Here are some hints and tips to help you take full advantage of what summer has to offer.
Your Summer Wedding Setting
Decorate your summer wedding with seasonal fruits and vegetables such as Clementine or kumquats with beautiful summer flowers. Beaches, gardens and even yards lend themselves to weddings held in the glorious sunshine. For an evening reception light your venue with torches and lanterns. For extra touches use gingham table linens and whimsical table centers such as metal watering cans filled with sunflowers. A summer wedding is perfect for an outdoor reception and ceremony.
Dresses and Attire for the Bridal Party Summer Wedding
Don’t opt for anything too heavy or tight fitting (think Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean fainting in the hot midday sun). For a beach wedding the bridal party could go barefoot in the sand and the men could wear lightweight linen suits. For a garden party think about large straw hats to help shade you from the sun. Dress your bridesmaids in colorful cocktail dress or floral prints to really evoke the season. The men could wear morning suits or tuxedos but stick to etiquette and change the black jackets for white ones if you wanted a more formal affair.
Your Summer Wedding Food
Seafood is popular for summer menus such as lobster, prawns and oysters. Summer is also bountiful in seasonal produce and your menu should include fresh fruits such as berries and melon, and fresh vegetables such as corn. For an informal reception and one which is great fun, hold a barbecue or a picnic.
Your Summer Wedding Favors
A summer wedding is great for putting together favors of plant seeds or small potted flowers. They can take them home afterwards if the weather is particularly hot hand out paper fans or parasols for your guests to use to keep cool. Make up favors with a taste of the season such as homemade preserves or simply pieces of fruit.
Flowers
Roses, lilies, dahlias, daisies, sunflowers and cosmos are all available and would make colorful additions to your wedding day decorations. For a more elegant and tonal look choose white flowers such as phlox, calla lilies, hydrangea and snow ball mums and accent them with soft colored roses and Casablanca lilies.
