A summer wedding gives you the choice of getting married outdoors or indoors, with the option to host a post-nuptial drinks reception on the lawn or within the grounds of your chosen venue. In reality, we know that the British weather is the one thing you cannot plan for, or rely on, and a sudden rain shower can have everyone rushing for cover. If you choose a summer wedding, you will need to make sure that you have a wet weather back-up plan and that your venue has plenty of space to hold the reception inside if the worst happens.
On the flip side of this, if the weather is hot, you will need to make sure that you provide some form of shade during the reception. Two hours in the glaring hot sun can be very uncomfortable for guests, and although it hasn’t been scientifically proven, we all know that sunshine seems to increase the effects of alcohol. Make sure there is plenty of iced water available to keep your guests going. Why not hire the Harper Horsebox as an exciting addition to your day. Speak to the wedding planning team to find out what you can serve from it; ice cream, cocktails and canapés to name but a few.
Because summer wedding dates are very popular, wedding venues and suppliers tend to get booked up very quickly, so try to get organised early. When it comes to booking your wedding venue we’d recommend booking at least 12 to 18 months in advance of your summer wedding date in order to guarantee availability. It’s also worth planning ahead and sending out your save the date cards early as the summer months tend to get very busy for guests, particularly with holidays (and of course, other weddings).
The long hot summer days with blues skies and plenty of sunshine should provide fantastic conditions for photos. Make sure that your photographer finds some locations that are not in direct sun or your guests will be frowning and squinting rather than laughing and smiling.
Flowers are abundant during the summer months, but if you plan on being outside for a long time on your wedding day, discuss this with your florist so that they can think of ideas in order to prolong the life of your flowers as much as possible.
A summer wedding provides a perfect opportunity for the bride to wear a floaty, strapless, summery wedding dress. Similarly, the bridal party could wear light dresses in a combination of beautiful shades to compliment the summer theme.
