Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Summer Weddings: Inside or Outside?

During the summer, lots of couples consider an outdoor ceremony, an outdoor reception, or both. However, that’s a tough call to make as the weather starts to heat up. Outdoor weddings are great, especially for beautiful Philadelphia wedding photography, but they have their pitfalls. If you’re considering hosting your wedding outside, here are a few ways to keep your guests comfortable:

Check the Weather

It’s obviously difficult to get an accurate forecast if you’re booking your wedding date a year or more in advance. However, there are certain tools that can tell you roughly what kind of heat and humidity to expect, and what times of day to avoid. Weather Underground can give you times for peak heat during the day over the past several years. Usually, 2 PM is when the sun is high overhead, and there’s very little shade to be found. Schedule your wedding for the morning, later afternoon, or evening to ensure you’re not sweating through your ceremony!

Keep Your Guests Comfortable

There are lots of ways that you can help your guests keep cool, even if your wedding day happens to fall during a heatwave. Arrange a table with fan misters and sunscreen for people to pick up on their way to their seats, or have your programs printed on fans. Pass out water bottles at the ceremony, or serve ice water with slices of citrus or cucumber.

Also, make sure your ceremony and reception spots have plenty of shade! A tree-lined space is perfect for a ceremony–just make sure you avoid metal chairs or put cushions on them. Metal can heat up in the sun, and you don’t want to burn anyone’s butts! For your reception, get an opaque tent. If it’s a real scorcher, spring for a closed tent and rent air conditioners.

Pick the Right Food

Unfortunately, an outdoor wedding makes some food choices unwise. Dairy-based sauces and soups could spoil in the heat, and your guests might find them too rich for an outdoor meal. Popular summer menu items include fresh fruit, cold grain salads, gazpacho, cold seafood, and grilled kabobs. Keep seafood and salads from spoiling by serving them on super-cold serving dishes, or even platters made from carved ice. Cover serving platters to keep insects away, and keep your cake in the refrigerator until the last possible second to avoid attracting bees.

As far as reception drinks go, guests always appreciate an open bar, but alcohol can be dehydrating. Stock plenty of other beverages, like lemonade and iced tea. Lots of couples are going with a personalized virgin punch with chunks of frozen fruit, and water ice is always a welcome treat!

Are you planning a summer wedding?

Have you decided to get married inside or outside?

Tell me what you’re thinking about doing in the comments!