Wedding Planning

Beat the Heat: Keeping Guests Cool During an Outdoor Wedding or Event in Summer

August 2, 2023
Ask The Expert, Wedding Planning Advice

Here in Texas, we love our outdoor events. Wedding ceremonies are frequently held outside, and summer gatherings for birthdays, barbecues and any other summer celebrations are usually outdoors. However, the scorching heat can pose a challenge when it comes to keeping your guests comfortable. To ensure everyone stays cool and refreshed, we have some essential tips and ideas to help you beat the heat and protect your guests. From practical items to buy to refreshing wedding and event catering options, we’ve got you covered.

Creating a Comfortable Event

Before your outdoor event, it’s crucial to take certain precautions to protect your guests from the heat. Here are a few essential steps to consider:

Provide Ample Shade

Set up shaded areas using tents, canopies, or umbrellas. This will offer respite from the sun’s rays and create comfortable spots for guests to relax.

Hydration Stations

Keep your guests well-hydrated by setting up hydration stations throughout the venue. Offer a variety of refreshing beverages, such as infused water, lemonade, and iced tea. Don’t forget to provide plenty of ice and cups! Your wedding caterer can help create fun drinks that are attractive to the eye as well as taste great!

Essential Cooling Items

Investing in certain cooling items can make a significant difference in keeping your guests cool and comfortable. Here are a few items to consider:

Fans and Misters:

Portable fans and misting systems can provide instant relief from the heat. Place fans strategically throughout the venue, especially in areas where guests are likely to gather, such as seating areas or dance floors. You can rent these from local event rental companies or purchase your own for use at future events too!

Cooling Towels:

Provide cooling towels to your guests. These towels are made of special fabric that stays cool when wet. Guests can simply wet the towel and drape it around their necks or use it to wipe their faces for instant refreshment. You can order them in your event colors too! Check out these we found on Amazon.

Personal Fans:

We own these amazing neck fans and sing their praises constantly! They might be a little more pricey than the towels, but they are life savers when the temps soar! They also help with anyone who is carrying a drink since they don’t require hands, which also makes them perfect for event staff. Don’t forget your wedding catering staff and bartenders!

Strawberry Lemonade Granita — Photo by Savannah Peterson Photography

Refreshing Wedding and Event Catering Ideas

When it comes to catering, incorporating refreshing and hydrating options is a must. Here are some ideas to keep your guests cool and satisfied:

Hydrating Beverages:

As we said before, hydration stations are a must. This is your chance to have fun with your drinks! Offer a wide selection of chilled beverages, including fruit-infused water, iced tea, and refreshing mocktails. Consider

serving signature summer drinks like frozen margaritas or fruit smoothies to add a touch of indulgence.

Fresh and Light Food Options:

Opt for a menu that includes light and refreshing dishes. Incorporate seasonal fruits, crisp salads, chilled soups, and seafood options. These choices not only keep guests cool but also provide a delightful culinary experience. Consult with your wedding caterer to find out what is in season and would be fun with your theme, they are sure to have some great ideas!

Frozen Treats:

Surprise your guests with a delightful array of frozen treats. Set up a gelato or ice cream station with various flavors and toppings. You can also offer refreshing popsicles or create a DIY snow cone bar for a fun and interactive experience. We loved these fun strawberry lemonade granitas served before the outdoor wedding ceremony to help keep guests cool.

Important Things to Know

Consider Those Who Are More Vulnerable:

Older adults, those with chronic health conditions, pregnant women and small children are more susceptible to the heat. If you have a higher population of these guests, you may want to consider moving the event indoors or provide special areas for them to spend time in and keep away from the heat.

Know the Signs of Heat Related Illnesses

Not to be a downer, but knowing the signs of heat related illnesses can help make sure guests are treated if any issues arise. Heat cramps are often the first sign of a heat related illness. Other symptoms include: heavy sweating, nausea, dizziness, headache or fainting. Move anyone experiencing these to a cool area immediately and apply cool, wet cloths. Offer them sips of water. If someone experiences confusion, vomiting, has a temperature of 103 degrees or higher, seek medical attention immediately! If you know you’ll be busy as the host of the event, make sure you have others aware of what to watch for and can aid any guests who develop symptoms.

Make Your Plans

Keeping guests cool during an outdoor event in the summer requires careful planning and consideration. Follow these tips and we’re sure you can beat the heat and keep your guests cool!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post/ content are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I only share about companies that I truly believe in.

Organizing Your Pinterest Board

July 13, 2020
Wedding Planning Advice

When you first start your Pinterest board, it could be WAY before the actual engagement or it could be right after you get engaged. Either way, you usually just pin random photos that you absolutely love so don't forget about that specific detail or style. That is a great way to get a feel for where your head is at style-wise and what trends you start to see throughout the board. When you start talking to vendors though, you need examples for them and this is when the real work starts - it is now time to organize your Pinterest board!

The first step to organizing your Pinterest board is to know what each vendor needs to see to make your vision come to life. For example, your bakery doesn't necessarily need to see what type of ceremony programs you are looking at. If you are scrolling down the hundreds of pins to get to that one photo of a cake, you could need some organization in your life. Let's start by breaking it down by category - Colors, Floral, Tabletops, Attire & Beauty, Cake, Stationery & Signage, and Photography.

Colors

At first, your board may be all over the place and that is totally fine! But you soon will have to hone it in so your wedding won't follow suit. A great first step may be to start with a board dedicated to your colors. I am sure you have seen pins with the color palette attached to the photo. Those are great! You can also just use regular photos where you love the shade of a specific element. If you have multiple photos make sure they are all cohesive.

Floral

You may think all flower photos can be translated across the board but it is a great idea to separate photos into three categories when it comes to floral inspiration. You can simply make three different boards or create sections within the board. The three categories should be Personals, Ceremony, and Reception. Personals should be bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, flower girl accessories, or anything that you want for the wedding party and family at your wedding. That way the florist will have a clear idea of what items are important to you and what style. Ceremony should include what pieces you want for your nuptials including arches or backdrops, as well as aisle markers. Finally, reception decor inspiration, which can include centerpieces but also don't forget special tables, entry decor, or even hanging pieces. By organizing your floral board, your meeting with the florist will be a lot smoother.

Tabletop

Besides your centerpiece, what else do you want on your tables? Candles, chargers, napkins, gold flatware? There are so many options it's good to have an idea so when you go to meet with your caterer or rental company you can show them what you were thinking!

Attire & Beauty

Like the floral category, you are going to want to have sections - Bride's Dress, Hair & Makeup, Bridesmaids Looks, and Groom & Groomsmen Looks. You want these separated so you can easily reference them and if they are separate boards, you can share them with the applicable people. You can have an array of styles to make sure it is right for each person.

Cake

How many tiers do you want? What kind of style are you thinking? Cakes have become so unique and creative you want to make sure you have some images to portray what you like or even what you don't like. Don't forget to include photos or even a section devoted to a groom's cake if you want one!

Stationery & Signage

This is one that couples often miss! Signs are a great way to direct your guests in the right direction. Also, they can add to the overall aesthetic of the day. If you see a sign you love the style of or one that would be helpful for your wedding pin it! This is also a great place to store those invitation and save the date photos you like.

Photography

In this section, you want photos to represent the style of photography you like as well as any poses you like. After pinning photos you like, you can start to get an idea of the style of photography you lare drawn to and thus help you look for photographer that you love. This also gives you a board you can show your photographer, after you hire them, to give them an idea of any expectations you have.

To give you an example of how your Pinterest board can be organized click HERE. This is a board we put together that you can reference when organizing your own.

We hope this gives you an idea of how to sort the photos you love on Pinterest and make it super simple to share with your wedding vendors. Organization is just one element that puts you on the right path to planning! If you feel like you need more help, please contact us and we can help even more.

Planning Your Proposal

December 16, 2016
Engagements & Proposals

With the holidays coming up, many couples are taking that next step and becoming engaged. It’s such a wonderful moment in a couple’s lives and whether it is a simple question or perfectly planned event, it’s special and unique for each. If you’re planning your proposal, here are a few tips we suggest for making the most of this time for you and your significant other:

Make it about the two of you. Are you both introverts and prefer a quiet night at home? Or are you both social people and love being with friends and family? When planning, design your moment to have the most impact by choosing who will be there and how it will happen carefully. Whether you choose a romantic dinner for two or the spotlight shining on you while surrounded by a flash mob, just make sure it’s what your significant other would enjoy as well. It’s about the two of you as a couple and creating a memory you will both cherish.
Plan the where. Where your proposal happens can make the proposal even more special. You can choose a location for its sentimental value, like a special place for the two of you to go to spend time together, or a place you’ve been that is special, such as where you went on your first date. You can also choose a location simply for its romantic value, like a horse carriage ride.
Plan what you want to say. This can be something as simple as “Will you marry me?” to a prepared speech you have memorized or written down so you can read it off. It can be what you choose, but give some thought to it before you ask. That way you’ll speak from the heart and nerves hopefully won’t render you too speechless. 😉
Find a way to record the moment. Photographers absolutely love getting asked to capture this moment. If you’ll be in a public space, contact wedding photographers in your area to find someone you like, are comfortable with and can be super sneaky in capturing the exact moment you ask! If in a private space, set up your phone to record the moment if you can. We recommend this because our clients always show us these photos and videos and truly cherish that they have them, so we know you will too!

We love hearing about engagement stories, so once you’ve popped the question, make sure to come back and share them with us! For those who are already engaged, what was your proposal like?

A Cohesive Design

February 4, 2015
Wedding Planning Advice

When planning your wedding, you’ll be visiting several different vendors and will have to describe what you want your day to look like over and over. This is all in an effort to bring them on board with your look, feel, or theme. They need that information to be able to even give you a quote for their services, or to design something you can use to determine whether or not you want to hire them, and their designs will evolve after they’ve been hired and they have the time to better understand all of the elements of your day.

Because vendors will be taking their cues from you in these instances, creating a unified look in your décor will be determined largely by how well you (or your planner!) remember to constantly use your design as a reference. Table top décor, linens, florals, catering, specialty furniture, non-specialty furniture (like tables and chairs), cakes, entertainment… All of these things can greatly aid in communicating your theme to your guests, be it a time period, a specific color scheme, or even just a feeling.

It’s okay for your design to alter a bit while you’re planning. (Once you see all the spectacular options available to you, it’s hard to narrow it down!) Creating a visual storyboard – a collection of images representing the look you’re after – or a Pinterest board to show your vendors can be extremely helpful. Just make sure if you utilize media such as Pinterest that you don’t have a massive number of pins to scroll through in order to show what you truly like. Create a new board with the images narrowed down, and refine this board as you move through your design process. Maintaining a clear and defined style throughout your planning process will result in a wedding and celebration you and your guests won’t soon forget.