Even though the calendar is telling us otherwise, summer is here, my friends! We hit a warm and beautiful 85 degrees yesterday and we all know they weather will be getting warmer from there. Have you thought about having your outdoor wedding in the summer? We’ve seen a number of toasty days here at Spring Lake and have a few ideas to keep you cool under that heat tent – er, wedding dress.
The great news is that Spring Lake is situated at the bottom of a valley, with a spring-fed lake flowing through it. Both of those things contribute to a really nice cool summer breeze through the venue. But that full length wedding dress you’ll be wearing will probably act like a heater and trap in all your body heat. So, we’ve gathered a few of our favorite tips to keep you cool during your summer wedding at Spring Lake.
First, your getting ready suite is air conditioned. Use it to your advantage. Take a break in the cool oasis whenever you need to. It’s there for you and is really great to give you a quick cool off. Don’t be scared to hike up your skirt and air yourself out while you’re in there, too.
Second, arm your guests with the tools they’ll need to keep themselves (and you!) cool. That’s right. Consider handing out fans with your wedding programs just before the ceremony. We like these, these, and even these. All the ladies will appreciate having the extra breeze during the ceremony to keep their makeup in place, and after the ceremony is over, there will be fans laying at your disposal all over the venue. And there will be plenty of people willing to give you a much needed extra breeze!
Ice cold water. Have you ever seen a huge bucket of icy water bottles when you’re about to melt away? It’s the most relieving sights in the entire world. Have a couple of places with this bonus feature (and someone at the ready to replenish the ice) and you’ll be so thankful when you need an ice cold sip before dinner is ready.
Put someone on spray bottle duty. Arm someone with a little spray bottle to walk around and mist people. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to be spritzed because it will ruin my makeup!” But by the time your vows have been said and you’ve spent an hour or two outside, there is a chance your makeup will have already melted off. And besides, you could be spritzed on your arm, shoulders, or even your legs. The evaporating water droplets will cool your skin and will feel cool. And if you get your spritz-er and fan-er working at the same time, you’ll be feeling like you’re in the A/C in no time!
Think about the boys. Your girls are wearing flow-y strapless dresses, and the boys are most likely wearing a tux or pantsuit with dark pants, long sleeve shirt, maybe a vest, and a jacket. You might want to consider dressing the men in more stylized clothes with fewer layers, or at the very least, a light colored suit (grey is a great summer wedding color!). And they’ll probably be waiting on the “okay” from you to take off their jackets, so be sure and tell them when you’re ready for them to take them off. Check out this dashing groom from one of our 2011 weddings. This would be a perfect summertime outfit for guys, especially if vintage, country, or retro is your style.
There you go! All the insider secrets to staying cool on your summer wedding day. Do you have any other tips or tricks to staying cool in the summer heat? We want to hear them (and so do other brides)! Share them on our Facebook page!
