How To Have a Comfortable Summer Wedding
Summer is wedding season for many in Michigan, but as every Michigander knows, our summers can feature some especially hot days. If you’re having an outdoor summer wedding, we have some helpful tips to have you and your guests stay comfortable and cool during the big day.
Provide Plenty of Shade
At an outdoor summer wedding on a hot day, shade becomes a precious resource for many guests and one that people will search for and assemble around. So, ensure your outdoor venue has plenty of shade to offer a reprieve from the sun. That will help keep your guests cool and avoid clumps of people all standing around every morsel of shade they can find.
If you’re still planning your big day, consider an outdoor venue with plenty of trees to provide natural cover. If that’s not an option, you’ll likely want to consider a large tent or tents for the swaths of the area that won’t be covered. Add umbrellas or even colorful canvases stretched between buildings and coverings to add to the decor and provide shade. If most of the reception occurs during the day, you’ll want a tent over the dance floor to keep people from overheating while having fun!
Break Out the Fans
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a cool breeze on a hot summer day, but the weather may not always be cooperative for your wedding. A hot day with no wind can be a sweaty nightmare for guests, so your guests will greatly appreciate some artificial breezes with cooling fans and AC units.
Place misting fans and AC units at strategic locations throughout the venue to cool as many people as possible. Try putting them around the bar, seating area, or anywhere else guests might congregate.
Plan Around the Sun
For outdoor weddings, it’s wise to account for the hottest part of the day and the sun’s trajectory at the venue. Typically, the hottest time of a summer day is the late afternoon, from around 3:00–5:00 p.m. This is when the sun is lower in the sky and has been baking the outdoors all day.
If your big day looks like a hot one, consider being flexible with the schedule to get the photos done before the hottest period or even pushing back the ceremony to a more golden hour or evening service. Also, when planning the seating layout, consider where the sun will be during your service to prevent your guests from staring into the hot sun while trying to focus on you!
Hand Out Cooling Gift Bags
If you want to hand out goodie bags of souvenirs and items for your wedding to guests, consider making it summer themed with cooling accessories to help people feel more comfortable. Some fun and inexpensive items you can add to these small gift bags include:
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Mini cell phone fans
- Aloe (for any sunburned guests the next day)
- Water bottles
- Parasols
You can customize some items with pictures of the bride and groom, their names, or the hashtag for the big day for guests to use on social media. Your guests will be grateful for the help in combatting the summer sun!
Give Your Bridal Party a Survival Kit
Having a survival kit for the bridal party is also wise to help them make it through the hot day. They can’t dress down to stay cool and need to look their best for photos. So giving them a bridal kit with items to stay and look fresh all day would be very beneficial.
Some helpful items for the bridal party could include:
- Cooling towels
- Face blotters
- Sunscreen
- Deodorant
- Body wipes
- Water bottles
You want to ensure your bridal party is hydrated and cool for your big day!
Promote a Light, Summery Dress Code
While the bridal party has a stricter dress code to follow, if you have an outdoor summer wedding, consider relaxing the recommended attire for guests to help them feel a bit more comfortable. For June, July, and August weddings, light and airy clothing can be the difference between guests having fun and feeling like they’re sweating through their formal attire.
Consider adding a lighter dress code recommendation on the invites or the wedding information to let your guests know you want them to feel comfortable at your wedding.
Have Water Stations
Hydration is key to the guests’ comfort and safety for larger weddings outdoors. It’s wise for any outdoor wedding to have dedicated water stations where guests can get cool water quickly and conveniently.
It may feel like an eyesore at your wedding to have water jugs at your venue. But they can be easy to hide, and many stylish water jugs would fit in at any wedding. It’s a small courtesy but will make a big difference as guests don’t have to wait at the bar or for service to get a refreshing sip of water.
Keep the Icy Drinks Flowing
Speaking of cool drinks, few things are more satisfying than a sip of an icy beverage on a hot summer day. You’ll want to keep the cold drinks flowing for an outdoor wedding. Consider having a menu of frozen cocktails and other icy beverages to offer guests to help them cool down and have fun.
Ice will be crucial at a summer wedding, so make sure the venue has a generous supply of it, and consider having some emergency coolers of ice on standby.
Choose a Light Menu
Along with the lighter attire, fans, and shade, it’s wise to keep the appetizer and dinner menu on the lighter side for guests. The heat can take a lot out of people after so many hours. Therefore, you want the menu to be filled with food items that help them feel cool and energized instead of hot and groggy.
Fruit is excellent for nutrition, so have plenty of fresh produce available along with vegetables and salads. Meat is still fine with entrees, but avoid heavy red meat items if possible. And what’s better than a cool summer dessert on a hot day? Consider having summer desserts like frozen yogurt or an ice cream station for guests to enjoy!
Conclusion
We hope our tips help you have the best, most comfortable summer wedding possible. If you need wedding DJ services for your big day, we can help there too! Contact Michael’s Entertainment to learn more about our DJ services and how we can help make your special day as fun and entertaining as possible.
