Make no mistake–no date on the calendar is a guarantee for 72-degree weather on your wedding day. Often, couples will avoid July or August months citing it’s too hot, but a recent heat wave in otherwise, pleasant mid-June is proof no wedding date is temperature-proof.
Of course, you can opt for the seasonally optimal mild months, but in our experience, Mother Nature can do the opposite of what you’d expect. We seriously can cite 60-degree weddings in December and 55-degree days in October.
Instead of grueling over “what if it is too hot,” we’ve compiled a few perfect examples of how to overcome the heat if you should have a hot one.
- Opt for an all-indoor venue–You can always play it safe and opt for an all-indoor wedding venue. This is a good option for heat-adverse folks.
- Hydration for you and your guests– Ask your venue if they can provide an ice chest for bottled water upon your guest’s entry. Offering an ice-cold bottle of water will both hydrate and cool. At Weymouth Hill Event Venue, this is always an option we offer our clients.
- Shade will be your friend– Make sure your outdoor ceremony space has shade during your ceremony time or consider tenting or renting market umbrellas to shade your guests.
- Ask your venue about fans—By creating airflow, you can make an outdoor space tremendously more comfortable. Our venue has fans strategically placed in areas to create airflow. Weymouth Hill also has some stand-alone fans for the ceremony area should more circulation be needed. If your venue doesn’t provide, look at renting industrial-sized fans that can be quiet on a lower setting.
- Plan for a reception wardrobe change—Your guests will dress for the weather, but wedding gowns and tuxedos/suits aren’t always weather-negotiable. After the highlight photos have been taken, go for a breezier wardrobe change for the party reception!
- Opt for a later start time—Of course venue rentals are typically non-negotiable as they have a set schedule for their crew. Ask your venue if they allow for a later start and end time during the warmest months of July or August. You may be surprised. Our venue allows for an optional hour later end time during July and August to provide for a 6:30 or 7:30 ceremony time.
- Frozen Drinks—Go with the heat. Ask your bar service if they can do frozen drinks. Your guests will love you for it and what a fun, summer vibe to offer bourbon or wine slushies, frozen margaritas, pink champagne granitas just to name a few. Weymouth Hill just added a slushie machine to its lineup to provide those refreshing options.
- Cool exit—Incorporate water in an allowable way. There are bubble exits; why not an exit incorporating water? We’ve been obsessed with a pool plunge idea since visiting a venue in New Orleans where it’s customary for the bride and groom to end the night in a pool plunge. If your venue allows for something out of the box or has a pool onsite, you could end your event with a splash.
This is all proof that a summer wedding doesn’t have to be a no-go. Be prepared for heat and work with it. You will never see frozen drinks, sun dresses, or hats in a fall wedding. There are many elements to embrace that make those long summer night weddings super special.
