Summer Weddings

Have you noticed how hot it gets in summer in Townsville? So can you imagine how hot it is for couples who elect to get married during our summer months. It produces a range of different problems that southern states would not seem possible. Having said that I met a photographer at the "Hair of the Dog", the annual conference of the Queensland branch of the AIPP. He had flown up from Melbourne where the day before he shot a wedding in 46C heat. Now that is hot.



Kell & Dom at Pallerenda
 

In Townsville, we have to beat the heat in creative ways as photographers. Later weddings, so after 4.00pm, going to an air condition building for photos after the wedding and then venturing out to the Strand or Pallerenda for sunset photos. The Brewery or Cactus Saloon or the Holiday Inn provide lots of great locations for photos while waiting for the cooler and better lighting conditions to arrive outside.

At any wedding in Townsville regardless of the time of year, we always recommend that the bridal party has an eskie, yes have a few bears and wine, it is a celebration after all. However it must have water as well and all need to remember to drink a little through the day. A few nibbles as well are useful as many find it hard to eat before the wedding. Both sides of the bridal party need to be aware of heat stress, not a great way to finish your day if you get a case of heat stress through not drinking enough water.





Luke & Jesse at the Tea Rooms Harvey's Range
 

The big problem is for the boys, especially in their three piece suits and sweating. While Photoshop can remove a lot of the sweat marks from faces and cloths, it is very time consuming to do a lot of images. How you get around this I'm not sure. I would say if you are going to get married in summer then dress in accordance with the weather. Three piece suits are probably not a great idea, open collared shirt a little more sensible. We have photographed everything from shorts and shirt to full military uniforms. While I remember the uniform was worn with great dignity and he looked fantastic, the post production was a lot more difficult. Of course the same goes for the bride, go for simple, single layered dresses, not multi layered glamour gowns. They might look fantastic, but are easy to over heat in and then your day is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

 



Chris & Lisa at Jupiters

The other aspect of summer weddings is rain. Not much you can do about it if it does rain, but you need a plan B in place if you are having an outdoor ceremony. Most reception venues will allow you to use their facilities if the rain comes down, so talk to them when you are booking your reception. It has only happened to us once, a wedding was moved from Queens Gardens to The Pier Restaurant. Still a great location and at least they had it as a alternative.


The most important aspect of a wedding is that it is memorable an enjoyable. Weddings in a Townsville summer are definitely a challenge, but with a bit of thought a great time can still be had by all.