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Phoenix, Arizona, known as the Valley of the Sun, has some of the best weather in the United States year round! The daily high temperatures from October to April generally remain in the ideal range of 65°F to 85°F. Phoenix normally has 296 days of sunshine a year. In the summer, when the weather is hotter, because we have low humidity, since it is a “dry heat,” even at 100°F, it doesn’t feel as hot since other parts of the country with higher humidity.
Average Temperatures Low/High in °F
January 46/67
February 49/71
March 54/77
April 60/85
May 69/95
June 78/104 (monsoon season begins)
July 83/106 (monsoon season)
August 83/104 (monsoon season)
September 77/100 (monsoon season ends)
October 65/89
November 53/76
December 45/66
Few settings are as gorgeous as the views in an outdoor garden setting such as The Wright House (gorgeous photo above) which has both indoor and outdoor capability with an English Garden or a Country French Inn, call 480.833.0902 today to schedule a tour! Check them out at http://www.TheWrightHouse.com
Here are some tips when planning your outdoor wedding in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Chandler, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Surprise, Glendale, Avondale, or other cities in Arizona.
Create shade. Sometimes sunny days in Phoenix may be too much of a good thing. Provide shade for guests who prefer to stay out of the sun. You may get umbrellas from your venue included, otherwise you may rent umbrellas. Keep in mind the umbrellas may block views of some of your guests. You may want to opt for a canopy to cover the top with elevation for the front of your ceremony so everyone has a view. Renting a tent would give you coverage on all sides vs. just the top. Your photographer will need shade for your wedding photography too.
Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate! Make sure you, your wedding party, and guests stay hydrated, especially if the weather is warm. Have your caterer set up a water station with filtered water, ice, and a fruit garnish which would match the color or theme of your wedding (lemons for yellow, orange for tangerine, strawberries for red, etc.).
Have a Plan B which is as good as your Plan A. When you choose your outdoor venue, make sure you have a Plan B for inclement weather which is functional. Make sure your Plan B option is in writing in your agreement, since when the weather changes, all the events at your outdoor venue of choice will be looking for Plan B. Your wedding planner and wedding venue can get up-to-the-minute weather reports and forecasts via apps like those offered at weather.com. Make sure you know if you have aright to make a decision on Plan B, (some properties make the decision for you). Have in writing in your agreement when you must make the FINAL decision before incurring extra setup costs.
Rent a Tent. If your Plan B is the same space, regardless of inclement weather, would recommend reserving a tent. These may be used year round, and allow for heating and air-conditioning units to be mounted on the outside. This is a wise investment. Make sure you put a deposit down and order the tent, since you will need a tent permit, and find out if and when you may cancel the tent if the weather abruptly changes. Make sure you have a heating/air-conditioning technician on hand several hours before your wedding is scheduled to start to have the room cool enough for your flowers and doors opening for setup. If it is too hot, your flowers will not handle this well. If it is too cold, the musicians when setting up will not be able to tune.
Determine what type of permits you need. You may need city permits (depending on your location) for tents, noise ordinances, parking, fire marshall inspections, and more.
Be Courteous of Your Neighbors. If you are having a home wedding, your neighbors may or may not be your BFF. They may be planning to host an event the same night as yours. Let them know about your festivities, and it may be easier to invite them to attend. Make sure no one is mowing their lawn during your ceremony. You don’t want someone cutting tile for their remodel during your ceremony either. Be aware of when there is trash and recycling pickup so you don’t hear garbage trucks clanking. If you have a noisy barking dog next door, how would you feel if during your ceremony vows, the dog started barking. You may want to hire valet parking, or hire a shuttle/bus for round-trip transportation for your guests to park conveniently (with permission from the parking lot location).
Determine your Insurance Options. Make sure you take out special event insurance for the time the vendors and your guests will be on your property (if you are having a home wedding). Check with your homeowner’s insurance to see what they will cover, and you may need to get a recommendation from someone who writes Special Event Insurance to get you the coverage you need.
Wedding Insurance. Basic wedding insurance may reimburse couples for non-recoverable deposits and purchases if covered circumstances beyond their control cause a wedding postponement or cancellation. Wedding insurance may also help provide protection against no-show or bankrupt vendors, damage to a wedding gown, wedding gift, and much more such as family illnesses, military deployment, products or services that don't materialize such as food or flowers, no-show photographers or similar service providers, a damaged wedding dress or rings.
What is inclement weather? Typically “inclement weather” means the weather is going to do, or has done something bad, such as excessive rain, wind, or temperatures. Try to get a definition of “inclement weather” from your venue so you have a common terminology. Try to get their definition in writing in your agreement. As an expert wedding planner, my definition of inclement weather would be:
a). temperatures lower than ____
b). temperatures higher than ____
c). wind higher than _____
d). rain estimated at %_____
Why do I need a tent early, instead of waiting until right before the wedding? The ground at your wedding may not be level, and you want to make sure your centerpieces and chairs aren’t tipping over. Had an October bride many years ago who I recommended to rent a tent for her Plan B, (she was having a home wedding at her parent’s home, which was a mansion, with tennis courts, basketball courts, and guest homes). The only flat location for the size of tent she required for her guest count was on their tennis courts. The bride did NOT want the tent, saying she didn’t want her dinner/dance on a tennis court. Told the bride if it rains on the day of your wedding, no one will care about the tennis courts, they will be happy to be dry! The bride cancelled the tent rental 1 month out, and didn’t tell me. The rental company called me immediately, and I told them to NOT cancel the tent, and to hold the tent under my account. 10 days before the wedding I emailed the weather forecast to the bride. The bride called me in tears, letting me know she made a huge mistake, and she didn’t know what to do. She thanked me for the weather update (which said RAIN), and confessed she had cancelled the tent. Once she received my email on the weather forecast, she had called every rental company and no one has a tent! Listened to her story, and then told her I wasn’t worried at all. She frantically screamed, “How can you not be worried, my wedding is going to be a disaster.” Then I told her about the rental company calling me, and I already knew about she DID have her tent! Another reason why an experienced wedding planner is worth every penny!
Keep your wedding at an acceptable temperature. With heating and cooling in a tent, you will be able to maintain an acceptable temperature. You may also want to get a mist system, fans, umbrellas, or heaters. For your outdoor summer wedding ceremony, you may want to have your ceremony program double as a fan for each guest.
Do you need to rent power and lighting? What time is sunset on the day of your wedding? When and where do you need additional lighting (parking, restrooms, bar, dance floor, guest tables, etc?) How much power do you need for lighting? You will want to make sure your vendors have the power they need to perform/provide their service/product. Ask your wedding planner, caterer, band/DJ, to get a complete list for your type of event for power needs. Make sure you have enough power, or order generators. Make sure your guests have lighting (since they may not be familiar with the area) to get comfortably from one place to another safely. You will want the DJ and band to make sure they can read their song list. You will want lighting at the table so your guests will see what they are eating.
Insects may be an uninvited guest to your wedding. Mosquitoes, ants, bees, and flies are a part of nature, yet you don’t need them to be part of your outdoor wedding. You may want to use decorative citronella tiki torches or candles (normally available at Lowes.com) to discourage insects.
How many Bathrooms are there, and are they clean? Nothing ruins an event worse than not enough bathrooms, or the bathrooms you have being dirty, or out of toilet paper. If your venue has restrooms, great, yet if they don’t have something in close proximity, you may want to rent a posh bathroom for your guests. Check with local rental companies for options on flushing toilets, running faucets, soap dispensers, built-in trash receptacles, and indoor/outdoor carpeting.
Sprinklers need to be shut off during setup, during the event, and during strike (takedown of your event). Imagine the heels of your shoes sinking in the grass, since someone forgot to shut off the sprinklers, and “just watered” the grass. Make sure the sprinklers are shut off so the lawn is not damp from the start of setup through the end of strike (takedown of your event). Discuss this with your wedding planner and your wedding venue.
Sunset times and positioning of the sun’s angle. For an outdoor wedding ceremony, the last thing you want is the sun in the eyes of you, your wedding party, and your guests. Position chairs and the front of your ceremony to be in a functional direction.
Kim M. Horn, MWP
Master Wedding Planner | 1 of 75 in the World
2016 Couples’ Choice Wedding Planner | WeddingWire
Publisher ArizonaBridalSource.com
Sponsor ArizonaBridalShow.com
June 7, 2020 & January 9-10, 2021
Phoenix Convention Center | South Building
O 480.921.7891
Call | Text 602.418.9089
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Mailing Address:
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Phoenix, Arizona 85076-0622
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Arizona State Coordinator | Assoc. of BridalConsultants | 5/2003 – 3/2012
ABC 2010 Conference Chair | Worked with David Tutera | 350+ Attendees from 6 Continents were Wedding Planners
