A summer wedding is exciting, no matter when it is - be it in June, July, August, or even late September. When you have a summer wedding it allows you the ability to imbue your ceremony with fun themes. On most summer days you’ll be able to capitalize on sunshine and good weather. You could plan your location at a beach or park and incorporate time-honored summer festivities. In our experience, it's why most couples tend to have ceremonies and get married during the summertime.

Since so many of our ordained ministers find themselves performing summer weddings. You’ll want to make sure that your officiant or you yourself have completed the ordination process and received any credentials needed to perform the ceremony. If you haven’t considered a summer wedding, we offer you the following ideas that we think will assist with the warmer weather.

Since not every couple has a wedding planner, we thought we would also share ideas for your ceremonies, appetizers, décor, libations, and refreshments.

Keeping in theme, seasonal décor is a must-have when curating your event. However, one factor to not overlook is your guests' comfort. We have included ideas that can help your family and friends stave off the heat. From décor to a little practical advice, our Summer Wedding Themes has great information for you to consider.

If you’re looking to plan your summer wedding, feel free to get inspired by any of the ideas below. 

Table Fans:

If your ceremony will take place in an outdoor area without shade, you'll need to find another way to help your guests beat the heat.

Stylish Sunglasses:

You can find hundreds of different varieties of sunglasses if you want to go funky, classic, modern, or retro. A few pairs of vanity shades on the table can add fun style to your theme!

Fan Placement Settings:

Depending on your region, summer weddings can get hot! You can incorporate paper or hand fans as décor on your tables to dual serve you and your guests. If it gets hot they can simply use one of the fans on the table to help cool down. You could choose custom printed ones with the couples' names, the ceremony date, or other information for your special day. This can also serve as a personalized commemorative gift. 

Light Colored or Non-Matching Dresses:

While not a décor, if your in-season colors are pink-and-white you can incorporate pastel-colored bridesmaid gowns. It’s easy to mix and match different color shades to keep your theme and color palette visually appealing. You can also match bouquets! Lighter colors will help keep you cooler on a hot summer day! The lighter colors help reflect the sun’s rays. Consider beige and sand, almond and clay, or russet and sepia gowns for your bridal party. Just know that the more thoughtful the attire the more comfort you can provide for your party on a hot day.

Welcome Gifts, Bites & Drinks:

You can always welcome your guests to your wedding by providing summer-themed gifts and seasonal drinks. Consider iced or blended fruit-based beverages, snowcones/snowballs, shaved iced, or frozen pops could also be fun to offer. Your attendees will thank you for the welcome goodies!

Hors d'oeuvres & Libations:

Another fun option for summer events is incorporating fruits into your décor, they add flavor and pops of color wherever you decide to have them. During those hot summer days, fresh or frozen fruits can help add a little extra refreshment for your guests.

Infused Water Station:

Water is the spice of life, during those hot summer days, it’s also a necessity. That doesn’t mean that you need to just serve plain water. Adding sliced cucumber and sprigs of mint will elevate your water stations to the next level. You can also try citrus fruits, such as blood orange, grapefruit, and pineapple. Some great water-infused combinations are strawberry and sage for a sweet earthy taste, or lavender and rosemary for a sophisticated herbal flavor, or blackberry and basil for a fresh fruity style. 

Cocktails:

During those hot summer days, lighter libations will add an extra flair to your event and cocktail hour! You can try doing rose wine with floating petals. For extra hot days, you might want to opt for frozen daiquiris or margaritas! Get creative and think outside the box to create unique and tasty options for your guests to enjoy.

Watermelon:

Sliced and speared watermelon on sticks is a great treat for your guests and also hydrating! You might even want to freeze it to add a little more of a cooling effect. Try watermelon cubes for a quick easy bite.

Oranges:

Freshly sliced and drizzled with sugar or cinnamon, orange slices add spice and color to your appetizer table. Most local stores will have a few different varieties of oranges to choose from, you can select navel, mandarin, or blood orange. Consider dehydrated sugared slices for another option.

Apples:

Fresh apples are a delicious treat for summer weddings, a clean and crisp crunch from a gala, or even the tart punch from a granny smith apple. As a tip, you can mist vinegar on the slices to help keep them from rusting (aka turning brown).

Strawberries:

Everyone loves strawberries! A platter of fresh trimmed strawberries is always a crowd-pleaser. You can even kick it up a notch by adding in a chocolate fountain next to the platter for extra decadence. 

Kumquats:

A sweet citrus fruit often neglected is the kumquat. You can create a nice display with these tart and tiny fruits. They can be eaten whole with little to no prepping, just a little wash and display!

Fruit Platters:

Mix fresh and dried summer fruits, crackers, nuts, jams, and other delectables to create centerpieces for your tables or for tray passing. This is a great way to infuse the colors, flavors, and beauty of our summertime favorites.

Dessert Table:

Have some fun creating a beautifully decorated table for all your summertime treats and sweets to delight your guests! Choose a palette and displays to match. Include flowers for pops of color and decor to stylize the setting. 

Popsicles:

Fruits and fun cocktails aren't the only summer drinks. You can bring some of that childhood flair and fun-ness by serving popsicles. It’s easy to make homemade popsicles. There are fast molds you can use or you can even just freeze a mixture of sugar water, and fruit juices as ice cubes. Consider adding real fruit for extra delight. If you are using sticks you can have custom messages printed or written on the popsicle sticks. The sky’s the limit!

Ice Cream:

A no-brainer for your summer wedding event is ice cream. You could incorporate your wedding cake with a form of ice cream. Sherbets are a great non-dairy option for guests. Ice cream, as it's not only tasty but will also help beat some of the summer heat.

We hope these ideas inspire you and help you to create a most memorable and fun summer wedding!

Outdoor weddings. There’s a huge trend for outdoor weddings in 2021 and that won’t change, even as the weather cools. From garden fetes to tented ceremonies and celebrations, the open crisp air is really the place to be. Plus Mother Nature really likes showing off in the fall so there’s less work to do when it comes to décor. Have your guests get cozy with lots of twinkly lights and plush furnishings. 

TIP to ensure your guests are comfortable, set up a welcome table with coffee and offer fall colored blankets or wraps, to help fight off any chills.

Bold fall color palettes. Rich sapphires, Burgundy reds, and emerald greens, as well as earth tones like sienna, amber, and brass are on trend for fall. It is all about being bold, bright, seasonal and a bit unexpected. 

Think complimentary- 

Cornsilk + Fawn + Kombu Green 
Rose Dust + Tumbleweed + Mn Blue 
Sugar Plum + Coral + Light Salmon
TIP Check out some great color palettes here
https://venngage.com/blog/fall...

Seasonal suits.
Grooms wear is getting funky fresh these days! Think perfectly tailored suits in jewel box shades like rust, scarlet, teal, or aubergine. If you don’t want to wear a full color-blocked suit, a velvet jacket in one of these shades is a stylish and seasonally appropriate alternative.

Dried flower arrangements. 
Yes we have been seeing dried flowers blow up over the last few years and this trend is continuing in 2021. Florists are getting very creative with their arrangements and making extravagant truly beautiful centerpieces. Picture a  fabulous centerpiece with preserved brown sunflowers, braided wheat, and rust-colored leaves. 

2021 is turning out to be a wonderful year full of amazing ceremonies and we can't wait to share Winter wedding trends in our next blog!

First and foremost, we hope you and your loved ones are staying well and healthy.

At this time, it has never been more critical to stay connected with one another, as we all practice social distancing to keep each other safe and reduce the transmission of COVID-19. We are here to keep you informed about any new developments regarding the operations of Open Ministry. We are still fully operational and taking the necessary precautions to best support our congregation.

The safety of our Ministers and staff is our top priority. We believe that proper information is vital. For more information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

Make sure to follow us on Facebook to stay connected and check our Ministry Blog for helpful tips on performing ceremonies and more!

We are pleased to offer you our services; we appreciate your support of Open Ministry.

Grace & Peace,
Open Ministry

Are you looking for some original wedding ceremony ideas? Well, first of all, we would like to congratulate you on the decision to tie the knot. As you probably know, this is one of the biggest steps in your life and that is why you deserve to have a special ceremony to celebrate it. We have gathered some of the most interesting wedding ceremony ideas to inspire you to have the wedding of your dreams. Now, let's start, shall we?

Choose a venue with a meaning

Booking a restaurant is something people would expect you to do. But, how about being a bit more original? For instance, you can get married at the location where you met each other for the first time. Or, at the place where you said your first "I love you". Basically, any place that is special for your relationship can be the venue. 

Having a beach wedding is not something new, but people still like it. Your guests coming from the colder areas or those moving from sunny California will be thrilled to spend some more time on the beach with their loved ones. 

Choose an everlasting bouquet

When you start browsing the Internet for wedding bouquet ideas, be prepared to look at millions of wonderful flower arrangements. Trust us, you can easily get lost and confused by the options ahead of you. And once you choose the perfect one for you, you will be sorry to see it wilt after a week or two. But, there is a solution - why not opt for an everlasting bouquet? Nowadays, you can find artificial flowers made of all sorts of material - paper, straw, fabric, or whatever you think of. If you are not sure what to choose, you can always discuss it with your decorator or florist.

Ask somebody special to officiate your wedding

Ok, this one might not sound so original since many people do it nowadays. But you can be creative and ask somebody special to you, other than your best friend, to get ordained. Here are some suggestions:

• ask a local celebrity both you and your future spouse are fans of - don't be scared of getting rejected; everybody likes to be a part of somebody's big day.
• if both of you went to the same school, you can even ask your favorite teacher to officiate your wedding - that is not something we see every day, right? Of course, the same goes for your coach or any other person who influenced your upbringing.
• maybe you can ask the eldest member of your family to do this. That way you can show them how much you respect them. That would give a traditional touch to your special day and you will show your guests how much you value your family.
• If there is someone responsible for the two of you getting to know each other, maybe that is the person who should get ordained and perform the wedding ceremony.

Plant a tree of your love

Planting a tree on your wedding day - isn't that a great idea? The tree is the symbol of your love that will grow. Plus, you will do something good for the environment. A few weeks before the wedding get yourself informed about where you can do that. If none of the locations fit, maybe you can even plant a tree in your backyard.

Read your favorite book passage to each other

You can read a poem or a passage from your loved one's favorite novel to your spouse at the wedding ceremony. If those words describe your love for him/her, maybe they can even replace the traditional wedding vows. Some people are not comfortable writing about their feelings, and if you are one of them that's fine. Use this shortcut and people will think you are even more romantic than you are.

Including pets in your ceremony

More and more people include pets in their wedding ceremony. If you have one you cannot imagine your special day without, then you should go for it. If the ceremony is taking place outside, you really have no reason to say no. You can even train your dog, cat or exotic pet to bring your rings to the aisle. 

Make slight alterations to the traditional details

Not every wedding should be the same. Many couples opt to keep the traditional order of events but adapt them to their liking. For instance:

• instead of little girls throwing petals while the bride approaches the aisle, you can have them blow soap bubbles - you can have some amazing photos of those moments; Bubble send-off to your honeymoon is also an option. 
• instead of printing the program on a piece of paper or nice cardboard, you can have it printed on fans. Your guests will appreciate it if your ceremony is taking place outside on a tropical day.
• make personalized presents for guests - if you are making a small, intimate wedding, maybe you can show your guests how much you care about their presence on your special day by making a unique present for each one of them. Here's an idea - you can remind them of some funny moments you had together. Print a story starting with: Remember that time when we... Or you can start a story like that and encourage them to finish it. Include those anecdotes in your wedding photo book later. 
• you can play a non-traditional song down the aisle - it is your day, you get to choose!

Encourage your guests to wear comfortable clothes and shoes

People should sing, dance and laugh at weddings, that's what the ceremony is about - celebrating love. If their attires are too uncomfortable, they will not be able to relax and enjoy themselves. Encourage them to wear sneakers by wearing a pair yourself!

Once you have everything planned, don't forget to relax and enjoy your special day. Good luck!

Contributing Author: Sophia Perry,  Feb 2020, © all rights reserved