Public Park Weddings + Where to Host Your Reception

Very good points. Another thing I noticed this year is that only one venue that I shot at this year (43 weddings so far) had an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).
Having an AED (even a simple model like you'd find mounted on the wall at a shopping mall) would be a very responsible thing to do, especially considering older guests and remote venues where ambulance response could take a while. Some of these are less than $600 and can save a life, I wish more venues would have these available.

This is very timely for me! I started out wanting a garden party reception after a church ceremony. Due to my guest's needs, my garden tea has now morphed into an air-conditioned cabin reception at a special little zoo/park with gardens by a celebrated designer (This park happens to do a lot of weddings, receptions, and events, which is a big help to me since the park staff is available, helpful, super nice and savvy, too.) For us, it's a destination wedding but to a little, old Kansas town full of gilded-age architecture. The church is breath taking, and I'm just staying flexible. I'm giving up some elegance for comfort and fun. There's a monkey-filled castle, a vintage carousel and even a train… and on Tuesdays the 'band shell' has a regular performance. My guests (less than 30 heads, all family) will be charmed and entertained! LOL

A public park has certainly been on my mind as a possibility but it seems like it certainly is a lot of work! Have you ever encountered either with clients or ppl you know any issues with non traditional venues (I guess particularly with ppl who didn’t hire a planner lol)?

My cousins park wedding was next to a soccer field, with practice going on at the same time as the ceremony, and it would be in almost all of the photos. Their coordinator asked the coach to pause practice until after their 10 minute ceremony, so it wasn't a huge deal, but my cousin was NOT happy.