If you’re planning a summer wedding (or even the months before or after summer, as weather becomes more unpredictable) it’s wise to plan for a hot day so you know yourself and your guests will be comfortable and safe.
Here are my summer wedding tips for planning an event in the hot weather.
What time is your ceremony being held?
If you’ve planned an indoor wedding, bravo! Just double check the venue has air-conditioning.
If you’ve planned an outdoor ceremony, then avoid the hottest part of the day. Let’s not plan a 12pm ceremony in summer, ok? Find out what time sunset is which will give you a good indication.
Keep your wedding ceremony in the shade
Make sure you check out a venue in the season of your wedding and avoid a wedding in the full sun. Remember, most couples don’t wear sunglasses on their wedding day so you’re going to want to be as comfortable as possible.
Also note that speakers and camera equipment can’t be left in full sun or they risk shutting down, so make sure these things are also kept in the shade.
Provide a water station at the wedding ceremony
Make sure your guests stay hydrated by providing a water station. Some venues will have the capacity to provide this for you, or if it’s an outdoor venue look at hiring one. If you decide to bring single-use plastic water bottles then make sure you have a bin provided to recycle the bottles after the event.
Speak to your celebrant about having two glasses of water waiting for you at the signing table or nearby so that you can hydrate during the ceremony.
Provide sunscreen for your wedding guests
When guests are dressing up for a wedding they often forget about applying sunscreen. Let’s not have beetroot red faces in all your wedding photos – provide sunscreen and protect your guests.
And while you’re at it, don’t forget to apply sunscreen yourself. Look for a non-greasy sunscreen with a matt finish. For folks who wear makeup you can consider a sunscreen spray. Speak to your makeup artist as to what they would recommend.
Provide fans for your guests
If it’s going to be a scorcher look at providing guests with hand fans so they can keep cool. You can typically buy them online and they’re made from Sandlewood or Bamboo. The added bonus is they're a great way to swat away any pesky flies!
Hire umbrellas for extra shade
You can hire attractive looking market umbrellas from local Perth companies so your ceremony and reception is shaded.
Alternatively there are also companies that hire out individual parasols for guests. Sunbella hire out SPF50+ parasol style umbrellas, and Over the Moon hire out parasols.
Do you need a bushfire plan?
If your ceremony is in the Perth Hills or in bushland, make sure you have a bushfire plan. It's not just about a fire breaking out during the wedding, but also fires causing roadblocks. A basic bushfire plan is to consider these three things: when you will leave, what you will take and where will you go. Have a backup ceremony or reception space in mind, just in case.
Check the Emergency WA website for bushfire warnings. If you don’t want to worry then assign the job to a responsible parent or friend.
Pre-hydrate
Make sure you pre-hydrate before the ceremony by drinking plenty of water, or better yet have an electrolyte drink (or Gatorade) just before you leave so that you are hydrated before the event. I do this for every wedding I attend in summer and it always works really well.
Want more summer wedding tips for your special day?
If you have any questions about your wedding day, get in touch! I’d love to help you work out a plan.
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