or show jumping can be arranged (if your budget allows it) to wow your more mature guests.
This will mean plenty more photo opportunities for all attendees.
Open air wedding venues
The bride and/or groom can enter the ceremony area on horses. Instead of walking down the aisle, they can trot down the aisle!
The couple can also enter or leave the reception area on horses.
A mini horse or pony can be the ringbearer. If the flower girl gets enough training, she can also ride the pony down the aisle.
Photography ideas
• Write your wedding date or ‘I/ We Do’ on the horse with non-harmful materials.
• Let the horse nibble on the bouquet – just ensure that all the flowers are safe for consumption. This can even be staged as a fun or humorous photo.
• When taking photos in stables, bear in mind that your dress might get spoiled. Some brides made the ‘Trash the Dress’- thing a thing – they get cheap dresses and trash them by getting them dirty or full of paint. A bride may even use a trash dress and go for a ride through the mud!
• Open fields with long grass always look magical.
• Horses walking down the aisle.
• Share a bite to eat – feed the horse a treat like an apple or a carrot.
Horse safety
Always practice with a horse before you ride it on your wedding day. If you are using a company’s horses, or a venue’s, first get properly acquainted. Take a couple of lessons and get comfortable with each other.
Not only should you practice with the horse, but also the dress. You do not have to use your actual wedding dress, but one with a similar size/weight will do. It may seem easy in theory but getting on a horse in a big dress can be tricky. The last thing you would want is to fall off the horse on your wedding day!
Different horses have different temperaments, and they get spooked very easily. They may react negatively toward large crowds, loud music, photographers, or even your wedding dress! Also, always check with the venue whether they have any other livestock on the property, as horses can get spooked by this as well.
Always have a handler present – even if you plan on using your own horse. Should it need to be taken away to calm down, the handler can take care of it for you.
Should your chosen venue not be accommodating of horses, you can still incorporate these equine beauties into your big day. Use them in your wedding stationery, as a cake topper or arrive at/ leave the venue in a horsedrawn carriage. Horses are the perfect wow factor to any bride’s big day.
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