Choosing a summer wedding
Summer time in the Netherlands! We love it: Dutch summers. We are looking forward to summer in the Netherlands, but not before we enjoyed the winter and spring. Getting married in the summer can be one big party, but there are a few things you need to consider.
Want to read more about marrying during times of corona? Then read this blog post with corona tips for your wedding.
Because we want to get you excited for this time of year, we wrote this blog post. We will give you some tips, show you inspiring weddings and hope to convince you to choose another period than spring ;) Especially the period around the “Dutch construction holidays” (the middle of summer) is often very unpopular. Itsn’t it a shame? :)
Wedding in the summer: what should you take into account?
Of course, there are a lot of things you can think about. For example, the points listed below.
1. Take the weather into account
Of course you hope for sunshine, but if you planned everything outside in the full sun and it gets 35 degrees, your guests will melt away. Also, be sure to factor in a high water bill. When your guests are waiting outside in the heat for your ceremony to begin, chances are there will be quite a bit to drink. Totally logical of course, but if your venue works with post-calculation, it can be a hefty addition to the bill.
2. Provide sufficient shade
Anyway, it’s nice to have a wedding venue that can “make more shade” fairly easily. For example, because they have enough staff to move a few sunshades or a location where you can use multiple spots outside. We sometimes visit the estate Het Roode Koper for example and they have several terraces you can use. One terrace is sunnier than the other and that can make a big difference on a hot day.
Outdoor wedding
We often experience that couples really want to get married outside in the summer. We are mega fans of getting married outside, but really make sure there is shade. Especially for guests who are a bit older. We haven’t experienced people actually fainting, but we have experienced that some of the guests had to go and sit somewhere else because of the heat. Even though sunshades don’t always look photogenic, shade is sometimes essential ; )
3. Think about a dress code for a summer wedding
If you have a dress code, be aware that your guests can get pretty hot in their three-piece suit or tuxedo. And those long evening dresses can be pretty hot too. We have experienced weddings where it was hotter than 35 degrees and the male guests could not wait for the groom to take off his jacket so they could follow suit.
Change for the evening if necessary
If you think “formal attire” is important, you could also choose to have a different dress code during the day than for dinner… You could for instance combine tenue de ville or summer chic (daytime) with black or white tie (evening). Have a look at this handy overview here.
4. When do you do the photo shoot?
Plan your photo shoot in the early morning or late afternoon. When you start shooting around noon, is’t very hot and the light is often less flattering. Of course there are ways to solve this, but if you have a long and warm wedding dress, it is just much easier to leave for a small moment in the evening for your sunset shoot. Or split your photo shoot into two parts. The first part in the (early) morning and the second part later in the afternoon or evening.
Relaxed shoot
An additional advantage is that the formal part of the day is often already over. And the photo shoot is often seen by our couples as a moment “Together”. Get away from it all without all the guests around. A little chat. And somewhere in the background are two photographers who quickly take some great shots. This really doesn’t have to take hours. We’re very happy with ten minutes in the evening for a nice sunset shoot in the Netherlands. Especially if we already had a short shoot earlier that day.
Three times a beautiful summer wedding
- Katrien and Mark got married in Nunspeet, had arranged ice cream and a beautiful afternoon in the woods.
- Emilie and Bjorn chose the Roode Koper, took a walk that morning and had a very relaxed wedding day.
- And this couple also had a fine wedding in the summer, complete with French vibes.
5. Who has a second wedding dress?
Extra tip: bring a dress for the evening. You can totally assume that you want to keep your gorgeous wedding dress on all day, but if it has been really hot, it is a great option to just grab that super cool dress at your party. Your evening dress isn’t white: who cares? We have also had weddings where the bride couldn’t choose between two dreamdresses and b(r)ought them both. One for the evening and one for the day.
Shorten the train of your dress
Do you want to keep your wedding dress on, during the evening? Then see if you can shorten the train of your dress. Ask the shop where you bought it about info. There is a solution for almost every wedding dress, even if there is no “hanging system” built in. Safety pins and ribbons can also be used to solve the problem. It is much more convenient anyway. And did you have a veil during the day? Then replace it with a nice hair ornament (or not, but it’s a tip ; ).
6. Extra handy tips for your summer wedding
Have someone arrange a vase with water for your bouquet. I have experienced several times that the bouquet started to droop around noon and that is a shame! But even with a vase you should keep in mind that a bouquet in the sun can heat up quite quickly. We once experienced that the water from the vases that were on the dinner table felt as hot as boiled water.
Be careful with corsages
And do the guests have corsages? Then wait until the last moment before pinning them up and store them in a cool place until then. This also applies to beautiful wrist corsages. You want them to look their best during the ceremony and group photos, so plan ahead to see what will work best for you.
7. Gift for your guests
And if it is very hot on your wedding day, think about a handy basket on the toilet. Put some deodorant, toilet wipes and maybe a nice bottle of perfume there. It not only looks nice, but is also very convenient for all ladies. For the men you can make an alternative basket with some more masculine items. But toilet wipes, deo and sminties are of course top of the line anyway. Just like sunscreen and after sun.
Such a handy wedding basket
Another bonus tip for when you get married in the summer: put down some bottles of insect repellent. Some locations have more problems with mosquitoes than others and that is very inconvenient, especially as a lady (with bare legs). And while you’re at it, also buy those water spray bottles, blister plasters and a small sewing kit.
Additional information for a summer wedding
Do you like to get more styling ideas? DutchBride and Groom Magazine made a blog post with lots of ideas.
