If there’s one thing we’ve learned throughout our 20+ years of wedding planning, it’s that there is ALWAYS something that goes differently than planned, often the weather. Although you may not be able to control or predict it, you can certainly take action to accommodate it.
If you get married in the heat of summer, consider offering your guests a cold drink when they arrive. Get creative with the drinks depending on the style of your event and your location. Getting married at a historic southern venue? Consider offering sweet tea and lemonade in mason jars. Getting married at the beach? Offer an Italian Ice Cart for a cool treat upon arrival. Is your wedding being held at the height of heat in the day? Incorporate hand fans as your program, provide a basket of colorful parasols near the entry to the ceremony (how lovely would this be in photos?), distribute small packets of sunscreen in a basket before they sit down, or add vintage hankies with your program on the ceremony seats for guests to blot their face as needed.
When possible, we recommend visiting your venue during the same time as you are planning to get married (ideally during the same season), so you can take into consideration options for seating placement and get your guests in the shade, where possible.
If you get married in the middle of winter, consider draping blankets on every other seat, take it up a notch by having your new monogram added to the corner of the blankets… a great task to give a family member who knows how to do so! Near the signage for seating at the wedding, you can provide a basket with hand warmers. A coffee or hot cocoa station with mini marshmallows would make an adorable option as well.
Calling for rain? Have plenty of umbrellas on hand and consider asking your groomsmen to welcome guests with an umbrella upon arrival.
Another wonderful idea, that can be applied to really any weather scenario, is providing a ‘clean up station’ in the restrooms for your guests. These could include small packs of wipes (in case their shoes get muddy, etc.), makeup remover, tissue packets, hairspray, etc.
These little touches make for a memorable event. We want to hear from you! Comment below with any additional ideas on how to be mindful of the weather for your guests. What experiences have you had where thinking ahead like this might have improved your experience?