If you are planning a summer wedding and would like to hear our Top 5 Tips for Summer Weddings, keep on reading!

Tip 1:

In Season Flowers

When you are planning your Vancouver wedding, you want to make sure you research and pick the best flowers that are in season! Lucky for you, we will share our summer favorites to help with your wedding planning.

There are endless options to choose from when you’re creating your perfect wedding bouquet and centerpieces. Anything from all white, to pastels, or bright colours with different sizes!

Firstly, we have two flowers in their peak season for June: Peonies and Roses.

Peonies - a beautiful option for your wedding! Their peak season is early spring all the way until late June. Peonies have the most delightful fluffy petals which creates the perfect bouquet for a romantic Vancouver wedding.

Roses - they are a classic flower and can be used in any season but June is the perfect time for your summer wedding! You can never go wrong with a bouquet or centerpiece full of roses, which can both be chic or traditional.

Secondly, our flowers for the season of July are: Orchids and Gardenias.

Orchids - they will certainly give your wedding a beautiful modern look, even though you don’t see orchids in a wedding often. They have different size orchids which can create a beautiful unexpected bouquet. They also look stunning as floating and hanging centerpieces.

Gardenias - You do have to be careful with these due to their very fragrant smell. Even though gardenias make the perfect boutonnieres, they also make an elegant bouquet with their white and cream colours.

Finally for our August flowers we have: Dahlias and Carnations.

Dahlias - they bloom in late summer through fall. A fun fact about dahlias when they bloom early, they are extra bright and fade later in the season. Dahlias pair well with cosmos or any other flower to make a stunning bouquet.

Carnations - they’re a beautiful simple option for your bouquet, they have subtle scent to them and they are becoming more than a filler flower because they have three different sizes which creates a bigger look to the bouquet.

Tip 2

Backup Options

Having a backup option for your ceremony is crucial when you have a Vancouver wedding because as beautiful as our summers are, there is always a high chance of a heat wave or even rain. You will definitely want to inquire with the venue or wedding planner to explore your backup options for the ceremony.

Another great backup option includes renting a tent, this will prepare for both rain and shade. Having a designated spot that is covered is so important for yourselves and your guests! Pro tip - don’t forget about shelter for your vendors! They play an important role in your wedding and you don’t want them to get overheated or rained on.

Tip 3

STAY HYDRATED!

When planning your Vancouver wedding you want to make sure you are asking the right questions with the venue, cater and your planner. An important detail to planning your outdoor wedding is to ensure you have water for guests.

Your wedding day is one of the days you tend to forget about staying hydrated because you’re always on the go. For brides, you spend so much time getting ready, then you have photos and next thing you know you haven’t eaten or drank all day.

A Vancouver summer can be full of surprises when it comes to the weather but one tip we can give you is to always wear your SUNSCREEN! And make sure you bring extra. The last thing you want to do is get burnt on your wedding day… that would be the worst thing ever!

Surprisingly, confirming you have ice for a summer wedding is so important! There may be some miscommunication when it comes down to what is needed and what will be provided between the vendors and venue. Vendors may need ice for various reasons and the venue might not have any, or vice versa. It is super important to communicate with your planner, vendors, and venue to ensure you have a smooth sailing wedding!

Tip 4

Summer Cocktails

Next on our Top 5 Tips for Summer Weddings is one of our favourites… Summer Cocktails!! If you know Spotlight Events, you know we love a good glass of wine after a long day at work (or any day)!

When planning your summer wedding you should make sure your signature cocktail is refreshing to beat the summer heat! Your signature cocktail should represent YOU as a couple, so if you both love the same type of alcohol that is perfect! For those who don’t like the same alcohol, you could do a BRIDE favourite and GROOM favourite and make a little competition out of it!

Drink 1: The Honeymoon - Tequila

1 oz Cointreau
2 oz blanco tequila
1 oz fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz honey water
2 dashes rose water

Drink 2: Sparkling Summer Peach - Vodka

2 oz Seagram’s-Peach Vodka
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz lime juice
Sparkling wine , to top

Drink 3: Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco - Prosecco

3 cups prosecco, chilled
1 cup limoncello liqueur, chilled
1 cup frozen raspberries
6 sprigs fresh mint

Next, planning your menu… the menu is a very important task to check off during the planning process. First, you will need to choose between a plated dinner or buffet-style reception. Subsequently, you need to ensure you select the right food for yourself and your guests.

You have to take into consideration guests' allergies, dietary restrictions and the fact it is summer! Keep your menu on the lighter side and not difficult to eat. You can never go wrong with fresh and light hors d'oeuvres passed around as guests come in. The best part about Vancouver weddings are the seasonal foods such as fish, fruits and vegetables.

Tip 5

Wedding Attire for Summer

Finally, our last tip for summer weddings… consider the weather when you’re dress shopping. You absolutely want to steer away from heavy fabrics and shop for lightweight fabrics, such as batiste, chiffon, or voile. We all know how hard it is to move and especially go to the washroom in a wedding dress, imagine the heat… no thanks.

Pro tip - for the groomsmen, buy (cheap) extra shirts!!! With the summer heat, you should have extra shirts throughout the day & night, especially for those who like to break it down on the dance floor!

Need some help planning your wedding? Spotlight Events is Vancouver’s most trusted wedding planner and events firm, named the top three best wedding planners in BC. Contact Spotlight Events today for a complimentary consultation.