Saturday, August 22, 2009

Summer Weddings in San Diego


Okay. Okay. So I obviously didn't marry the Obamas. This isn't their first dance together as husband and wife. They look good though, don't they!?

Just thought I'd post a few new tips since it has been quite a while since I wrote on this blog.

No matter where you live, it seems that summertime is the most popular time to tie the knot. Here are a few helpful things to remember when planning an outdoor wedding when the temperature could be hot OR unpredictable.

1) Think of your guests. It may be the couple's day, but the longer it takes to walk down the aisle the longer your guests will be waiting, sitting and sweating. You may opt to have a shaded area for guests to wait before the big moment.

Communication will be the key. Have people available to act as liasons between the couple or whatever part of the couple may be delayed, and someone at the wedding location. Avoid seating the guests until just minutes before the walk down the aisle so they can try and stay cooler. If it is a long ceremony, consider having it in the late afternoon or early evening when there is more chance for a breeze and cooler weather. If it is a shorter ceremony and the guest count isn't too high, you may consider having them stand. This works great if there is plenty of room for people to gather and still clearly see the ceremony. Having chilled bottled water and sunscreen available are other possible ideas.

2) Besides the heat of the sun, wind, especially by the ocean can be an issue. Consider this when thinking of decorations, hairstyles and special ceremonial aspects. A candlelighting or sand ceremony can be challenging with the wind blowing. You may choose to instead integrate a wine or rose ceremony. These will provide similar sentiments, with less chance of wind related problems.

3) Although it is RARELY an issue in San Diego County, rain can certainly change plans quickly! I remember performing an August wedding in Western Washington and it poured for hours. We patiently waited, hoping it would clear just long enough to perform the 15 minute ceremony, but apparently it was meant to be a rainy wedding. Luckily there was a huge tented area that was set up for the reception. We moved things out of one of the corners of the tent and proceeded. It may have been frustrating to some, but it actually lightened the mood. I find imperfection generally does that to weddings. I see this as a very good thing!

CONGRATULATIONS! ENJOY YOUR SPECIAL DAY WHATEVER THE WEATHER!