We made it to June and the start of summer weddings! After the craziness of winter into spring (lookin at you, ‘rona) we have more summer weddings than before and I love the warmth and brightness that Summer weddings bring, especially with later sunset times, giving us more of that beautiful light for portraits!
As always in Virginia, we know the weather can be unpredictable and summer tends to get very hot and humid. BUT that doesn’t mean your wedding has to suffer!
There’s so many ways I stay cool while shooting summer weddings as a photographer and things I’ve seen through the years to help beat the heat for your guests, for you and overall Summer wedding day tips!
Pick an afternoon ceremony time
I don’t think I need to explain too much that picking a ceremony time just past noon, when the sun is highest in the sky isn’t the greatest time for your ceremony. Not just for photos because of harsh lighting on your faces during your ceremony but also for your guests (especially if several elderly guests will be attending) who will sit through your ceremony with possibly little to no shade or relief from the sun. A later afternoon ceremony time is the best so the sunlight isn’t as harsh! And the best part is it’s not going to affect your photos badly since the sun would be setting anywhere from 8-8:30pm, dependent on the month and date!
Have pre-ceremony refreshments
And I don’t necessarily mean have a pre-ceremony cocktail hour! Although you certainly could if you wanted to! 😉 Having a refreshment station nearby for your guests to grab a mocktail, sweet tea or even just some water is always a hit at summer weddings! Your guests will stay hydrated while waiting for the ceremony to start.
Provide fans, small water bottles, sun umbrellas
Or anything to help guests keep cool! Fans are a popular choice during spring and summer weddings so guests can fan themselves with a small breeze. The good thing about fans is that you could double your program with a fan! Double purpose that helps guests know who is who in your wedding and the ceremony events while also giving them a small breeze in the fan form!
Small water bottles that guests can grab from cold coolers (even just ice in a cute container) are great and so are sun umbrellas to keep them hydrated and shaded. It’s definitely not a requirement but so so nice to have!
For the Bride: Mini-Fans
I’ve worked at several warm weddings where the bride is getting pretty hot pretty quickly in her dress, especially if there’s multiple layers of fabric. And out of nowhere, a small fan emerges! I’ve seen small battery operated fans being used to help cool you down and while we do portraits where you don’t have to move too much (like bridal party and especially family portraits) I like to just rest the fan underneath the dress so you get a breeze to help keep you cool!
Consider an outfit change
Your dress is absolutely gorgeous and it’ll look PERFECT on you on your wedding day but you might want to consider your dress and the heat. Some dresses do better in heat if they’re flowy or made with lighter fabrics. Some other dresses trap the heat in and are just heavy. That’s when I would consider getting another dress to change into for your reception! A cute white sundress or even a long white dress that’s very light and flowy (think chiffon!) would make for a great reception outfit change! Not only do you get the fun of surprising guests with an outfit change, but you also get to stay nice and cool 😉
Not even the Virginia heat and humidity can down a wedding! There’s so many ways to beat the heat and I hope these tips and ideas help you as you plan your Summer wedding!
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