Well, they don’t call it the dog days of summer for nothing! The past few weeks in the Hudson Valley have presented themselves as over-90-degree days. And with humidity like you’d find in the Amazon, that makes for some fabulously, sweaty weddings!
For those brides hoping to showcase the amazing views and scenery to be found here by getting married out of doors, a bright, sunny, summer day in the Valley can pose as much of a planning challenge as the dreaded rainy one. And it brings up a larger question:
Whether it’s an inter-faith ceremony, or family and friends traveling long distances, how does a girl make her guests feel at home right from the start of her wedding ceremony?
Luckily, past Valley brides have already walked this path and come up with some really creative and thoughtful solutions for helping to make their guests comfortable and share in the love. Here are a few ideas of theirs…
When Lisa learned that her wedding day would be 90+ degrees, she quickly brought out the glue gun and refashioned her wedding programs with a high-end popsicle stick, festooned with a pretty ribbon, thus transforming a simple piece of paper into double-duty programs/personal fans.
Heather and Tim surrounded their July reception tent with industrial strength fans. Their guests enjoyed the breezes at their tables, and some even grabbed drinks and danced right next to them!
Lynne and Steve knew that the chances of their wedding being hot (in every sense of the word) were good when they chose to have a mid-day ceremony outside in July. So they ordered pretty Japanese-style fans in their wedding green for their guests to use and keep.
A practical keepsake was just what Cari and Ryan decided upon when choosing the wedding favors for their late September wedding at Cat Rock. Decorated baskets offered guests upon entering the ceremony site luxurious pashminas in their signature wedding colors. A cute rhyme set the tone for the festivities.
With an inter-faith Jewish ceremony, Adrienne and Dave wanted to be sure that all their guests felt included in their nuptials. So a basket of personalized, colorful yarmulkes greeted their friends and family.
Many venues will offer your guests a glass of champagne as they’re leaving the ceremony. But Sandy and Gina did them one better – offering their families a glass with strawberries before the ceremony started! This made for an air of casual chic as their guests sipped champagne during their commitment ceremony.
Little bottles of water on ice could also help your guests beat the heat as they await the proceedings. Jeff and Hillary also offered homemade infused iced tea, enhancing the intimacy of their backyard wedding.
And, of course, let’s not forget the time-honored tradition of entertaining guests with live music while they wait. That’s always a great option for welcoming people and starting the party!
Hillary Harvey is a freelance photographer specializing in wedding photojournalism. Though born in Brooklyn to a long line of Brooklynites, she is a tried-and-true valley girl, having lived most of her life in the Hudson Valley. She also lives online, so catch up with her there!