Abbie's Summer Bridal Party Tips & Tricks to Beat the Heat!

It seems that we've jumped right into the summer season!  Time has flown by and we're already two-thirds of the way through June!  Around this time of year I always have a very serious conversation with each of my summer-season couples about the heat and how to keep afloat with all the sweating that will inevitably occur on their big day.  I'm not one to mince words and I feel like being as open and honest as possible about the craziness that can happen if you're not prepared is the best way to prepare everyone for the heat!

You have to remember that everyone in the bridal party will be wearing more layers than normal... so when you factor in the extreme heat and a 2-hour outdoor portrait session, things can get pretty awful.  These are things that we've tried and seen work year after year.

I always go over the following information during the final timeline meeting with each couple but recently I realized that many people could benefit from these tips that I've learned about over the past 8+ years of shooting weddings!  Please feel free to share this candid information and let me know if you have any other things to add to the list!!

Here are my ATP Summer Wedding Bridal Party Tips & Tricks:

• Have plenty of cold water available at all times!  This is truly a lifesaver!  Remember that you can’t regulate body temperature if you’re not well hydrated.  Make sure your bridal party keeps you both hydrated throughout the day and remind them to keep offering you water!  Having a Hydroflask or a Yeti with ice and water on hand is also super helpful.

• Take several dry washcloths and get them wet.  DO NOT wring them out!  Roll them up and place them each separately into their own Ziplock bag. Then place them all in the freezer. RIGHT BEFORE you depart for the wedding day – or wait as long as you can – take the bags out of the freezer and place them in a cooler full of ice.  Have them for the bus during the portrait session!  These frozen washcloths make such a nice way to cool down when it’s incredibly hot!

• Have hand-held battery powered fans.  You can get them cheap on Amazon!

• Make sure to have 1 hand towel for every person in the bridal party on the bus. Everyone will need to be wiping sweat and having a towel is nice for this! 

• Make sure your deodorant is also an antiperspirant.  Don’t be afraid of getting clinical strength

For our ATP Brides: 

o   Feel free to wear cotton shorts under your dress if it has many layers.  The heat can cause extreme sweating and having cotton shorts to help absorb the sweat can be a game changer.   Your thighs are probably going to rub together – which will cause the dreaded and terribly uncool “chub rub”!  Look for bike shorts, anti-friction bars, Body Glide, or anti-chafing powder gels and creams.

o   Put some baby powder WITH CORNSTARCH (the kind with the BLUE LID from Johnson & Johnson is my favorite!) between your thighs, under your boobs, at the small of your back and even in your shoes!  This will help absorb the sweat.

o   Have deodorant body wipes on hand! (Our FAVORITES are Ban Cooling Deodorant Wipes!)  These are GAME CHANGERS!!  They are perfect for freshening up after being out in the heat.  We use these at every wedding!  Have these for the boys, too!

o   Have 1-2 extra pairs of underwear.  When you get to the reception, you’ll feel gross and disgusting from all the sweating and having some clean undies really helps you feel refreshed!

o   Remember that any kind of liquid makeup will “melt” as you sweat! This goes for foundation, eyeliner, etc.

o   Dry shampoo is nice to have on hand if your hair gets sweaty.

o   Blotting papers are nice to have on hand.

For our ATP Grooms:

o   Bring at least 1 extra white button down to change into throughout the day. You’ll feel refreshed and probably smell a lot better. LOL!

o   With that being said, you should also bring AT LEAST 1-2 extra undershirts. Tell your groomsmen to do the same! 

o   Always have deodorant on hand.

o   It may sound funny, but using the dry shampoo that your bride will have on hand may be nice if your hair gets too sweaty.