Planning Your Perfect, Hot Summer Wedding on a Budget - Have an Old-Fashioned Picnic in a Park

You'll need a caterer with a sense of humor to pull this off. Of course, you always need a caterer with a sense of humor! After all, you want the food to be surprising and whimsical! So you want someone who can laugh to make it for you! If your friends want to contribute they could easily, but that would take a lot of organization!

But since everything old is new again, why not have your wedding in a park? I grew up in a small town eating picnics from the most casual sandwiches to the most elaborate grills at our wonderful park along the placid river. No matter how hot it was, it was always cooler at the park. This would probably work better for a wedding for under 150 people.

Big Caveat: Unless you've got a really big pavilion, you're going to need a rain space. Sometimes churches will rent their halls out, or schools that aren't used on weekends in the summer. Often you can reserve those places on a contingency plan for just a bit of money.

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  Reserve a spot in the park: Parks may or may not have a rental fee, but the fee is almost always less than other venues. Rent a pavilion or (if you think you can trust the weather) set up a bunch of tables under the trees. Personally, I never like picnic tables, they're just not comfortable and I always get splinters. I'd always rather rent the tables and chairs from a local church, school or other organization. They never charge much and can always use the donation!


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  Set up the drink tables: Do this before the wedding ceremony, because it's going to be hot. Many parks won't allow alcohol, so you'll want the iced tea, lemonade, water and sodas to be really special. You'll want to make sure that you have enough of everything. No matter how hot it is, some people will want coffee.


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  Set up early for recycling and trash. Even if the park has vessels, you're going to want things right there to make everything convenient.


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  Find a shady spot and set up chairs for the wedding ceremony: Say your wedding vows in a beautiful and relaxed setting in front of your friends.


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  Pass hors d'oeuvres: Why not have your hors d'oeuvres be good old-fashioned picnic foods? Pass deviled eggs, small cups of gazpacho and cucumber or tomato sandwiches.


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  Table assignments. This will work best if you assign seating, which seems odd for an informal picnic. But you're going to have things arranged in 8s or 10s, depending upon the table size. So you're going to want a table where people can pick up their table assignments. This isn't always easy, but it's fun to think about getting your friends and families to mingle and come to know one another.


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  Table set-up: You're going to need to have the chairs retrieved from the wedding ceremony site.


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  Picnic Baskets: Set out the correct number of baskets (boxes). You want each box to be a complete picnic for 8 (or 10!). Dishes, cutlery, glasses, tablecloth, serving pieces, food, table decoration and identification. Give people some clue why they're seated together!


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  Food: Serve cold chicken or fish (or both), marinated asparagus, potato salad and a big bowl of summer fruit. Make it simple, fabulous food. Not lots of variety, and not too much. (You may want to have a table with some extras of all things for the tables who run through!)


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  Dessert: Serve a local favorite. Here in Central Pennsylvania, there is only one cake to be had: a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Make it a sheet cake. Make it great. People will be thrilled.


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  Staff: You can do something like this with far fewer staff than most weddings because the tables will be setting up their food and serving one another. But you do want people organizing and making sure the liquids are kept up. You want someone to serve the cake. You want someone cleaning up, even if you ask people to help, it's great to have staff to direct everyone!


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  Clean-up: People will love to help you leave the park cleaner than they found it!


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  Linger: if there's time, have a bonfire. Don't forget the makings for s'mores!

This is one of those lovely, easy weddings to have and to organize that people will have a lot of fun at. Make sure you let people know how casual it's going to be. The bride and groom can be as casual or formal as they'd like for the wedding ceremony. It's not that you CAN'T make your wedding vows in shorts, but it's nice to be in dressy shorts. Then go change and get ready for volleyball or your community's lazy summer activity of choice! This doesn't cost a lot of money, but everyone will have a great time. Every summer picnic you have from that day forward will remind you of the one you had on the day you promised to love one another forever. That's a great way to keep a marriage alive!

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free

The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!

Top 10 Do's and Don'ts for a Summer Wedding

Summer weddings have of late become quite common and many people now deliberately plan a summer wedding. It can be fun and enjoyable if planned properly and with some precautions. Summers in several Indian cities can get quite hot and humid with day temperatures rising beyond 45 deg C at its peak.

However, here are 5 things that you should keep in mind for a summer wedding -
1. Outdoor Venue - If you have chosen an outdoor venue like a garden or a farmhouse, make sure there are several pedestal fans and greenery around so that the temperature remains cool.
2. Indoor Venue - If you have decided to book a wedding hall then make sure it is well ventilated and has proper air conditioning since having hundreds of guest in a single hall, how so very big, can make it quite stuffy and suffocating.
3. Size of the venue - Choose a big enough venue so that there is ample moving space and make sure that food is served somewhere away from the stage where the bride and the groom will be seated.
4. Decoration - Choose a floral decoration with lots of roses, marigolds, tuberose, orchids etc. Also make sure the colours used for decoration are not too dark and neither too bright. Soothing colours are preferred during summers. Make sure that the flowers are put up only after sunset and have been freshly purchased. In case they have been bought earlier, keep them wrapped in a moist cloth or ice box to prevent wilting.
5. Water and Drinks - Summers are that time of the year when anyone can get dehydrated quickly. Make sure there is ample water for all your guests in addition to other rehydrating fluids like juices, soft drinks etc.

Here are 5 things you should take special care of while hosting a summer wedding -
1. Clothes - Avoid wearing heavy clothing for a summer wedding, especially when it comes to bride's dress. A heavy 'lehenga' only adds to the discomfort which a hot and humid weather causes. Try finding a wedding dress which is made from fabrics like Chiffon or Georgette or something that's made from cotton. Same goes for the groom, avoid wearing heavy dresses and go for something light and not made out of synthetic fabrics.
2. Jewellery - Just like clothing, even jewellery can be quite a pain in the neck (pun intended) during a summer wedding. Wear something will not cause rashes if you start sweating due to the temperature.
3. Exertion - Avoid exertion during a summer wedding, this goes specially for the bride and the groom who will have to stay awake till late in the night during their wedding day to complete all the rituals and the 'pheras'.
4. Heavy Food - Summers are a time when people usually lose their appetite for heavy and oily foods. However, everyone enjoys lots of snacks and 'chaats', especially something like 'golgappas' or 'paani-puris' and 'dahi-bhalla' (curd based 'chaats'). Also, have ample cold juices, soft drinks etc. to help your guests beat the heat.
5. Wedding Invitations - Make sure you send out invitations well in advance since summers are usually the time when children have their holidays and families plan their vacations. Let people know of your wedding plans as early as possible so that they can plan accordingly and be there to bless the bride and the groom.

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Rich Colors For Late Summer Weddings

Every season has its own unique flavor and color palette. The lazy days of late summer have a distinct mood that is different than the feeling of early summer. As summer slides towards fall, the colors that you use for your wedding can get deeper and richer. Here are some suggestions for the best colors for a late summer wedding.

If spring is a time of pastels, then early summer is a time of true and pure colors like sunshine yellow and a lively pink. As the summer months really heat up, the ideal colors are vibrant and bold. Bright orange, fuchsia, and hot pink are the name of the game for a July wedding. But in the waning lazy days of August as the days begin to grow a little shorter and fall is in sight, it is time to think about introducing some rich colors into your wedding color scheme. The colors should walk that line between the brights of high summer and the rich colors of the autumn leaves.

A wonderful color to use for a late summer wedding is a sunwashed Nantucket red. This is the color of red canvas that has spent the summer baking in the hot sun. It is not a red that has faded to pink or the true red of Christmas; Nantucket red is a dusky relaxed shade of red that is ideal for a warm August afternoon. It has a classic appeal that is right at home in the beach, at a yacht club, or even under a tent in your own backyard. It pairs beautifully with a crisp nautical navy blue for a classic combination that is unbeatable.

Another terrific late summer color is a rich sunflower yellow. In fact this late summer flower would be the perfect thing around which to design your wedding. Mini-sunflowers make excellent additions to the bouquets and centerpieces. They are bold, cheerful, and have the perfect coloring for a late summer wedding. A simple sunflower motif would make a lovely embellishment when done in letterpress on the top of the wedding invitations. The sunflower yellow can be mixed with a few deep brown accents for a more sophisticated design scheme, or with a peppy red and white gingham check for a great picnic atmosphere.

Deep sunflower yellow can also be a nice choice for your bridesmaid dresses, as long as it is a color that will be attractive with the coloring of your particular set of attendants. Tone it down by layering in a deep brown sash. Alternately, you could try the reverse: a deep brown dress with a sunflower yellow sash. If done in a summery fabric like a cotton faille, it would be a great choice for any late summer wedding. You can also think about bringing your colors in with Swarovski crystal bracelets for your bridesmaid gifts. Make up your own mix and match set of bracelets made with Swarovski crystals in your colors for your bridesmaids to have fun stacking.

A muted purple is another color that is excellent for a late summer wedding. Think of the dusty purple of wildflowers, perhaps used in combination with a sage green. This is a fantastic color palette that fits nicely between the brightness of the early summer and the darker fall hues. Certainly you would want to plan your bouquets and centerpieces around these tones, but they would also be fantastic for the table linens and bridesmaid dresses, as well.

Have fun, play around, and experiment with different colors and unique color pairings to come up with your own perfect palette for your late summer wedding. Look for tones that have a depth and richness to them, while still retaining a hint of a sun-kissed effect, and you will have a winning color scheme for your wedding design.

Read Guy's other articles on weddings,society and fashions and let us know what you think. Call us at SilverlandJewelry.com for help with your wedding jewelry or gift needs. Swarovski crystal bracelets can be custom made in your wedding colors for perfect bridesmaid gifts.

How to Dress For a Traditional Summer Wedding

A summer wedding is both enchanting and beautiful especially if it is held outdoors. But as a bride, the hot and humid weather can make you feel very uncomfortable. So, you would not want to select a dress that could make you feel uncomfortable or could end making your wedding day in utter misery. There are many stylish and comfortable wedding dresses options for you to select from.

The typical designs offered in summer wedding dresses include strapless, halter styles, short sleeves, and spaghetti straps. However, you have to make sure is that the weight of the dress does not overheat you. So, this is where selection of the tight fabric becomes important. The fabric, design, length, and decorative details add to the weight of the wedding dress. The weight of the dress, plus the heat may make you feel uncomfortable when you least want it.

Don't get forced into wearing a short dress, because that is something you don't want to wear on your wedding day. You can select a full length gown and have it tailored to knee length. In stores, there are many options for lightweight full length wedding dresses. Wedding gown designers know very well that a bride does not want to curse the dress she is wearing on her wedding.

Try and avoid fabrics such as silk and satin for wedding dresses. They will tend to cling to your body, and thus may make you feel uncomfortable. You can choose a synthetic fabric that looks like silk but is lightweight and will not cling to your body. A ball gown style dress is also a possibility. A lot will depend on the fabric that you select.

If there are any hoops or under skirting to be worn with the wedding gown, remember they will add weight. In choosing an under skirting, choose a fabric that is lightweight and allows the body to breathe. Any beading or ornate detail should also be carefully explored. The lesser the better, it can look beautiful without being heavy.

Remember, trying a wedding dress in an air conditioned saloon and wearing it outdoors are two different experiences. So, be careful, and ask the sales staff as they should be able to offer you very sound advice. Choose cool fabrics as they also make you look beautiful apart from just making you feel comfortable. You will hate to see yourself sweating profusely on your wedding day. If you can get advice from a friend or relative who has been married in summers, then take their advice.

If it's a typical summer wedding taking place indoors, then you can select silk or satin wedding gowns. After all, it's not every other day that you get to wear a wedding dress. You could also choose a blouse, or a skirt with a short jacket.

The typical wedding dress has to be in full length, flowing with silk or satin, and in white colour with a veil. The dress can be decorated with ornate or any other decorative pieces. A lot depends on where the wedding will take place, the wedding reception, any photo sessions, and also on the time of the wedding. If it's a late morning outdoor wedding that will extend to the afternoon, your wedding dress should be light in weight and of cool and non clinging fabric. Also, avoid a wedding dress that needs under skirting or hoops.

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