Now that the heat has hit North Carolina, I’ve been thinking about summer weddings – specifically outdoor summer weddings. If you’ve always dreamed of having your ceremony and/or reception surrounded by the beauty of the outdoors, you may want to consider a couple of things while planning.

You absolutely must have a “Plan B” indoor space for your occasion. A tent with walls is one option – but an actual building is best. Even a tent can’t protect you and your guests from gusty winds or torrential rains. You can also plan your wedding to be either early or late in the day – not while the sun is in full heat-blaring mode. Evening is probably your best bet, so look up the Farmer’s Almanac online and see when sunset is planned for the day you are considering. Plan your wedding at or after sunset and plan your wedding accordingly (such as hors d’oeuvres instead of dinner if it’s late and open up the dance floor right away).  Choose light, airy fabrics for yourself and the bridal party (satin in the sun is a disaster and the guys will be miserable in suits…go for chiffon, linen, even sandals or flip flops could work) Some fun ways to deal with the heat: Have a beverage station of personalized water bottles – or perhaps tie them to each chair – at the ceremony (a great Triangle-Area company for this is Aquatise – check them out!).  Print your ceremony programs on the back of fans. Serve sorbet in edible cups as guests enter or exit – my favorite is lemon sorbet in ginger snap cups!
My number one piece of advice is to simply not plan an outdoor wedding when it will be too hot – for NC, that usually means May-early September.  If you really want to wed outdoors, you must be comfortable with risks and have flexibility. After all, you can’t control Mother Nature, but you can plan around her!