1. Choose a summer wedding gown made of a lighter fabric to prevent discomfort and major sweat patches. The same goes for the groom, you don’t want him sweating through his clothes either, so choose a breathable tuxedo fabric and maybe get him to lose the vest too.
2. If you’re in an outdoor location – or an indoor one without an air conditioner – then be sure to rent high quality, portable fans or air conditioners. Test them out before the day so you can see how well they work and how loud they are – you don’t want a noisy machine ruining your day.
Image from Gabriella and Jordan’s wedding. Photography by Image Haus Weddings
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3. Wedding flowers in the summer are something that you need to be very careful with as some flowers can wilt before they even get dropped off to you. So Choose flowers that fare well in the heat, ask your floral designer to plan what means will be used to keep the flowers sourced with water during transportation and don’t use any flowers that will attract bees (they will flock to them, especially if they are used on tables that have food on them)!
4. Offer cooling devices for your guests such as mini fans or paper fans.
5. Be wise with the hairstyle you choose – humidity and heat means frizzy, unruly hair. Try to go for a structured hairstyle with a lot of hold as opposed to a softer, flowing look that is on your face and will make you hot.
Image from Mira and Wissam’s wedding. Photography by Reymond Yazbeck
6. Provide sunscreen for your guests to keep their skin from getting burnt if there is a lot of direct sunlight at your venue.
7. Serve lots of iced water to keep your guests cool and hydrated. You can even have them served in cute glasses with slices of lemon and lime inside.
8. Arrange seats and/or tables under the shade of trees, or if that’s still not enough protection from the sun, use large table umbrellas.
Image from Sheyi and Simon’s wedding. Photography by Jay Rowden Photographer
9. Make sure to take note of what chairs will be used at your site. Metal chairs for example can very easily heat up in the sun, so arrange to have chair cushions or fabric slipcovers to cover your chairs.
10. Food is another delicate aspect of the day when it comes to the heat because if it’s not dealt with properly, it can make you and your guests sick; so, choose lighter options that don’t involve creams or anything heavy that will spoil easily. Cold and refreshing options such as seafood and vegetables are good choices but they still need to be stored in cooled serving dishes such as platters made of ice. Another tip is to choose serving platters with lids on them in order to protect you’re food from flies, bees and any other insects.
11. Have your wedding cake kept in the refrigerator until it’s time to cut it, to protect it from the heat as well as from mosquitoes and other insects that will flock to the sweet frosting.
Images from Kristin and Ralph’s wedding. Photography by Ricky Restiano
Main image from Cammy and Steve’s wedding. Photography by John and Joseph Photography