July 4 is fast approaching, and I know two people getting married that day! This is despite the poll I took last year, which ultimately found September was this year’s most popular wedding month. I won’t be attending either of these July 4 weddings (although I may witness one via webcast…), but I’ve had my fair share of really hot weddings. Cold is easy to deal with — just add a coat and a hat and go! — but heat is an entirely different story. So what should you do to prepare for a summer wedding?

Flickr photo by Jessified(:

First, brides, please do your guests a favor and provide some shade! I realize you want your day to be as photogenic as possible, but thinking of the comfort and well-being of your guests (who should be your closest family and friends) will make the event that much more enjoyable. And you won’t have to deal with ambulances picking up folks fainting from heatstroke and all that. Believe me, ambulances and sirens are a mood-killer.

Flickr photo by VelaFoto

Oooh. This photo is just brutal — hot blazing sun and concrete? Yikes. I even really like those bridesmaid dresses, and all the bridesmaids look beautiful, but you just know they’re not thinking about the beautiful moment their friend is having — they’re thinking, “when is the priest going to finish so we can get out of this sun!” Heat just exacerbates things, so if they were already uncomfortable in their dresses or shoes, then its going to be that much worse in the blazing sun.

Flickr photo by reginaldpuppy

I especially feel for the guys. Men tend to wear suits to weddings, and I just don’t know how they do it in hot summer temperatures. This guy, luckily, is wearing a nice shirt, rather than a full on suit, but the sun is still blazing down on his head. Poor guy.

Flickr photo by Fabiana Zonca

Without further ado, I do have some tips to offer when it comes to weddings in summer. I’ve culled these tips from friends and my own experiences decorating weddings in hot temperatures.

• Protect yourself. Make sure you wear sunscreen/sunblock and bring something to cover yourself, like this lady with the frilly purple umbrella. Normally I would simply make fun of such a frou frou accessory, but I’m sure everyone else at that wedding was looking at her in green envy as the sun blazed down on them. This could mean anything from an umbrella to hats to sun visors.
• Bring water. If you know you’re going out to an outdoor ceremony, help yourself out by bringing cold or frozen water bottles. Heck, bring a portable cooler, especially if you have kids with you. That way, you’re not waiting in line, panting, for a simple glass of water at the bar.
• This may fall under protect yourself, but if you know you’re going to a humid, buggy area, carry insect repellent.
• Dress appropriately. If you’re going to a wedding on July 4, black may not be a great choice. (Sorry bridesmaids!) Also, go for simple, light and bright fabrics, while guys should go for light linen suits or just a nice guayabera, aloha shirt or in the case of Filipino weddings, a barong. My friend Shruti also pointed out that guys can also prepare by bringing an extra undershirt, in case things get really sweaty.
• Be ready to redo. Ladies, if its important to you to look made up all night/day, remember your makeup and hair tools for touchups later on in the night. Of course, in the case of major humidity, this may be a moot point. At my friend Belinda’s wedding, I curled my hair, which went flat the minute I stepped into the Florida air.
• Get ready to sweat. For some people this goes without saying, but wear deodorant, baby powder the thighs, and think about bringing a handkerchief, which Shruti points out mops up sweat better and doesn’t leave marks. She also advises the sweat-prone to wear non-skid soles in the shoes and that brides who spray tan may streak on a sweaty day.
• Consider buying a handheld electric fan. My friend Belinda was just a bridesmaid in New Mexico, and even though I saw lots of trees in the pictures, it still gets hot and sweaty in the desert. Not glamorous. If anything, at least bring a hand fan. Heheh, those are so charming.
• Carry disposable wipes. I started doing this last summer, because I dislike being sticky, and sound like Monk all the time — “wipe! wipe!” But I don’t feel sticky anymore. If you carry the Wet Ones brands, you can use them in case the bathroom is a bit too far for a quick hand washing. I wouldn’t recommend the Clorox disinfectant type for your hands or skin.

I think that’s all my friends and I can offer at this point. If you have more tips, please feel free to share!