Many couples are hoping for sunshine on their wedding day, but few would expect temperatures to hit the 30s during their UK wedding – but that could well happen for brides in July or August. Here are our top tips and what to do if your wedding is taking place during a heatwave.

Wedding expert Lisa Forde, who founded her leading stationery company Tree of Hearts nearly two decades ago, shares the top tips for brides-to-be on how to weather the unexpected heat for you and your guests.

Top tips for dealing with hot weather during your wedding

Wedding heatwave tips for your guests

Give away cooling accessories

When things get hot, you don’t want your guests to feel uncomfortable during the ceremony – especially when it’s outdoors! Why not hand out umbrellas, hand fans and bottled water to guests upon arrival? That way, they’ll enjoy the service without melting away!

offer ice cream

After the ceremony, why not swap your Prosecco for a selection of ice creams? Or add popsicles to your Pimp your Prosecco stand? Tasty and cooling.

Talk to the venue about weather possibilities

Talk to your venue ahead of the day and check for shade. If not right where the ceremony is taking place, is there some shade where guests can wait up to five minutes before the service begins? There is nothing worse than cooking in the sun for half an hour waiting for all guests to arrive.

If your venue has the option of moving the ceremony indoors, perhaps talk to your partner and consider this new option. If it is air conditioned it could be a nicer experience.

Distribute sunscreen and candles

Someone’s bound to have forgotten their sunscreen, maybe distributed some around the venue, or had one of the ushers walk around to see if anyone needs it – it gets people talking and gets a few laughs.

With heat generally comes flies and mosquitoes, grab some mosquito repellent candles to avoid those guys buzzing around all night.

Offer more water

Alcohol and sun can be a bad combination, so make sure you have plenty of water available for all guests throughout the day.

Wedding heatwave tips for your wedding reception

Run cold water over your wrists

Periodically run cold water over your wrists when you feel like you’re getting hot, or keep a cold washcloth nearby to do the same. It’s a quick way to cool down the entire body.

Discuss the options with your hair and makeup artist

Talk to your make-up artist beforehand and get advice on how to ensure that your make-up lasts all day despite the heat. They are experts and can calm your nerves.

Perhaps consider an updo or a hairstyle with hair off your face for the bride and bridesmaids, there’s nothing worse than hair around your neck and back when you’re sweating in the sun.

Think of clothes and shoes

Consider bringing a change of flats or flip-flops, high heels can become even more uncomfortable as the temperature rises.

Wearing a suit will be quite uncomfortable for the men at your wedding. The groomsmen could wear semi-lined suits and lighter cotton shirts, they look the same but keep them cooler on the big day.

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