Now that summer (and wedding season) are in full swing, many brides and grooms are wondering what the best way is to cater to their guests on a hot day. While a summer wedding is obviously a DO, there are some important considerations to keep in mind. Try not to plan your wedding to begin in the mid-day heat. Sitting outside in direct sun can be really uncomfortable, and can be dangerous for older guests. An late afternoon or early evening ceremony will be cooler, and bonus: the light will be much prettier in your photos! It's also a great idea to offer cool drinks for your guests (lemonade is always a hit) upon their arrival at the ceremony site. If you want to be really considerate, you can even put out a basket of summer necessities for your guests. Think: bug spray, sunscreen, and fans. They will love you for it, and they'll have more energy to hit the dance floor at your reception!

Photo by Hello Love Photography

Total Do!

Feeling the financial crush of a full fledged reception with dinner for all of your guests is a legitimate drag. The sense of obligation you feel is real, through probably unwarranted. It's your party, and your guests are there to celebrate you. I don't think they'll feel slighted if you spare them the chicken or fish dilemma. If you're on a budget, or you're looking to throw a rad party without shelling out too much, a rocking cocktail party is a great way to host your guests, and still celebrate your one and only. It's all about the spirit you imbue the event with. Make an iPod playlist of your favorites with your beloved. Rent a mic and speaker for toasts. Dance, dance, dance. The X-factor will be the way your guests embrace the evening. Their collective good will carry the night and then some.

Of course, in the absence of dinner, make sure to retain a chunk of your budget for extra passed h'ords!

For a while, it seemed like everyone getting married had to have their hair in a curly, hair-sprayed, Shirley Temple style updo. These days, people tend to make a more relaxed approach to wedding-day hair. I always say that the most important thing is to look like yourself on your wedding day, and not some weird over-done "wedding version" of yourself. For that reason, I think wearing your hair down is a DO, especially if you wear it down often. You can even do it yourself, if you style your own hair often and have a favorite style mastered. Whatever look you go for, a natural hair style is a definite "do" on your wedding day. And if you are going to do it yourself, be sure to practice! :)

Although I don't have a dog myself, I am an animal lover and totally understand how dogs can become a true member of the family. While it can be a little tricky to incorporate dogs into the wedding day itself, I think engagement photos are a great opportunity to capture some shots of you with your pet! Dogs lead to great moments of spontaneity and natural reactions, and they can be a good distraction if you're nervous to take photos. So by all means, include your pet in any way you see fit!

Here's a shot of our dear Becca and her husband along with their sweet pup, Bodhi. At their wedding in Becca's parents' backyard on Martha's Vineyard, Bodhi curled up at their feet as they said their vows. Such a sweet moment...

Hey ladies, this post is directed to you (sorry grooms)! If you're getting married on a farm, in a garden, or under a tent, ignore the debbie downers and don't be afraid to rock out in your favorite heels! Don't let a little dirt scare away your height love. I say make it work, and get your jeweled beauties messy in the mud - it is your wedding, after all! Go all out for the best possible memories. Your big night is not the time to be on guard against sullied footwear!

Unless you are Kate Middleton, who famously did her own makeup on her wedding day, or have some major makeup skills and experience, I have to say this one is a DON'T. It's easy enough to do your own makeup, but are you confident that you can make it last through twelve hours of smiling, kissing, sweating, photo-taking, crying, dancing, and bouquet-tossing? A professional makeup artist can do your makeup in a way that makes it much more long-lasting. After my wedding, I couldn't believe that my makeup had stayed on all day!

Another thing to consider is that a professional makeup artist knows how to apply makeup in a way that will be flattering for photos. They may use a special kind of makeup that won't reflect light, so that you won't look like a ghost in any photos that are taken with a flash. I often work with the makeup artist during the getting-ready photos to take some practice shots and check how the makeup is turning out in photos.

This is just one of those things that I think is best left to the pros!

If you were stranded on a desert island and could only have one dessert every day, what would it be? If the answer is not cake (and for most people, it's not), then skipping the wedding cake is a DO! I appreciate the tradition of a wedding cake, but there's no need to serve a dessert at your wedding that you don't actually love. There are so many options: pies! cupcakes! candy! macarons! Don't deny your guests a little something sweet, but do feel free to choose something that you love to eat!

At our wedding, we hired a gelato cart to come serve gelato to our guests. As ice cream lovers, we felt like it was the perfect finishing touch to our dinner. So, what's your favorite sweet? Are you considering a non-traditional dessert at your wedding?

This past weekend my husband and I were in Vermont with friends for a site visit. Being that this particular wedding is to celebrate said friends, we got to tag along for a whole weekend of fun activities. Over our dinner Saturday night the bride-to-be posed an interesting question that sparked some good discourse. How to cordially ask guests to not post pictures on Facebook or Instagram during the wedding or even the week after? In this day and age, is it possible to limit the intimacy of a wedding to just the close family and friends who are present? A way to not invite our myriad other, digital "friends" into the sacred occasion?

It's a sensitive subject. But take solace in the fact that you are grappling with this issue alongside every other modern bride. If presented in the correct, respectful way, I think it's fine to be direct with your guests. This can be accomplished as they arrive with a sign, or maybe a note in the program simply stating something like, " We are here today to celebrate our union with our closest friends and family and would like to ask you to preserve and celebrate this moment without the use of social media."

I've wavered in thinking if this is a good idea or not, mostly because it feels a little funny to even mention these services at your wedding, but the truth is social media is a part of our lives now. Furthermore, because we are the first generation to use it, the nuances of social media etiquette aren't well defined or understood at this point. Thus, in order to achieve an intimate day without modern intrusions, you may have to be prepared with a little old-fashioned bluntness.

While receiving lines can be a bit long and tedious, I have to say that they are still a major DO. You may want to spend the time taking photos or doing something else, but it's important to remember that you are the host of your wedding and it is your responsibility to greet each guest and thank them for coming to celebrate with you. Guests may not remember the place card display or your first dance song, but they will remember the time they got to spend chatting with you on your big day. Some guests may have traveled from far away to attend the wedding, and it can be a disappointment to not have any time to speak with the bride and groom they came to see.

While you don't have to do a traditional receiving line after the ceremony, it can be the most efficient way to be sure to greet everyone. Some brides and grooms choose to do their rounds later in the night, but that can often lead to the happy couple missing their dinner. However you choose to do it, be sure to make room in your wedding day schedule to greet your lovely guests and thank them for showing their support!

What?! Were you thinking of clutching each other close for "Lady In Red"? I say do do do! Pick a song that's special to you as a couple but also that has a little spark to it. You don't need to show off for any of your guests, or feel pressure to pick a "hot" song, just be totally true to the nature of the two of you for your first dance. One of my favorites was my friend Lindsay and her husband Luke, last year when they danced to a Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga song, "Country Road". They swayed to every end of the dance floor, she jumped into his arms, they took "the dip" to a whole new level, and it was just SO them! Every guest was ready for a celebration after that! So, whether your song is NKOTB, CCR, or Marky Mark, seize the moment and set the tone for the party to follow!

photo by Stacey Hedman Photogrpahy