By Elizabeth Hanks

It’s hard to believe that August is here his means we are still in the prime of the hot weather days for North Carolina. To survive the heat on your wedding weekend, we thought it would be good to review some pointers that will make you and your guest get through a steamy weekend wedding with comfort! Let’s not let this factor alter any of your fun!

Program Fans

Typically, our on-site coordinator, Jeanette, doesn’t even recommend wedding programs to her couples. “Programs, for the most part, aren’t something that many couples choose to include during their ceremony anymore. Most guests leave them in their seat at the ceremony site or they are left behind at the end of the night and end up in the trash. With weddings being more costly these days, programs just aren’t at the top of the list when talking with a couple about how to spend their money on.” However, when it comes to weddings that occur in the months of June-August, an exception is made! Making your programs into fans that guests can use to help cool themselves off during your outdoor ceremony time, is money well spent and greatly appreciated. And most of those programs won’t be left behind!

Two wedding programs with floral designs in a basket on the left and one with a wooden handle on the right, resting on a wooden table.

Indoor Ceremony Alternatives

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: make sure you love your venue’s indoor ceremony location. Here in North Carolina the summer is unpredictable. You could have a wedding day with 82 degrees and no humidity in July (lucky you Cole + Anna), there could be a pop up thunderstorm 15 minutes before your ceremony begins, or it could just be so hot and humid that you don’t want to have your guests sitting outside during the ceremony. Maybe you don’t want to ruin your hair and makeup with sweat and humidity so you choose to move it indoors. No matter what, make sure your alternate plan has plenty of room for guests and air conditioning for all to enjoy.

No matter what time of the year you have your wedding, there will always be little extras that will make your guests enjoy your wedding that much more. We believe including these three things will have all your guests (and even you) smiling and appreciative of the “little things” later on!

Left image: A rustic wedding venue with white drapes and wooden decor. Right image: A couple in formal attire sharing a dance in the same venue, with onlookers clapping in the background.

Water Bottles

Another must have for our summer brides are mini water bottles! You know what they say during the summertime: hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. With temperatures ranging from 85 degrees to 95 degrees with sometimes heat indexes over 100, water for your guests is an absolute must. You can purchase mini water bottles in bulk at almost any big box store like Walmart, Target, Costco and Sam’s. A big tip from Jeanette, The Wedding Day Lady, “Freeze the waters 1-2 days before your wedding day. Then, around the 1–2-hour mark before the ceremony begins, set your waters out in buckets or an ice cooler to begin the thawing process. Depending on the temperature, the water should still be the perfect cold refreshing beverage for your guests to keep hydrated during the outdoor nuptials.