A summer wedding is what many engaged couples dream of, with blue skies and gloriously sunny weather providing the perfect backdrop to their big day. However, a summer wedding can be just as tricky to plan, especially as you can’t always rely on the British weather to play along.
Here are 5 very useful tips to help you plan the perfect summer wedding.
Be prepared for bad weather
Unfortunately, holding your wedding in summer doesn’t guarantee good weather, so you’ll need to prepare for wind, rain and cold just in case. Have a Plan B or two in place, from erecting temporary shelter to handing out umbrellas and blankets.
Prepare for the sun
As well as preparing for bad weather, don’t forget about sun cream, cold drinks and plenty of drinking water to keep everyone in the wedding party and all of your guests safe and comfortable in hot conditions. Both bride and groom should take care to apply sun cream, as it would be a shame for evening wedding photos to be spoilt by sunburn! If your reception is held outside, make sure there are plenty of shaded spaces for guest (particularly elderly guests) to sit. It’s also a nice touch to provide a bottle of sun cream on each table, or give each guest a small battery-powered fan so that they can keep cool.
Choose an indoor-outdoor venue
Opting for a venue which offers the best of both worlds, such as Weetwood Hall with its 17th Century Manor House as well as nine acres of gardens and woodlands, is the best way to prepare for any weather. If it’s lovely and the sun is shining, you can spend lots of time outdoors, particularly for your photographs. If it rains, you can retire indoors to carry on the celebrations without getting wet. To restrict yourself to one – such as a wedding in a completely outdoor location with no access to shelter– could be a mistake if the weather unexpectedly takes a turn for the worse.
Embrace the summer theme
Summertime wedding menus should be lighter and more refreshing to suit the conditions, so why not greet guests with a cool fruit cocktail or a glass of Pimms and ice, and keep courses light, fresh and seasonal?
Send out your ‘save the dates’ as early as possible
Summer is traditionally a time when lots of people go on their holidays, so make sure you give friends, family and colleagues enough notice of your big day before they start booking their summer hols.
If you need any more advice or help on planning a summer wedding, get in touch with the experienced Weetwood Hall weddings team.
Image Credit: Dreamstime.
