Summer weddings are here and with them come an explosion of heat, rain and those pesky mosquitoes. Are you the lucky couple with a summer wedding? Are you the company hosting a summer shindig? Follow these tips to avoid summer wedding mistakes and enhance your guest experience.
1. HAVING YOUR ENTIRE EVENT OUTSIDE
I’ve had my fair share of weddings where the couple decided to not only have their ceremony outside, but the reception too. While an outdoor experience sounds amazing, it’s horrible when in the heat. Guests should be considered when planning your summer wedding. Opt for an outdoor ceremony and then an indoor reception. If you go with having both outdoor, consider climate control systems, umbrellas, individual fans, and mosquito repellants.
P.S. Try to avoid having your wedding during the height of pollen season. There’s no way to avoid a sneeze fest during your outdoor event.
2. NOT HYDRATING YOUR WEDDING GUESTS
Hydration is essential to any summer wedding or event and we don’t mean alcohol. Hydration stations are critical for any event taking place outside. Water vs juices is ideal as you want to quickly hydrate your guests to prevent them from overheating and possibly being a heat casualty. Anything with electrolytes is uber helpful as well.
3. SELECTING THE WRONG TIME OF DAY
I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to look at someone when the sun is glaring right in my face. Selecting the wrong time of day for your wedding and event can be problematic in so many ways. Your photographer, videographer, and guests will sit in misery wondering why they are being punished because you decided to have your event at 12. Early morning or closer to the evening are the best times to host any event.
4. CHOOSING HEAT-SENSITIVE FLOWERS
It’s very easy to overlook the fact that just because flowers grow outside doesn’t mean they will survive your outdoor wedding or event. It’s essential that you get with your florist to ensure the flowers that you select will hold up during the summer. Not all flowers are created equal for all weather conditions. Flowers will wilt like melting ice cream if you’re not careful.
Side Note: Please do not ask if you can repurpose flowers from the ceremony to the reception. This is always problematic because the flowers won’t look the same after being in the heat for hours after being cut.
5. RELYING ON BUG SPRAY
As much as you love to be outdoors, so do bugs and bees. While sprays may help, who really wants to spray their tailored suit or dress with bug spray? Use plants like rosemary and lavender. Not only do they smell good, they help to keep you from passing out fly swatters. Lemongrass and citronella candles also work wonders.
Be sure to not have food being displayed outside to further attract bugs. No amount of lavender or candles will hold them back.
6. DRESSING INAPPROPRIATELY
What you wear to any event is based on the season you’re in. The type of year and event location tells you if your attire should be formal or not. If you are having a company picnic, velvet blazers are not needed. Brides consider a lighter fabric if you are having a summer wedding especially if it’s outdoors. Heavy gowns or veils are not your friend in the summer.
7. ASSUMING YOUR GUESTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO ALL SUMMER
Summer accounts for 45% of Americans traveling throughout the year. Waiting to send Save the Dates or invitations is bound to have limited RSVPs. If you choose to have a summer wedding or event, I recommend that you send your notices out at least 2 to 3 months earlier than you would if your event was in the spring or fall.
8. THINKING YOUR CAKE IS IMPERVIOUS TO HEAT
Have you ever seen a cake sweat? What about cupcake icing turn into a glob of mess? That’s exactly what will happen if you place desserts outside in the heat. My tip would be to only display these items right before you are about to use them.
Dummy cakes are also a cool way to display your cake without having a cake meltdown. What is a dummy cake? These are Styrofoam versions of your cake that look like a real cake. You can have one layer that’s a real cake for those of you doing a cake cutting ceremony and the rest of the real cake is with catering who will cut and serve to your guests.
9. NOT CHECKING THE WEATHER
While it may be obvious that it’s going to be hot, that doesn’t mean it won’t rain. Having a backup plan for inclement weather is essential for any outdoor event or wedding. Tip: you can Google anything to include when sunset will happen on your wedding day. You can also find out what time it will rain on any given day.
Do you have some tips couples or event hosts should follow for the summer? Leave a comment below.
This article was first published at Andrew Roby Events, and is republished here with permission.
Photo credits: Jeremy Wong (1), Monika Grabkowska (2), Harneet Bajwa Photography (3), Caroline Ingebrigtsen (4), Lanty (5), Mariya Georgieva (6), Bruce Christianson (7), Thomas William (8), Matthew Mead Photography (9)
