10 Summer Wedding Tips for the Perfect Warm Weather Wedding

Summer is one of the most popular seasons of year to get married. Everything is brighter, warmer, and happier. Additionally, some of the best honeymoon destinations are in the prime during the summer. 

However, summer days also bring high levels of heat and discomfort, especially if you're going to be all dressed up. Many summer weddings, as beautiful as they are, forget to take this into account and end with hot, uncomfortable guests. 

Fortunately, by following some simple summer wedding tips, you can avoid common summer wedding woes and have the perfect day to begin a great marriage. 

Keep reading to find out how.

10 Tips for a Comfortable Summer Wedding

1. Avoid the Hottest Part of the Day

Ideally, you want to avoid having people outside during the hottest parts of the day. It varies, depending on where you live, but the summer heat usually peaks around 3 pm. 

If you're hosting your ceremony outside, we highly recommend waiting until the mid to late evening to avoid making everyone sweat in their wedding attire. While the wedding is 100% about the event, you also don't want your guests miserable.

Wouldn't you rather people remember your wedding as "It was so beautiful!" instead of "It was so darn hot!"?

2. Keep the Dress Code Lighter

Speaking of keeping people cool, although you shouldn't settle on how the bridesmaids and groomsmen should dress, you should keep their comfort in mind as well. After all, these are some of the most important people in your life, why else would they be standing up there with you while you get married?

As one of the most important summer wedding tips, we recommend light and airy clothing, which shouldn't be too hard to accomplish for the bridesmaid dresses. However, you may have to get creative for the men. As for the guests, tell them to wear cool, breathable dress ware. 

Finally, remember to keep you and your significant other cool and comfortable as well. This day should be one of your best memories, not one full of sweating, smeared makeup, and constant discomfort.

3. Be Prepared for Summer Showers

Most climates experience summer showers. Some of them surprise showers, others not. When you're planning your wedding months in advance, however, there's no way to know if it will rain on your special day. 

As your wedding date gets nearer, you'll be able to get a more accurate prediction of the weather, which will allow you to plan according. Regardless, we recommend being fully prepared for the worst. Have a backup plan and plenty of available shelter for everyone.

4. Provide Plenty of Shade for Everyone Involved

Another key summer wedding tip is to make sure there are ample amounts of shade for people to retreat to if they're not stationed there already. As noted above, when you set your wedding date, there's no way to know exactly what the weather will be.

If your wedding happens to be on one of the hottest days of the year, it would be best if people could watch the ceremony under the shade of a tent or pavilion, rather than baking in the sun until it's over.

5. Avoid Heavy Foods

Next, make sure you keep the food light, fresh, and crisp. You want your guests to be energized by the food, rather than bogged down. Unfortunately, delicious heavy meals tend to slow people down, and will even make them sick in warm temperatures.

We recommend putting a heavy emphasis on things like grilled vegetables, fresh fruits, and salads. Meat is okay, but avoid big steaks, roasts, and other red meat.

6. Remind People to Bring Sunblock

As a courtesy to your guests, one of the best summer wedding tips you can implement is reminding people to bring sunblock in the invitations. It would be terrible if the one thing people brought back from your wedding day was a severe sunburn!

Depending on where you live, you may also suggest that people bring bug spray. Mosquitos can become quite a nuisance in the summer, especially at night as the air starts to cool.

7. Have an Indoor or Tented Photo and Reception Area 

If you don't want people trying to pack up and go as if a church service just finished, aim to have your wedding reception in a cooler location. If everything is under a tent or pavilion, the temperature may not be an issue. 

However, if people are hot during the ceremony, they'll want relief when it's over, especially to sit down and eat their meal. Additionally, you'll want people cool and comfortable if you expect them to dance!

Finally, having a cool setting for you and your significant other to take wedding pictures is vital. While some pictures should be taken outside, if you're sweating your makeup off in every photo, you're not going to be pleased with the results.

8. Pick the Right Flowers and Decor

Next, one of the most vital summer wedding tips is knowing how to decorate. Once again, you want light and airy materials and colors. A white wedding design full of bursts of color such as blue, coral, and yellow makes for a refreshing and elegant touch.

Additionally, some flowers don't handle the heat well and will wilt immediately if exposed to hot temperatures. Make sure you're choosing hardy flowers such as succulents and tropical flowers.

9. Wear a Summer-Friendly Hairstyle

Another important tip for the bride is to wear a hairstyle that promotes staying cool. We recommend brides (or grooms with long hair) wear their hair up to keep it off their neck and shoulders. 

This will also help prevent things like high humidity and wind from disrupting your style.

10. Provide Cool Desserts

Finally, one of the summer wedding tips guests will most appreciate is the implementation of cool or frozen desserts. You can, of course, keep the wedding cake, but you should also provide things like frozen yogurt, fruit pies, and frozen cocktails.

Your guests will appreciate this extra summery touch to your wedding.

The Most Important of All Summer Wedding Tips?

While the comfort of your guests is important, remember that this day is all about the happy couple! Design your wedding with these summer wedding tips in mind but keep it styled to your personality and design preferences. Create a wedding you'll remember fondly forever.

And if you're looking for the perfect summer wedding venue, we host beautifully charming and rustic weddings at Cold Creek Farm. Take a look at some of our wedding packages.