How To Stay Cool During a Summer Wedding

Summer Wedding in Essex

Beat the Heat With These Cool Tips

Don’t let a summer heatwave spoil your wedding day. Our 6 top tips will help you to beat the heat and stay cool whatever the weather throws at you.

Summer may be the most popular time of year in which to get married, but high temperatures like the ones we’ve seen this year can sometimes make for an uncomfortable experience. Here are our top tips for keeping your cool when the temperature starts to rise.

Head inside

You may have your heart set on an outdoor summer wedding, but when the temperatures rise you may be better off heading indoors. An outdoor wedding followed by outdoor photographs and an outdoor drinks reception can prove too much for both you and your guests, so take a break from the heat and use your venue’s internal spaces for at least part of your big day.  Our barn weddings in Essex offer the best of both worlds with beautiful private gardens in which to enjoy the good weather and a stunning Tudor/Jacobean barn which offers a welcome respite from the strong summer sun.

Relax the dress code

Weddings are traditionally formal affairs, but your guests will really appreciate it if you relax the dress code a little to allow for the hotter temperatures. The same applies to you and the wedding party. If you’re getting married at a time of year or in a location that is likely to be hot, choose your dress accordingly. Avoid formal, heavy gowns with lots of boning and long trains and instead opt for light, flowy fabrics such as tulle, silk-organza or chiffon. Similarly, the groom and his ushers will be better off forgoing traditional morning suits in favour of simple two-piece suits in lighter colours and fabrics.

Provide props

Providing cooling props can help to mitigate the worst of the heat. Place fans and mini mister bottles on tables as wedding favours or, alternatively, why not create orders of service that double up as fans? It’s a fun unique touch that looks great while helping to keep your guests cool and comfortable. If a lot of your wedding will be held outdoors, consider supplying your guests and bridal party with pretty parasols to keep the sun off. As well as providing some much-needed shade, they’re also a really sweet touch that will look great in your photographs.

Summer survival kit

It also helps to have a ‘summer survival kit’ on hand. Pack essential hot weather items such as coconut wipes, sunscreen, cooling spray, hair ties and mini deodorant and place them in the bridal preparation suite or somewhere else where you and your girls can easily access them throughout the day. Putting these items in the venue’s bathrooms for your guests to use is also a really nice touch and one that is sure to be appreciated as the high temperatures start to take their toll.

Consider your menu

A heavy wedding breakfast can make you feel the heat, even more, so ditch the soup and roast beef and instead opt for light, summery dishes that make the most of the delicious seasonal produce. As an extra cooling treat you could ask your venue to provide a couple of signature frozen cocktails or even hire an ice-cream van to keep your guests supplied with cooling gelatos and ice lollies.

Stay hydrated

When temperatures rise it’s important to stay hydrated. At a wedding it’s easy to overdo it on the booze, so do your guests a favour by providing iced-water stations. You can make things more interesting and up the refreshment factor by swapping plain water for fruit waters such as watermelon and basil or raspberry and lemon. When it comes to serving alcohol, ice-cold beer buckets, and deliciously cool cocktails are sure to hit the spot.

Despite the potential for high temperatures, summer really is a beautiful time of year to get married and with careful planning and a bit of foresight, you can enjoy a fantastic, memorable wedding whatever the weather.