Ask the Expert: How Can I Help My Guests Beat the Heat?

Question:  We’ve planned an outdoor wedding this summer — and now I’m freaking out that it could be one of those unbearable, high-humidity, 105-degree days. What can we do to make sure our guests don’t pass out on the dance loor?

Answer: The most important thing you can do is show your guests that you’ve planned ahead and made an effort to keep them cool, says Manayunk’s Feastivities Events director of operations Dan Hoch. To keep guests’ temps down throughout the celebration, make sure you reserve lots of quiet electric fans that you can place at different places throughout your venue. If your ceremony is outdoors, Hoch recommends serving your guests cold fruit tea or lemonade in a shady spot, and only have them move to the chairs right before the procession begins — where paper fans should be waiting on each seat. And, especially if you have a lot of space for the reception, station additional cocktail tables outside the tent, so guests don’t all have to cram into one small, sweaty area.