Having a Summer Wedding? Plan for Heat!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, rain is a common worry for any wedding (and in fact I mentioned this just a little bit ago, which you can read about here). But rain has a little brother who shows up in the summer months: heat. While warmer weather won't always spoil your special day like an unexpected downpour, being ready for the beating sun is a smart plan. It's wise to consider the temperature as summers have been getting increasingly hotter and more unpredictable, so here's how to plan your wedding around the heat.
The same advice I said about rain, I'll say about hot weather in Oregon and Washington: if you ignore the possibility, then it'll be much harder to remedy in the moment. To avoid being caught off guard, you'll want to take some precautions, especially if you're getting married between May and September.
Three things come into play when temperatures heat up. Number one most important revolves around the guests, the wedding party, and everyone making the big day happen. If you're already expecting to have a luau at the beach where everyone is dressed in shorts and Hawaiian shirts, you're probably OK, but if you're doing a traditional wedding with full tuxedos and dresses? Ooh boi, get ready for some sweaty times!
The way to mitigate this is to ensure you have a place of respite out of the heat for anyone at risk. That means nearlyweds in the biggest dresses you've ever seen, wedding party members in three-piece suits, your cousin Arty in the panther mascot costume, whomever is dressed to the nines should have a place they can retreat to quickly if they're expected to be in direct sunlight for too long. If there are no cool or shady places available, renting a glamping tent with a plug-in portable AC can provide just the escape they'll need. I'll go into some more ways to help, but let's touch on the other two temperature-related considerations.
Next most important after the people is the food and refreshments. If this is all happening inside, you're likely full-steam ahead, but if the plan was to have food, drinks, and desserts sitting out on tables in the sun, the longer they're out there the higher the chance of things melting or just going bad. How sad would it be to have a beautiful ice cream cake made for the occasion, only to see it slide right off the table in the heat? A true tragedy! Ask about a place to store desserts that's air conditioned or even has refrigeration. Popup tents come in handy here to provide an easy, cost-efficient way to shade food, especially if a larger canopy isn't available, but be sure you're staking them firmly. If the venue doesn't allow for stakes then include sandbags in the logistics to keep the tents from possibly blowing away. You'll thank the breeze when it's hot but not if it carries your tents away.
Lastly, high heat and especially glaring sun can start to affect some of your vendors, such as your photographer, in particular regarding wedding photos taken before or after the ceremony. This falls lower on the priority list under the people and the food, but extreme weather conditions will make it harder to set up for the exact shots you might want. Likely, your photographer will have scouted some shady locations already, but in some cases they might not have access to prep time. This applies to your DJ as well since DJ equipment isn't immune to overheating, so a popup tent to shade them in each and every spot they'll be positioned is a must.
The key to managing all three aspects is flexibility, along with shade and ways to keep everyone cool. I've mentioned before in my blog about rentals that it's a smart idea to plan ahead and rent more than you need, knowing that it's easier to return things you don't need rather than having to source things that you do need at the last second. Add extra tents, canopies, market umbrellas, and coverings to your budget and plans so that if it turns hot, you've already got the necessary items set aside to keep everyone and everything shaded. True, tent cancellations do sometimes come with a fee, but it's a far better situation to find yourself without a tent and scrambling in high heat right before the wedding day.
Similarly, investing in some smaller, quiet fans to keep air circulating goes a long way to lowering the worst of the heat. Those fall under the rental category, so if you're going for an outdoor wedding plan during the summer, plotting out where canopies can go and where the fans can sit or mount to the tent is a smart move.
Then there's the cute party favor route. I've had clients who gave everyone little paper fans with personalization, which not only provide that personal cooling ability but also serve the dual purpose of being a great take-home item to remember the celebration later. Paper parasols are another cute and relatively cheap option that will give your wedding something unique while also mitigating the heat. As a note, I wouldn't suggest doing those little smartphone fans since I've had instances where they can actually short out someone's phone. The risk is too high that the souvenir someone takes home is an angry story and a bricked smartphone, so avoid the electric fans and stick to something more analog.
Again, flexibility is going to be your best friend in the heat. Knowing it'll be hot could result in fewer guests overall with no-shows, but either way, having a backup plan where you can move everyone inside a venue could come in clutch. Also, scoping out the venue beforehand and talking with the staff and planners can provide some insights into ways to arrange your ceremony around the best shade or other considerations. And while you can't change the time of the ceremony once RSVPs are sent out, knowing ahead of time the likelihood of heat can give you an indication of whether you should have it be a midday ceremony or one that takes place at night or how you'll want to plan the layout of the whole day.
Whatever the case, hot or cold, rain or shine, snow or bears, you'll still have a great day and a beautiful memory to hold onto with your partner. If you're looking for the hottest advice and the coolest planner around (snort), then let's talk! I'd love to make your special day something you're happy with, so drop me a line and let's get to chatting.
Happy summer wedding planning!
Andy <3
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