As the summer shifts into full gear, many are looking to host an outdoor wedding — and who can blame them?! With beautiful weather, a wonderful atmosphere, and music curated to the audience’s needs, there are many factors to consider when holding an outdoor wedding this summer.

Good Practices for Holding an Outdoor Wedding

So you’re planning an outdoor wedding? Great! It’s a beautiful time to tie the knot, but as is with all wedding planning, you’ll need to stay on top of all the moving parts when planning an outdoor wedding. From maintaining optimal comfort for your guests to monitoring the weather, being prepared for potential pitfalls during your wedding. Furthermore, coordinating with your guests during the summer months — a time where most people go on vacation — is imperative.

Here’s what you need to know when holding an outdoor wedding this summer.

Check the Weather

This is most certainly a no-brainer, but checking the weather ahead of time will allow for key preparation before holding your outdoor wedding. When selecting a date, consider using a reliable weather outlet like weather.com or climate.gov and look at historical data of that day’s weather. Has it been characteristically rainy that day? Does it get sweltering hot? What about the humidity? This will allow you to make well-informed decisions when selecting the day of the wedding.

Beyond the historical data, you’ll obviously want to keep an eye on the upcoming weather as well. Weather.com offers a monthly look at the weather, so you can keep tabs on any potential weather changes as your big day approaches.

It’s also a good idea to avoid the hottest part of the day. As the sun is generally the highest around 3 p.m., consider holding your event in the later part of the afternoon/early evening.

Provide Ample Shade

On top of checking the weather, you’ll also want to provide ample shade for your guests. It’s summer, so it’ll be warm of course! Coordinate with your wedding venue to ensure that there are amply shaded areas on premises for your guests.

Consider the number of children who will be attending, for example. As many will be running around for the most part, leaving them with some shaded areas will give them an opportunity to cool off from under the hot sun. If there aren’t naturally-shaded areas with trees and other sources, you should probably invest in setting up a tent (and perhaps some fans to go along with them) to shield wedding guests from the hot sun.

Encourage Sunblock Use

When holding an outdoor wedding, encourage guests to use sunblock prior to the ceremony. 

One of the biggest dangers of prolonged sun exposure is the dreaded sunburn. According to the Mayo Clinic, too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun “increases the risk of other skin damage, such as dark spots, rough spots, and dry or wrinkled skin.” Furthermore, symptoms include “Changes in skin tone, such as pinkness or redness,” “Pain and tenderness,” and in severe cases, “Headache, fever, nausea and fatigue.”

The American Cancer Society (ACS) advises that people should use “broad spectrum” sunscreen that protects not only against Ultraviolet A (UVA), but also Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. The Skin Cancer Foundation notes that UVA and UVB rays have been, respectively, tied to skin aging and skin burning. Avoid this by choosing the appropriately labeled sunscreen.

You’ll also want to consider the Sun Protection Factor (SPF). While no sunscreen completely protects your skin from all UV rays, choosing a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher is highly recommended. The ACS says that “SPF 15 sunscreens filter out about 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%, SPF 50 sunscreens about 98%, and SPF 100 about 99%.”

Carefully Choose the Wedding Catering

When holding an outdoor wedding, you’ll need to be mindful of the catering. With the sun’s heat, you’ll want to have refreshing foods for your guests. Think fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and lighter meals. Avoid foods that don’t mix well with the weather, like hot soups and foods that are overly spicy. You’ll probably want to cut back on the steaks and red meat (depending on how thickly cut), too, as it can leave guests feeling sluggish throughout the day.

There’s also nothing wrong with opting for grilled foods. You can opt for more wedding-appropriate foods than the traditional burger and hot dog combo like grilled fish, thin-cut beef tenderloin, and more. You can also get really creative with kebabs!

Holding an Outdoor Wedding with Everlasting Productions

Once you have the venue and catering set for your outdoor wedding, you’ll have to consider the sounds of course! In fact, a good DJ can either make or break your event. Don’t settle for less.

With Everlasting Productions, we bring a team of experienced professionals who will keep the energy flowing throughout the night and make your outdoor wedding an experience you’ll never forget. To learn more, please visit our website and get in touch with us today!