Summer Weddings | Things to Think About |

Often times brides and grooms planning a summer wedding may think that because they have chosen to have their wedding during a season which seemingly offers perfect weather conditions, there is less that they need to consider when planning the details of their day. I’ve compiled a list of things to mull over a bit when planning a summer wedding and scouting the perfect locations and shopping for the perfect details. I figured that this was also a great time to spam you with some of Cody and Clark’s wedding pics from TEM Photography

**note: these tips were not inspired by their big day, this is a running list in a note on my iphone for the last 4 years lol, reduced for brevity of course, and edited because well…F bombs**

Hotel Availability

If you are planning a summer wedding over or near a holiday such as the Fourth of July, finding accommodations for you and your guests may be a struggle. You will also want to think about this when looking at venues in or near popular summer MN destinations. If that is what your heart is set on, prepare to spend a little extra time making arrangements.

Shade for your Ceremony Location

Particularly for late summer weddings that are HOT HOT HOT, being sure your guests aren’t seated in direct sunlight is a nice gesture. Additionally, make sure that the sun isn’t obstructing their view or right in their eyes. When looking at your venue remember that your ceremony may not take place at the same time that you are touring the potential venue so be sure to think about where the sun will be in respect to your ceremony location at that time of day. What is shady in the morning may not be shady at 4pm and vice versa. Shade is also a nice consideration for your photos, making sure if you and your fiancé will be saying your vows in a partially shady spot that you will stand in a spot that is either full and solid shade or full sun so there is no dappling on your faces is a really big deal (read: no funky little shadows that are gonna make you look like you have a moustache). It is also important to consider where your guests will be seated as in MN we typically see guests arriving 30-45 minutes prior to the ceremony time (for real tho….)

Hydration

Having water stations for guests (even if there is an added catering cost) is very, very important. It is also important to consider your venue and if there will be access to drinking water for your vendors/bridal party before the catering company arrives, because this is not always the case.

Rain Plan

With summer weddings, although it is unlikely that your wedding day will be a complete wash out, in the Midwest particularly it is a possibility that a thunderstorm will blow through so a rain plan is important. If only to make it less stressful when your wedding planner asks you if you’re ok if they begin to execute said rain plan. Putting the plan together is important so that you can start visualizing yourself getting married in the surrounding of the rain plan vs. the regular plan. No wedding planner wants to break their clients hearts and have to execute a rain plan, but sometimes its necessary and if you start preparing yourself for Plan B from the beginning it will be just a little bump in the road on your incredible wedding day and can be executed quickly if necessary, it will also help your vendors be prepared when they arrive (as in your photographer needed an off camera flash etc).

Bride/Groom/Bridal Party Attire

Clothing is something to consider when planning your summer wedding, weight of the material, the wedding ceremony location and climate control indoors situation, color, breathability, etc. You probably don’t want your groomsmen in full black tuxedos in the direct sunlight at 3 pm. Right down to your wedding dress you should factor in how you will feel wearing it if your summer wedding day turns sultry. When you try on your gown you typically don’t have it on very long and are in a temperature controlled setting. However you need to remember that you are going to be wearing your gown for likely over 11 hours which means a comfortability is a BIG deal. Heavy gowns that don’t breathe can turn into a miserable situation quickly.

Menu

Consider serving dishes that are lighter and seasonally appropriate. A heavy pasta meal in a non-air conditioned situation may not be the most delightful guest experience you could offer.

Also, remember to consider conditions for your desserts. A wedding cake display is lovely but temperature of the venue needs to be factored in and sometimes plans will need to be adjusted such as the type of frosting used or when the cake will be put out. For instance, donut walls are super fun but they don’t work too well on super hot days, even indoors the frosting can slide off or the dounts can become too soft to stay put. Additionally melty desserts can become a siren call for BUGS. Which leads us too…

Pest Control

No one wants to layer on the bug spray and then sit down for a formal dinner. Be sure that you ask your venue what they do for pest control (because this is Minnesota and we all know what should have been named the state bird….mosquitos). Many outdoor or semi outdoor venues do take measures to reduce the amount of pesky summer insects. If you are hosting your soiree in your own backyard you might want to look into what pest control resources are available in your location, there are so many amazing and even eco friendly options to help keep you and your guests comfortable.

Less is More

When it comes to summer weddings especially if you are a DIY Bride remember that less is more. Limiting extras and being thoughtful and practical with your details and decor will ensure that you and the people helping you set up your special day aren’t left exhausted. The heat can really take it out of you. Don’t give yourself too much to do overall or too much to do the morning of the wedding. Simple can be absolutely stunning too.