You may be lucky enough to have a pool at your glamping wedding venue or an indoor/outdoor location with air conditioning but if not, you will need to make some last-minute provisions. Scorching hot weather is in many ways more of a challenge than rain, and your guest’s comfort should be priority. There’s the risk of sunburn, heatstroke, dehydration (especially with vast quantities of booze). You don’t want your guests dropping like flies so make sure you put measures in place to keep everyone comfortable… and upright!
Hydrate
You need to have plenty of cold drinking water available for your guests. At a recent glamping wedding, our couple had massive water tank and provided reusable drinking bottles to save on single use plastic. You can hire dispensers from local company Lo and Behold Bespoke, why not get them to style a snazzy hydration station for you? Just make sure your staff keep your dispensers topped up and try and ensure there’s plenty of ice! We’re sure there’s going to be a shortage in the supermarkets as the hot weather persists.
You could consider hiring a bell tent as a ‘sweat survival station’ and pack it with essential items; Evian water spray, sun screen, insect repellent, citronella candles, deodorant/body spray, flip flops, sun hats, hand held fans, parasols, sunglasses, blotting paper/powder (for melty makeup scenarios), talcum powder (for chub rub!)
Fifty shades of heaven
Make use of any shade you’ve got. Our bell tents provide excellent shade of course but you could also place picnic tables/blankets under trees. If shade is limited at your outdoor venue, consider booking an emergency gazebo. Elderly relatives and kids will be grateful for the shade. Under a gazebo, or in a chill out bell tent, is a good place to set up kid’s toys and keep the nippers out of the sun.
Clothing
If you’re a wedding guest you might want to urgently reconsider your outfit if what you were planning to wear might be uncomfortable in the extreme heat. We recently posted an advice feature on womenswear for outdoor glamping weddings. It included lots of boho ideas which is perfect for partying in this heat. If you’re the bride, it may not be so easy to change your wedding dress at short notice, but you may be able to make some minor changes. At the very least you could invest in a pair of bridal sandals if you can’t bear the thought of squeezing your swollen feet into your planned heels. For male guests, and the groom – linens and cottons are the best choice, teamed with a breathable shirt, and heavy-duty deodorant to minimise sweat patches in photos! (Although we’re sure your photographer will be more than prepared to photoshop everyone’s sweat patches!)
Photographs
While we’re on the subject of photographs, try and make sure people take their sunglasses off for at least some photos, also try to do photos in the shade to avoid squinty eyes. Dappled light through the trees will look beautiful. Parasols are a lovely prop for photos and will eliminate half-closed-eye syndrome.
Drinks
Ice cold fizz and Pimms sounds about right to us, but what about adding a frozen margarita to your welcome drink options? Other summery cocktails like a ‘Hugo’ (prosecco, soda, mint and elderflower) will go down well too. Have a look at Liquory Kiss’s caravan bar. Soft drinks and bottles of beer in a tin bath full of ice is a great ‘help-yourself’ option too. You can hire tin baths from The Toast and your florist can decorate. We’d love a photo in front of our bell tents – idyllic!
A later ceremony
If you have the option, try to schedule your outdoor ceremony at a time when the sun is not at its strongest i.e. before 11am, after 3pm or in the evening. Also think about where your guests will be seating and, if they’re likely to get burnt bums, make sure you get some cushions! A meal at sunset in hot weather is ideal. Guests can pop back to their bell tents to freshen up post ceremony.
Ice ice baby
You’re going to want ice cream! And the traders are going to need to ensure they’ve got all hands on deck to make sure queues are kept to a minimum. Pinks come highly recommended by us and they’ll go down a storm with your guests. Dolly’s Lolly Trolley is also a great idea – they serve alcoholic lollies and frozen fruity treats from their kitsch trike. For dessert why not consider a DIY knickerbocker glory station? Your guests can get competitive and the kids will love it!
Other considerations
Florists and cake-makers everywhere are currently getting het up about melty butter cream and wilting flowers. Keep your cake chilled until the last minute and, where possible, place floral arrangements out of direct sunlight.
You may want to reconsider hair-dos and opt for up-dos, for the bride and bridesmaids, in order to keep cool during a heatwave and eliminate frizz.
If you have a marquee or a tipi you can roll up sides, but you may also want to hire in some industrial fans.
An idea we love
If the weather’s looking sweltering, can you get your stationer to turn your order of service into a hand-held fan? Your guests will be grateful and it’s a sure-fire way to make sure they keep hold of it!
Lauren & David who married at a Fiesta Fields venue during the height of the 2018 heatwave said their Hidden Valley location was like the Serengeti! Lauren said “Don’t panic about the weather but do remember that if it’s going to hot, planning is needed. In the days before our wedding, when we realised the heatwave was sticking around, we had to order paper hand fans, hire industrial fans and make sure we didn’t leave anything reflective outside in the sun. We also had a strict no candle rule and set up a smoking bench to contain any smokers as the fire risk was so high.”
Putting up bell tents for weddings comes with its own challenges of course – the ground is dry and hard and the speed at which our team work is somewhat reduced! But we can’t complain, we love the sun, we just make sure we stay hydrated, wear heavy-duty deodrant and smother ourselves in factor 50. And of course, make sure the beers are on ice for the end of the day!.. Be prepared for a very sweaty hug when we show you your bell tent village though!
Seriously though, bell tents are a cool place to chill. You could always add an additional bell tent to your booking as a chill out zone. Have a look at our weddings page and get in touch with your requirements.
Featured photo: Wild Bloom Photography
by WillWEB