First things first, let us apologize for taking a mini blogging hiatus! With wedding season in full swing, a handful of personal weddings to attend, and one newly married event stylist, things have been a bit crazy (and we’re loving every minute of it!) We’re back in action, though, and we promise to be a bit more doting to our loyal readers.

As the temperature is steadily rising and we are full-on feeling the heat at our summer weddings, we thought it no better time to share a few tips for keeping your guests cool when the weather is anything but. For those couples whose dream wedding includes an outdoor venue, we’ve got a few tricks that will keep your guests happy without having to move the party indoors.

Ceremony

Our couples are always looking for ways to make their weddings unique and one way we’ve found to help them do so is to change up the traditional program. While some still prefer the folded pamphlet, we are loving chalkboard signage, programs with quirky wording, and for our summer weddings, program fans. In our opinion, there is no better way to kill two birds with one stone – by making your programs into fans, your guests still get the necessary “need-to-know”, but instead of accordion-folding the pamphlet of paper, they can use their program to keep cool during your garden ceremony. Check out these precious props from stylecaster.com.

summer

While program fans are all the rage for our summer shindigs, what we don’t see too often, but are absolutely smitten over, are pre-ceremony refreshments. Imagine yourself as a guest at your own wedding – it’s a hot, sticky, humid July day and the idea of an outdoor ceremony has you wishing you RSVPed, “We’ll celebrate from afar”. Just before you hit the aisle, though, you see something that helps you forget the sweat dripping between your shoulder blades – ice cold lemonade to quench your thirst. “How thoughtful!” you think, realizing that the heat might not be so bad after all. If you’re set on having an outdoor summer wedding, just remember to think of your guests. Whether it be DIY fans or water in a wheelbarrow, they’ll thank you for it.

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Cocktail Hour

After you’ve said your “I Dos” and you head off to take pictures, your guests will be heading to cocktail hour, where we suggest greeting them with something refreshing. We are absolutely in love with the idea of buttered champagne…with a twist. Why not have your caterer serve sorbet covered champagne? It will keep your guests cool and they’ll love the idea of a pretty and playful drink! If you’re looking for something a bit more subtle, champagne with frozen raspberries or grapes is a great way to keep your guests happy and chilled. And with their minds on the delicious drinks, they’ll have no time to think about the heat!

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Late Night Treats

Okay, your guests have made it through the ceremony and have spent the entire night dancing despite the heat, so it’s only fair that you reward them with a late night sweet. What better way to capitalize on the new trend of food trucks than with an ice cream truck? Your guests will be absolutely thrilled when they hear that all-too-familiar music that is sure to take them right back to childhood. They’ll love the idea of a post-reception treat as they line up to pick their favorite popsicle. Send your guests off with a smile on their faces and we’re certain they’ll look back and remember how much fun they had at your wedding (instead of the 110 degree heat index!).

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