By: Lydia Mattern
The temperatures are at an all-time high in California and other states across the country. At the same time, it is peak wedding season, and many couples have planned beautiful outdoor wedding ceremonies and receptions. Are you one of them?
If you plan on having an outdoor wedding during these warm months--or are planning your summer wedding for next year--it is important to consider the experience of your wedding guests.
With temperatures reaching unprecedented highs, there is no doubt your wedding guests are going to sweat at your outdoor summer wedding. Even evening weddings in the summer can be warm. Rather than having your wedding guests suffer through a hot few hours, try incorporating one of these fun and unique ways to help your guests stay cool while celebrating you!
1. Hand Out Parasols or Personalized Wedding Fans
While some of your wedding guests may think to bring a fan or umbrella to shade themselves from the sun during your outdoor wedding, the majority will not. Plus, you probably don’t want a bright, zebra pattern umbrella affecting the look and feel of your wedding or blocking any of your wedding photos.
This is why it is best to provide your own parasols (mini-umbrellas) or personalized fans that blend in with your wedding design. Your guests will have a way to keep cool during your ceremony without causing any disruptions. Plus, if you choose to personalize the gifts with your wedding day details, your guests can take them home as memorabilia to remember your special day.
2. Offer Frozen Desserts as Hors d'Oeuvres
To help your wedding guests keep cool after your wedding ceremony, you can serve frozen desserts during the cocktail hour, such as popsicles. Whether you choose to make your own or keep it simple with pre-packed ones, your guests will appreciate the cold snack as they are waiting for the reception to begin.
3. Serve Cold Drinks for Guests of All Ages
Serving cold drinks for the cocktail hour and during your reception will also help your guests stay cool. Include a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages so wedding guests of all ages can enjoy.
Consider having a “lemonade bar,” and include fun, fresh flavors of lemonade and iced tea. And when choosing your cocktails and dinner drinks, be sure to offer iced drinks on the menu so your guests can stay cool and hydrated all night long.
For more information about how much booze to buy for your wedding, check out our wedding bar planning guide.
4. Provide Ice Cold Water Bottles
When you are extremely hot, nothing cools you down quite like a drink of ice-cold water. Be sure to have water bottles on ice available throughout the entire day. Water bottles are easy to carry and won’t be a distraction during your wedding ceremony or reception.
You can even have the paper around the water bottles be personalized with your wedding day details or include a place for your guests to write their name on the bottle so they do not get mixed up with other guests’.
If you plan to offer disposable water bottles, consider having recycle-bins close by for guests to use when finished.
5. Install Cooling Elements
If you know your wedding day is going to be hot without reprieve, you may consider investing in large fans or overhead misters to place throughout your outdoor wedding venue. Consider your options to find cooling elements that can seamlessly work into the design of your wedding without disrupting the magical day.
You may even find yourself walking underneath a mister every now and then to cool yourself off from dancing with the love of your life all night.
6. Invest in Wedding Tents
Rather than choosing a few small ways to help your wedding guests stay cool throughout your wedding, you can invest in wedding tents to place throughout your venue. By choosing small tents to offer shaded gathering areas or one big tent under which to have your wedding reception, you will be able to offer shade from the sun and allow your guests the option to enjoy a break from the heat for a little while.
Epic Thyme Takes Care of Wedding Season Details
When planning your wedding, it is important to consider the season so you can plan for the type of weather you and your wedding guests will be experiencing.
You can track the past weather history of your intended wedding date with the help of our complete guide to tracking wedding weather. This will help you estimate the weather conditions on your wedding day so you can plan accordingly.
At Epic Thyme, we focus on every detail of your wedding, taking your wedding date into consideration when designing your ceremony and reception.
Don’t wait until the last minute to make sure your wedding guests are taken care of...contact us now! We are excited to help you plan your summer wedding and ensure you and your guests are comfortable throughout the entire day.