The Pros and Cons of Each Wedding Season: Summer Edition…

One of the first decisions you need to make after getting engaged is when to actually tie the knot. Each wedding comes with its own set of pros and cons; here’s what you need to know before sending out those save-the-dates.

The Pros and Cons of Each Wedding Season: Summer Edition

Photo Credit: Kristina Curtis

Pros:

1. Variety makes all the difference in the quality of a wedding, not only for yourself but your guests as well.  “With summer weddings, the menu and catering becomes all sorts of fun,” Leo says. “There are so many different options; a lot of menus utilize local cheeses, fruits are ripe and harvested, and meats are fresh.”

2. Summer days are hard to beat, and summer nights are even harder. Daylight lasts till sometimes 9 p.m. depending on the month and area, which allows for great flexibility in scheduling a ceremony time. There’s no rush on time or pressure to get all your photos taken in a short time frame, and the weather stays comfortable in the evening for everyone.

3. Comfortable weather after the sun goes down allows for some creative spins. You can light a fire and have s’mores at your reception under the stars, as well as hang streamed lights to keep the party lingering longer. With the right flash and equipment, your photographer will have no problem properly capturing these moments.

4. Summer is ideal for night owls, since you’ll want to avoid the hottest hours of the day anyway. Leo says, “In hot heat, you need to be mindful of your guests and not plan a ceremony at the hottest time of day. Try a ceremony at 6 or 6:30 p.m. and serve dinner after.”

5. Floral availability is in perfect timing. Whatever you’ve been pinning on your Pinterest board is available — and more. There’s a flower for every color scheme and it’s in perfect bloom, which means your arrangements will be to die for. Keep thinking about that bouquet you’ll be walking down the aisle with, because it’s as perfect as you’re imaging it will be.

Photo Credit: Kristina Curtis

Cons:

1. High temperature it always something to be aware of when deciding on a summer wedding. Leo says, “There is nothing worse than seeing a bride sweat off her hair and makeup in the heat, especially in 100 plus degree weather.” We definitely don’t know any bride who wants to look oily or shiny in her forever-to-remember pictures.

2. Besides the bride losing her full-face coverage, heat is distracting and can be difficult to deal with when it comes down to guests. “It’s so hard to keep people focused and comfortable depending on the severity of the temperature,” says Leo.

3. Attendance is always a toss up when it comes down to those friends who are avid summer vacationers. Guests you want to invite may have already spent significant amounts of money on their family vacation or abroad escapades and won’t be able to watch you walk down the aisle. Carefully consider who is most important to you and your groom to be there — and get your save-the-dates out there early.

4. Shorter engagements can work in many scenarios, but a summer wedding requires a longer lead time. If you get engaged right at the end of spring or beginning of summer, you will likely not have enough time to plan a wedding that same summer. Top vendors will be booked months beforehand, and you’ll have to settle for whatever is left. Give yourself plenty of time to make proper arrangements for a summer wedding, and have a yearlong engagement if needed to execute your dream wedding.

5. Summer means sunshine, and that means harsh lighting for your photos. It will be more challenging to be photographed in spots you may have envisioned during your ceremony, reception, or for your bridals, and not all photos can be corrected. Carefully consider this, as your photos are what you’ll have to remember your day by.