The Do's of a Summer Wedding in Arizona

Are you planning a summer wedding? Although we are towards the end of July you will be surprised that sadly it is not the end of summer for us in Arizona. We have two months left of summer and if you are finalizing your summer wedding plans you’ll want to keep reading.

Today on the blog we are sharing our Do’s of planning a summer wedding. Keep the AC blowing as you read the top 4 things you should DO for a summer wedding. I also want to mention all of the photos showcased on the blog today are shot in August (Arizona Summer) at The Wright House by Southwest Creative Co.

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Choose a venue with shade

If you’re choosing an outdoor venue or plan for guests to be outside at any point, make sure that guests can find relief from the sun and hot temperatures. The last thing you want to see is your groom’s grandma fainting during the processional.

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Have a backup ceremony option

Brides frequently choose summer dates for their big day with an outdoor ceremony in mind, but even if your venue location experiences mild weather year round, you never know! Always have a backup plan, whether it’s inside the reception area or a local indoor venue.

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Serve seasonal food

In the heat of an early August night, avoid serving heavy food that won’t mix well with warm temperatures. Go for fruit and veggie hors d’oeuvres, summer salads and grilled proteins! This is the perfect opportunity for a fun ice cream sundae bar.

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Prep your guests

In addition to shade, give guests all the tools they need to withstand a fun night in the heat. Offer mini sunscreen and bug spray before the ceremony. You can print your ceremony programs on paper fans and even offer cheap flip flops for guests to dance in. Be creative and functional!

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Reapply all day

Brides should always have a makeup bag with a tube of lipstick, water-proof mascara and bobby pins in tow, but summer brides especially! Bring a travel-sized deodorant, hairspray, perfume and oil-blotting sheets. Chances are, if you didn’t cry off your makeup, you’ll probably sweat it off by the cake cutting. Make sure you’ve got your backups and enjoy the night!

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I can totally see why someone would want to brave the heat and get married during summer here in the sunshine state! But if you are going to brave the heat for the summer magic, you are going to need to make special preparations for the 100 plus degree weather on your wedding day. Remember, it can be done and later in the future you will thank yourself for setting yourself up for the perfect anniversary trip ever year - it’s summer!

Enjoy

XOXO

Photographer: Southwest Creative Co.

Content: www.essensedesigns.com

Everything you need to know about sending SAVE THE DATE cards

Jonathan Allison Photography

Let’s take a second to pat yourselves on the back. You’ve booked a venue, solidified a date, asked your wedding party to be your bridesmaids and groomsmen, chosen your photographer, taken engagement pictures, and now you’re about to send out your save the date! That’s a whole lot of things you’ve already crossed off your wedding checklist, congratulations. You are getting it done!

So today on the blog we want to share everything you need to know about sending you SAVE THE DATE cards. Are you ready?!

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When to send your save the date?

Most etiquette blogs will say to send your save the dates around 6 months. We urge you to do it anywhere between 6-8 months to allow time for your out of guest relatives to begin their planning. Plus, it will drive a lot of traffic to your wedding website and allow for you to capture some data you may need during your own planning process. For example, transportation needs, hotel blocks, scheduling and more.

If you’re planning a more local wedding, you can get away with a 4-6 month wedding timeline instead of the 6-8 month’s that destination weddings or weddings that require travel will need.

Haley McMackin Photography

Ashtyn Nicole Photography

What do I include on my save the date?

This is where things get tricky. You want to keep in mind that this is purely meant to have your guests put your wedding date on their calendar. Your invitation will include all of the food, venue, and RSVP information, so there is no need to include that on your save the dates. Here is what you need to include and what you can leave out:

Things to include:

• You and your fiancé’s first and last name’s

• Wedding Date

• City and State

• Wedding Website – while not necessary, highly desirable

• “Formal Invitation to Follow” – let your guest’s know that this isn’t the end of the road for information

• Optional (but highly recommended) – Your favorite picture from your engagement shoot

Things to not include:

• RSVP Card – you don’t need to know a headcount or dietary restrictions quite yet

• Venue – this might not be solidified quite yet, so it’s best to leave it out

Southwest Creative Co.

Who should I send my save the dates to?

Anyone that you want to invite to the wedding, you should send a save the date. Some couples will have a “backup” list in case you want to fill spots when certain people can’t attend. Our advice? Create a guest list and stick to it. It’s more cost efficient to have fewer guests rather than have an A and a B list. That being said, we recommend that you only send your save the date’s to your A list and be mentally prepared with B’s not being able to attend if you invite them later on.

How to address your save the dates?

Addressing your save the date will be the first opportunity to solidify if the guest is allowed to bring a plus one or not. Here are some examples to consider as you’re addressing your envelopes:

Single Guest – Use Mr., Ms., Miss, Mrs. as necessary:

Miss Jane Smith

636 W. University Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

Guest with a Plus One – Add “and guest” to the format of the original guest invited:

Miss Jane Smith and Guest

636 W. University Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

Unmarried Couple – Both first and last names should be used as well as “Mr.” or “Ms.”:

Mr. John Doe and Ms. Jane Smith

636 W. University Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

Married Couple – Mr. and Mrs. First and Last Name of the husband:

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe

636 W. University Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

Married Couple with Kids – Similar to the married couple format, except you add an extra line, underneath the parents, with their children’s first names:

Mr. and Mrs. John Doe

Jack and Jill

636 W. University Drive

Mesa, Az 85201

Fully Alive Photography

Jared Platt

Should I send an Evite, Postcard or Traditional Mailer?

Depending on your wedding style, there are a lot of options of formats to send to your guests! Evites offer an inexpensive, beautiful, but a less formal route to tell your guests about your wedding. Also, keep in mind the evites can get lost in spam folders of many guest email, especially if you don’t regularly email them.

Postcards are a fun and unique way to announce your date, especially for destination weddings. Keep in mind you save on cost of envelopes but it’s the same amount to mail a postcard as a it is a traditional card with envelope that can protect your card.

Traditional save the dates are timeless and cherished but can be extremely pricey if you go with a elaborate design. Keep it simple!

Devon Stoebe Photography

Happy Planning:

XOXO

Ashtyn Nicole Photography

Content: ​http://www.bridebox.com/

4 Easy Ways of Telling your Story Before your First Steps Down the Aisle

Summit Photography

Your parents live two states away, your wedding party is scattered halfway across the country and you have wedding guests and family coming from at least three different states. But somehow, you keep connected with most of them on your social media platforms.

While many of your social media followers and "friends” will not be engaged in the planning and details of your wedding (or actually attending), we're betting your wedding party and family will be involved. Connecting your family, wedding party and your guests on social media is a great way to start the celebration early, share your wedding story and take them along your planning journey! Today on the blog, we want to share FOUR easy ways in telling your story before you walk down the aisle.

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Summit Photography

Summit Photography

Yours, Mine and Ours

In many cases, you and your fiancé may have friends in your wedding party that are not connected. They might know you from college or your fiancé from high school but have never really heard the back story about how the two of you met, what that magical spark was or how the question was popped.

A private social media group can be a fun way to share your behind-the-scenes wedding planning details with both of your wedding parties and also allow them to get to know about each other a little before the wedding. Sharing more specific details about upcoming events or asking advice from a smaller group of trusted friends can be done in a smaller, controlled group.

Summit Photography

Mine, Mine, Mine

There are so many special moments along the way to the big day and, likewise, so many special people you want to share them with but can't, and for very good reasons. There are also those fun, private wedding details you might not want your fiancé, your parents or the rest of the world knowing. Set up a private social media page just for your wedding party to share those photos of gown shopping they were not there for, the jewelry you selected for the wedding party or even that special gift for your significant other.

Shoot

Why not get your wedding videographer in on the early action? Too many times couples find themselves on their wedding day feeling uncomfortable in front of the camera.

Breaking the ice and taking your videographer along on your engagement shoot or making arrangements to capture some candid moments of the groom-to-be with his best man are great ways to loosen up but also make a few fun YouTube-worthy videos that tell your story ahead of the big event.

Summit Photography

Need To Know

Even with guests who live in your own back yard, communicating every logistical detail of the day of can be a major challenge. The last thing you'd want is for your dear auntie or your favorite cousin to miss out on any critical moments because of a small misunderstanding or bit of confusion. Consider creating a wedding website and sharing information about your upcoming wedding day.  This will be huge for your guests! Not only will they feel connected with the action but it will be a great way to share information; Including pre-wedding event details, providing a "cloud-based" location for that save-the-date they might have misplaced, or suggestions like wearing flats or sandals because your ceremony's on the beach.

Summit Photography

As your personally written, super sentimental vows will surely suggest, your love story started long before you share them with your person, and with your closest family and friends as witnesses. Using your favorite social media platform(s) and a website, is a great way to tell that story and share it with all of them, all the way up to "I do!"

XOXO

Enjoy

Summit Photography

Photographer: Summit Photography

Content: https://www.aisleplanner.com/