Summer weddings are always a blast, but how do you even begin planning a summer wedding? What color scheme should you use? What can you do to beat the heat? While most of those questions are completely up to you as a couple, I'm here to walk you through some summer wedding ideas to show you what other couples have done, and what you can do to make your summer time wedding stand out, and stay true to the theme.

1.) Beat the Heat

Iowa City Outside Wedding Ceremony — Photo By: Sarah Rolling Photography

It’s no secret that summer weddings are HOT, but there are a few aesthetic ways to beat the heat on your big day. My go to is always going to be handing out hand fans to your guests as favors. You can specially order customized hand fans that have your names, logo, and wedding date on them, and trust me when I say they’re gonna be a BIG hit on a hot summer day! My other personal favorite, is having guests use parasols during the ceremony and cocktail hour. Parasols look stunning in your photos, and they make for fun props to use during your bridal party portraits!

2.) The Drinks are EVERYTHING

Wedding Signature Drinks — Photo By: Erin Allsup Photography

Summer weddings can get hot fast, which is exactly why having the right drinks are important for the big day. You not only want to make sure your guests stay hydrated, but you want to give them fun wedding drinks and cocktails to enjoy too! Some of my fave summer drinks include strawberry lemonade and cool iced tea, but we can’t forget about the cocktails! I have some awesome summer wedding cocktail drink ideas in another blog post, The Ultimate Guide to Having Signature Drinks at Your Wedding. It can be challenging at times to pick the best cocktails for your big day, but I made narrowing down drink choices easy for you in that post!

3.) Picking the Best Venue

Arrowhead Golf Course Outside Tent Wedding — Photo By: Lisa Haislet Photography

Picking the best venue for your wedding is incredibly important! While I know everyone wants a venue with outdoor options, it’s best to pick a venue that has an indoor reception area as well- you’ll thank me later when your wedding day has unbearable heat and the ac in the venue feels like Heaven! My favorite venue options in the summertime, are ones with an outdoor ceremony and cocktail area, and indoor dining and dancing. However, some couples choose to go the route where everything is outside- and that’s fine too! It all depends on what you want, and what your vibe/aesthetic are. This couple for example decided to have their ceremony and cocktail hour outside, with their reception under a tent, and it was a huge hit! It was awesome to get to see such stunning scenery surround us during their wedding, and it really stayed true to their summer time vibe!

4.) All About That Floral

Colorful Wedding Bridal Bouquet — Photo By: Grace T Photography

Your florals will be in 90% of your wedding photos, so by including summer themed florals that match your color scheme, you're ensuring that every photo you take matches your theme. But how do you ensure your florals give off a summer time vibe? You can either include bright summer colors OR you can use summer inspired florals like dahlias, orchids, and peonies. You can include your florals in your bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, in the groom and groomsmen boutonnieres, in your centerpieces, or even in your ceremony floral arrangements. The easiest way to ensure your floral give off the summer vibe you're looking for, is to talk to your florist. By explaining to them your vision, you're ensuring that your florist understands the assignment and will help to create stunning arrangements that fit your theme! One thing I always reccommend to couples when it comes to picking florals, is to create a moodboard using Pinterest. Go onto Pinterest and save photos of florals and bouquets that you like. That way when you meet with your florist, you can show them exactly what you're going for, rather than just explaining it to them. Tell your florist the colors you're looking for, what types of flowers you like, as well as any other descriptions you can think of like loose bouquets or tight arrangements. The more descriptions you can give to your florist, the better!

5.) Dress Details

Midnight Gem Iowa Wedding Venue — Photo By: Ivory and Bliss Photography

Let’s be real here- Summer is HOT! So you’re going to want a dress with ventilation, one that’s breezy and not stuffy. While it’s your wedding day and you can wear whatever dress you want, most of my summer brides go for looser styled dresses, or at the very least, have an outfit change at the end of the night so they don’t have to wear their wedding dress all day. You also don’t want to forget to stay hydrated, well fed, and cooled down on the big day, because fainting is a very real problem on the wedding day. Staying hydrated and making sure you’re eating is important, but I’d also suggest investing in some personal hand fans for you and the bridal party to use. Trust me when I say they make all the difference when you have to pose for an hour outside under the hot sun!

6.) Taking Advantage of Being Outside

Summer weddings are a vibe, and while they may be hot, people like to take advantage of the nice weather! You can opt to have your ceremony, cocktail hour, or reception outside, but why not do what this couple did, and have their dance hour outside! Guests had a blast with this outdoor dance floor, especially when this was their view! While having your dance floor outside may not be for everyone, it’s still equally just as fun to have your ceremony and cocktail hour be the outside events.

7.) Sparkler Exits

Wedding Sparkler Exit — Photo By: Forever Green Studios

Sparkler exits have, and will forever be a huge hit in the wedding world. Plus, what better screams summer time wedding than sparklers?! To do a sparkler exit, have your guests line up *outside* in two parallel lines. You’ll then have someone pass out unlit sparklers, and give your guests a heads up on what’s about to happen. Then, have a designated person light sparklers, and have a buddy system where people who’s sparklers are already lit, light someone else’s unlit sparkler. This helps to ensure everyone’s sparkler gets lit quickly before they run out. Once everyone’s sparkler has been lit, guests will raise their sparklers as the bride and groom run down a tunnel of fireworks as bright as their love, while the photographer and videographer snap some pics!

8.) Having an Outdoor Ceremony

Salisbury House Des Moines Iowa Outdoor Ceremony — Photo By: Grace T Photography

Outdoor ceremonies are all the rage right now, especially when the weather is nice! If you’re hosting a summer wedding, I highly suggest taking advantage of an outdoor wedding ceremony! While it may be hot, there are a few tips I have for couples wanting to make sure their guests are comfortable during the ceremony, such as:

Having a hydration Station
Handing Out Fan’s
Bringing Parasols for Guests to Use

By including these three things, you’re helping to ensure your guests stay cool and comfortable during your outdoor wedding ceremony. Plus, they are great features to have that your guests will rave about years after the big day.

9.) Something Udderly Delicious

Wedding Ice Cream Truck — Photo By: Sage Photography

I’m a pun girl- I just can’t help it! Seriously though, having an ice cream truck at your wedding, will be a huge hit, especially if your event is taking place outside! Ice cream is a win in general, but when your guests are hit with ice cream instead of boring wedding cake for dessert, it’ll be the talk of the night! Or in this case, the talk of the year! I’ve seen couples do an ice cream truck, a Dairy Queen blizzard bar, and a build your own ice cream cone station- each one was a huge success that left guests wanting more.

10.) Needing S’More Love

Wedding Smores Guest Favors — Photo By: Forever Green Studios

I can’t lie, s’mores on the wedding day are SO much fun! You can bring them out for cocktail hour, as a late night snack, or both! Most wedding venues with a patio have a fire pit, so roasting marshmallows is a breeze. However, I’ve seen indoor s’more roasting as well. You can ask your caterer to provide a mini indoor fire pit, or purchase one online for guests to use. Just make sure it’s ok with your venue before purchasing one!