Summertime weddings, part 1

 




Fountain at Disney's Port Orleans


There are a few things more lovely than a summertime wedding. There are also a few things hotter in the state of Florida. Everything is in bloom. The greenery is gorgeous; the flowers are in full bloom, and the sun is beaming down this side of the equator in all of its glory.

So what does this mean for you and your outdoor wedding day? 

Your guests may be sweaty and uncomfortable if you run late. The chairs roasting in the sun may be uncomfortable to sit on. You, your intended, the bridal party, and your guests may sweat through the elaborately chosen outfits. Your vendors will be hot and sweaty, and that thousand-dollar cake sitting on display outside in 90-degree weather might start melting.

It also means you can have a lovely outdoor wedding with nature as your beautiful background. You will have options for pictures. You walk down the aisle can be more dramatic and many times much wider if you have more than one escort or a wide dress or extensive train.

It also means walking on grass or if you are lucky a nice stone path that won't ruin those expensive name-brand heels. It means you may have a fountain or a beautiful arch, column, or waterfall background. You may be surrounded by real, natural flowers. That in and of itself is a huge saving. You may have the option of having your wedding ceremony outside and cocktail hour and reception in different places. Cool cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on a covered patio, or inside somewhere cool is a win for everyone.






Plan ahead. Plan ahead. Plan ahead.

Today, let's talk about the aisle and the entrance:

If possible have the chairs set up last. 

Use petals, lanterns, and potted florals, or just decorate the chairs closest to the aisle with hanging florals to indicate the aisle. Make sure there is enough space for the bride and escort to comfortably traverse the aisle.

Don't use a paper or lightweight aisle runner for outdoor weddings on grass. They always manage to get twisted or torn as they are walked on. The time-honored tradition and practice of rolling out the aisle right before the bride or groom make their way down the aisle seems to have disappeared over the years.

If you are using real lit candles make sure that they are far enough away from the clothing so you don't end up with a hot bride. No pun intended. And yes, in all of the years that I have done weddings two brides have had brief fires on their trains. It's horrifying and ruins part of a usually very expensive outfit.

Let the music play:

Not exactly. Music is usually a very important part of the reception but it also matters for the ceremony. I still can't believe how many couples put little thought into something that will help set the mood and subconsciously calm everyone down. Music soothes the savage guests especially if you have a habit of running late.

If you are not hiring a professional musician or DJ,  please have two people with the playlist. Make sure they are both paying attention to the entrance and know how to properly utilize Bluetooth and have the ability to be connected to the Bluetooth speaker. This may require some practice. Remember, it's your wedding day, not a get-together where if they mess up the music it won't really matter. On your special day, the music flowing correctly matters. Soft instrumental music is often a great choice for guests as they arrive and await the main event. Have a speaker that is loud enough for the back row to hear if you are using a speaker. Make sure the bridal party walks at a normal pace. A song they can float to the music usually helps anxious friends and family members slow their feet and not appear to be running down the aisle. 

If you are providing a microphone, make sure that it doesn't cut out when the wind blows. There are microphones made to overcome this and there are also microphone accessories you can purchase to limit wind cut out. Consider a wireless microphone or one with an extra long cord.

Speakers. Bigger does not always mean better. With today's technology, you can have a small speaker easily hidden from view that will give wonderful sound and not impose on others that are not part of your wedding day. You also don't want a huge speaker in your photos. 

Enter the bridal party.

You have picked all of the people you want to be in your bridal party. decide how they will enter. Single, pairs, alternating bridesmaids and groomsmen, the choices are many and yours to decide. Once your bridal party enters and takes their place having them stand slightly slanted will give them, your guests, and photographers the ability to see and hear the couple and guests without moving much more than their head in either direction. You don't need fidgeting bridal party members taking away the attention from you, the couple. The closest bridal party member to the bride or groom wearing a dress with a train should be ready and available to help by holding the bride's bouquet and fixing the back of the train so that it looks amazing in pictures.

Sun in your eyes

Many times couples schedule their wedding without taking into consideration the position of the sun. If you do not do a rehearsal or visit the site during that time of the day, you won't know until it is too late that the sun is beaming its rays into one, both, or all of your eyes. Guests also don't appreciate the sun in their eyes during your ceremony. You don't want to end up with a bunch of squinty photos or having to hold up your hand to shade your face while reading your carefully thought-out vows. If the sun is beating down on everyone, a shorter ceremony is also a good idea. A short well developed, personalized, and interesting ceremony is way better than a long drawn-out one that may have little to do with your relationship and bore your guests. 

The sun is not your friend. Professional photographers prefer a slightly cloudy or overcast day and swear they make the best pictures. It isn't that you can't get really nice photos on a bright sun shining day but a sky with visible clouds and striations of color creates a more complex and preferable photo. Shooting into the sun can whitewash your background. Pro's usually know how to fix this but what if you have hired an amateur, or less experienced photographer or a family member who takes pretty good pictures but isn't an editing whiz or has expensive photo editing tools like Lightroom and photoshop.

Don't forget the sunscreen and have icy cold bottles of water on hand for you, your guests, and vendors to avoid heat stroke. Tents also provide shade for guests. Out-of-state guests may be adversely affected by the wet heat that is common in our state.  


Happy Planning! Make sure you come back for part 2.

I DO Weddings by Sheri

Sheri Thomson





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