Keeping your Wedding Guests Cool during the Summer Heat in Marbella

It has definitely warmed up this past week in Marbella and whilst the Spanish are all hiding behind their persianas in the afternoon, melting in front of fans, the tourists are on the beach soaking up the Spanish sunshine sipping ice cold Pina Coladas, fanning themselves with cocktail menus whilst declaring how lovely and hot it is.

Aperol Spritz Station at Cortijo Rosa Blanca

The season of ‘Que Calor’ has arrived!

Most Destination Weddings on the Costa Del Sol are held outside because why would you travel to Spain to have an indoor wedding in a beige function room!

So as the temperature climbs into the mid 30's in the shade, we are sharing tips and tricks to help you stop Uncle Bob looking like he has had a fight with a hosepipe and worse still Aunty Carol spectacularly passing out, it happens more often than we would like to admit.

Whilst we will mention the obvious heat managing tips, we will also talk about the less obvious that we see all the time here.

Wedding Timings for Summer Weddings on the Costa Del Sol

‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday heat’ is a classic saying yet true and let’s include most of Northern Europe!

The Spanish avoid the afternoon heat like their life depends on it. They will retire gracefully into the shade for a long lunch, have a siesta and wait for the intense heat to die down later in the day before they venture outside again.

Most summer destination weddings in the Mediterranean don’t start until the late afternoon, even at 5pm or 6pm that fierce summer heat is still hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement, it will only start to cool down about 7pm, so if you don’t want your guests looking like grilled sardines the later you can start your ceremony the better.

Image from Eloy Munoz Photography

Warn your Guests Nicely About the Heat

Formal wedding attire isn’t really designed for the heat but here are a few tips. Whilst some of these seem obvious we have seen time and time again guests commenting they didn't realise it would be quite so hot. Prepare your guests and warn them about the heat, suggest cool clothing, comfortable shoes, sunscreen and make sure they know to stay hydrated. Not with beers and sangrias, but water!

Depending on your dress code suggest linen suits, lightweight summer dresses and shoes that won’t feel their feet are in a torture device if they become swollen.

Consider your Clothing for a Summer Mediterranean Wedding

For men it is always advisable to bring a change of shirt, particularly for the grooms party. There is nothing worse than hitting that dancefloor in soggy, wet shirts.

If your bridal dress is long and slightly heavy, it is a good idea to have a second dress.

Something shorter and lighter so you can carry on partying in without feeling like a lead weight glued into your daytime wedding dress. Many wedding dresses are designed to take the longer skirt off for the evening. If your dress has a bustle to pull the skirt up do make sure your bridal team know exactly how to do this and practice. Too often we have seen this genius idea fail and flustered bridesmaids flap about under a tulle mountains to no avail.

Wedding tip, spray your legs with deodorant!

Plan your Bridal Hair & Make Up Designed to Withstand the Heat

Marbella, in summer, is all heat and humidity, you will need a bridal beauty plan and do study the Spanish styles. Think hairstyles that will work best with the climate like elegant up dos, chic ponytails or soft braids that will stay put even when the temperature rises. Loose curls may look dreamy but by the time the cava is flowing they could turn into a frizzy fiesta!

Make up starts with plenty of skin prep and our makeup artists will give you a routine to follow before your wedding day. It is not the time to try new foundations but to go for tried and tested products with staying power. A good make up artist will know how to layer lightweight breathable formulas with setting sprays that won't budge. Ask about anything waterproof, mascara, eyeliner, even brow gel so your look stays flawless throughout the day

Water, Water & More Water!

Lemonade station by Sana Catering

We can’t reiterate this enough, drinking water throughout the day. Alternate your drinks with glasses of water and do make sure you have this always available for your guests and suppliers.

Many of the caterers here will provide creatively styled flavoured water stations to greet your guests on arrival at your wedding, from plain iced water to fruit flavoured waters such as a cucumber, mint or a refreshing lemonade.

Ensure your suppliers have access to water too, whilst they will bring their own it is hard for them to keep water cool throughout the day. Don’t forget they are the ones out in the heat preparing your wedding often working in plus 40 degrees and your caterer will happily provide an iced water station for the suppliers if requested at a low cost. If you are hosting a smaller wedding in a private villa do ensure you have plenty of cold water for the suppliers to access.

Happy Suppliers equals Happy Wedding!

Keeping your Guests Cool during your Wedding Ceremony

The first thing to consider is shade and this is a big one. Many venues have shaded ceremony areas but some don’t.

To cover a ceremony area with shading will be an extra cost so when you are choosing the location for your wedding do factor this into your wedding budget. Ceremony areas can be covered with parasols, canopy style coverings or even a marquee structure. This is one of the most important things if you are having your ceremony in the late afternoon.

Also factor in harsh sunlight, there is nothing worse for a wedding photographer to be trying to capture you not squinting. Most photographers and planners know the venues and can advise you about which way to face your guests and ceremony to prevent everyone’s faces screwed up for those photos!

Fans at Cortijo Rosa Blanca

Fans are a must, every wise Abuela in Spain has one! They are also a great way to sneakily add a wedding favour into your day, albeit a necessity as well. Watch videos of weddings here and you will see those fans being frantically waved! Offer the fans in baskets at the entrance to your ceremony or have them placed on the chairs. Don’t limit them to women only as everyone will need one, men get hot too. If you are asking guests to arrive earlier have fans available on arrival and not later on.

Try not to buy the cheapies, they don't really do the job and fall apart really quickly, make sure you have a pretty bridal fan too.

Provide shade for your suppliers throughout the wedding, they need to be comfortable and their equipment covered, you don’t want their speaker systems melting and failing in the heat, it happens. For example your celebrant, the Spanish guitarist, the String quartet or the ceremony singer, they bring expensive equipment and are not prepared to let it melt.

If you are having a church wedding in Marbella most of the churches have fans installed, check they are on before your wedding and if required they do have more freestanding fans they can bring out to keep you cool.

Lastly, don’t be late, it isn’t cool to keep your guests waiting in the heat, it is just rude. They will quickly disperse if they are too hot and go in search of shade and drinks until they are rounded up again but the initial excitement they had will wear off.

Cool Cocktail Ideas

Sana Catering Cocktails

Many venues have a nice shaded area for cocktail hour, under trees or canopies. It is always a good idea to provide some seating for guests who wish to sit down.

The Spanish don’t offer spirits during the cocktail hour and dinner as a rule, there will be wine, beers and soft drinks unless you wish to add a signature drink/s to your cocktail hour. Ask your caterer what they can provide if you want a G&T station, the Aperol Spritz is still a popular choice and trending this year are espresso martinis and negronis.

The reason spirits aren’t offered too early is alcohol makes people become dehydrated very quickly, they will drink faster to keep cool. Measures in Spain are large, if you come from a country where a double is two drops that evaporate faster than you can Buenas Tardes, you will be in for a surprise when your balloon glass is filled to the brim with gin and you are trying to find room to add your tonic in!

The Spanish love their ‘sobremesa’ the rums, gins, vodkas all come out once they have finished eating. The same applies to your open bar that will start after the meal and it is time to party!

Thoughtful Toiletries in the Bathrooms to Help Keep Guests Cool & Comfortable

Whilst most women would love to bring their army of products most of them will have clutch bags and won’t be able to carry many essentials. It is always a lovely gesture to pop some well thought out toiletries into the bathrooms to help you guests tidy themselves up and cool down.

Facial mists, hairsprays, foot cooling sprays, sun cream, spray deodorants and mossie repellent sprays are always welcome. Mercadona do an excellent range of products you can stock up on when you get here or send your besties on a toiletry mission! We would also recommend nail files, plasters, anti stain wipes, mints and an anti-bite mossie cream.

We hope you enjoyed these tips for hosting a hot summer wedding here in Marbella. With a few clever touches your big day will be memorable for the right reasons and not because Aunty Carol dramatically fainted during the speeches.

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Images from our listed suppliers, Cortijo Rosa Blanca, Sana Catering, Eloy Munoz Photography.