A lot of couples dream about a summer wedding. But not all of them understand how many challenges a summer wedding brings. There are plenty of peculiarities you have to know and consider. For example, what food to serve? what makeup to use for the bride? how to protect the guests from direct sunlight? There are so many little but tremendously important things. At the same time, it’s totally possible to get a perfect summer wedding of your dream if you take everything into account and remember about every single detail. To help you with that, here are several major tips and pieces of advice.
Think about comfort of your guests
Summer has its peculiarities. First of all, many weddings are held outdoors and the couple must prepare for it thoroughly – make some shade so that people were able to hide from the sun, have air conditioning indoors, get sunscreens or mosquito sprays for your guests, etc. Such little items as parasols, hand fans, and small water bottles everywhere can make life a lot easier for your wedding guests on a hot day.
If you’re not too limited in your wedding budget, you can offer these things as wedding favors and use them as wedding décor. For example, it’s charming to have all of the parasols in the same design and color – better for wedding photos.
Also, remember that older people need more thorough protection and attention, so make sure somebody keeps an eye on your grandma and grandpa or other older guests because you won’t have time to do it.
Summer wedding timeline is vital
Any wedding should have a perfectly planned timeline, but for summer weddings, it’s vital. Because extreme conditions such as hot direct sun and high humidity are a challenge for the guests. So, plan your wedding so that people are as comfortable as possible. The time they have to spend in direct sun needs to be brief.
Also, if the weather is really hot, start your wedding in the afternoon, when it’s a least a bit cooler. Or the ceremony needs to be indoors and with air conditioning.
Shade and sun protection
We’ve already mentioned this earlier, but you have to really consider every little detail when organizing a summer wedding. Shade and air conditioning are among the most important things on a hot day. And not only for older guests but for every single person, including you and your sweetheart. There are many various options: tents, large umbrellas, fabric screens, and so on. This won’t influence your wedding budget too much but everybody will feel more comfortable.
Another important purpose of a shaded location is that it makes a perfect area for the wedding photo zone. Arrange for a nice and pretty shaded location and you’ll get perfect wedding photos.
Wedding attire
A summer wedding means that you need to wear something lighter, airier, and looser. All of the participants of this event do, including the bride, the groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, and wedding guests. Consider your choice of clothing thoroughly. For the bride, it’s easier – there are hundreds of wedding dress designs. The groom should avoid wearing a black tux or a 3-piece suit, better to use light slacks and a shirt made from thin and natural fabrics. Remember also about your bridal party – don’t make the bridesmaids dress in heavy, multilayered, or black gowns.
If you are the bride and your wedding is outdoors, don’t go for a dress with a train or cathedral veil. There are so many things around that can catch your train or veil. Cathedral veils look so beautiful but they’re perfect for church weddings, not outdoor ones. And all this extra fabric will only make you more hot and sweaty.
Hair & makeup
Every woman knows how hard it can be to look perfect in the heat. Talk to your hair and makeup artist beforehand to pick just the right hairdo and makeup for a sunny and hot day. You might want to have an updo, to put all of the hair up so that you feel cooler. And the makeup should be light, long-lasting, and easily corrected.
Also, avoid hairstyles with fresh flowers because they wilt very quickly in the heat. It’s better to choose faux flowers, jewels, or hairpins with gems, for example.
Refreshing drinks
Note that people tend to choose white wine, light and refreshing cocktails, and beer instead of red wine and strong beverages when it’s hot. Your wedding guests will also need a lot of non-alcoholic drinks and water, so make sure to have these. Even when you think you have enough of water, buy a bit more. You can always return it if it’s left or just bring it home and use it later. Redistribute your wedding bar budget so that you have enough refreshing drinks and remember to serve them cool or with ice. By the way, there even calcs online to help you find out the amount of ice needed for such an event as wedding.
Summer wedding requires more bartenders because people drink a lot and almost continuously. Don’t make them wait for half an hour for their cocktail.
Also, a drink dispenser table is extremely handy, where guests can quickly choose a cool drink and serve it themselves – water, lemonade, or ice tea, for instance.
Light food
Food also has to be light and refreshing, just like drinks. When it’s hot, people don’t want to eat heavy, high-calorie dishes. So, serve something cool, light, green, etc. By the way, it’s a great way to save a bit of money on food – choose seasonal products, offer fresh veggies and fruits, serve snacks and bite food. And don’t forget that some foods spoil in the heat, so avoid them.
If to talk about desserts, we advise using something light as well. Fruity, frozen (like fresh ice cream), bite-size. People don’t want a heavy cake when it’s hot, they want a refreshing and light dessert. Definitely, don’t use wedding cakes with buttercream because it melts in the heat. Frosting can melt as well. Talk to your vendor about keeping deserts in a cool place till the last minute and bring them only when the guests are ready to eat them. And one more thing, protect the cake from bugs because they might want a taste and get caught in a melting frosting – and that’s a disaster.
Flowers for summer wedding
When picking florals for your wedding, consult with a florist as to which of them are a better choice. Some flowers need hydration and shade to look good, so they shouldn’t be used for a summer wedding. Such flowers as hydrangea, sweet peas, peonies, and some other florals are a no-go for hot sunny wedding locations. You can use roses, orchids, calla lilies, sunflowers, cupheas, dahlias instead. In any case, talk with your florist about it, you might be able to find compromises or the best solutions to any problem.
