Nik Reeds - Civil Marriage Celebrant

Summer Wedding Tips from a Celebrant On Gold Coast

Ah … summer time!

Thoughts of lazy days on the beach, with a cool drink in your hand feeling the cool breeze blowing off the ocean come to mind.

Maybe yours too?

Maybe that is part of the reason you thought about having a wedding in summer?

However, the brutal truth is, if not handled well, a summer wedding is uncomfortable for everyone involved. Sweltering in suits, long dresses, battling the sweat beading on your forehead for all photos, make up starting to run. Guests complaining about getting sun burnt or worse still, guests or your bridal party passing out from the heat.

Yes, these are some of the things I have seen on more than one summer wedding.

But that’s not to say a summer wedding can’t be awesome … with a bit of pre-planning.

Here are my summer wedding tips for you …

INDOORS VS OUTDOORS
An outdoor wedding is lovely, but it can also be very hot and uncomfortable. If you have the option of having your ceremony indoors, seriously consider it. Being inside in air-conditioning on a hot summers day may be a better option.

However, if you really have your heart set on an outdoor wedding, make sure you don’t plan your ceremony to be in the heat of the day. Aim for a later ceremony. 3.00pm onward at least, even later if you can manage.

Assess your ceremony location prior to the day. Does the sun beat down on that area? If so, is there another area under some shade of a tree that is available? If not, can you afford to buy enough umbrellas for your guests to use to shade themselves? Then, if they all have umbrellas, how is that going to effect your photos? It might not look great having a lot of umbrellas up in your photos.

Summer afternoons are also highly prone to thunderstorms that roll in with very little notice. What is your backup plan if a storm rolls in?

SENSIBLE CLOTHING
It looks lovely in photos when all the men are wearing 3 piece suits, but it is also like wearing a portable sauna (trust me, I know as I wear a 3 piece suit). I have seen many best men, groomsmen and even grooms succumb to the heat and stress combination and pass out. One groom was so bad the wedding couldn’t proceed and an ambulance had to come to rush him to hospital because he was so badly overheated.

If you are having a summer wedding (especially if it is outdoors), be thoughtful of the men wearing heavy and hot suits. Perhaps swap out for a lighter, more casual “summer / beach” look? It looks cool and IS cooler!

HYDRATE HYDRATE HYDRATE
It is so important it needs to be said 3 times at least!
Now, I am not much of a fan of water. I definitely need to force myself to drink it to keep hydrated. On the morning of your big day, remind yourself and your bridal party to really hit the water. To drink more than they think they need to. Dehydration is the biggest reason people collapse in the heat.

Also, consider your guests. Ensure the ceremony location has a water station or bottles of water available for your guests.

There is plenty time to enjoy alternate beverages after the ceremony!

Summer weddings are fantastic when done right. It just takes a little more planning to make things run smoothly.

I hope these tips have helped you.

Warmly,

Nik Reeds
Civil Marriage Celebrant

 

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