Summer has an air of celebration and is filled with festivities, holidays and long sunny days. So what better time to add to the “feel good” feeling than by throwing in a summer wedding.

With sunny blue skies lasting into the evening, there is no doubt that the Midlands provides the perfect setting for outdoor nuptials.

The weather brings gorgeous natural backdrops with lots of indigenous foliage and florals in full bloom. And with the abundance of flower varieties available, you will have a greater selection, making for more dynamic colourful arrangements that are in season.

The dress options are plentiful, and it’s the perfect time for elegant, light, flowing gowns that keep you cool whilst still being glamourous. Think strapless, off the shoulder or open back bridal gowns and flowing lightweight fabrics of silk, satin, chiffon and lace.

At Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, you and your guests have the venue all to yourselves, even during the peak season, so you can explore all the charming features of the grounds.

Some guidelines on having the ultimate summer wedding:

1. Be prepared for the heat and sun! To ensure that you and your guests remain comfortable, plan your wedding to start either late afternoon or early evening.

The ideal plan: schedule dinner for sunset (provided the sun isn’t setting too late on your date), then work the rest of the event around that timing. This way you’ll also guarantee the ideal lighting for photos.

2. Provide some elegant parasols or hand fans. You can find wedding parasols and fans in bulk to fit your theme or colour scheme. Not only are umbrellas a thoughtful touch – but they’re also a wonderful memento for you and your guests after the big day.
3. No matter how much you plan for an outdoor ceremony, you can never fully predict the noise level. Using a microphone for your wedding ceremony and reception is an ideal way to ensure that, no matter how noisy your day in nature is, your guests can hear every beautiful vow and expression of love shared between you and your spouse.
4. The best part about an outdoor wedding is that the venue is already stunning and doesn’t need too much decoration, especially at Granny Mouse. This aspect helps you save money and gives your wedding a natural, effortless look that will awe your guests. For instance, you might consider lanterns, statues, wooden benches, or barrels of flowers for your wedding day decor. Often outdoor weddings are best decorated using small items to accentuate the surroundings.
5. Check the loadshedding schedule and have a Plan B in place in the event of no power. Electricity or back up power is a must to ensure that your wedding continues without a hitch.
6. Heavy food and heat don’t mix. Choose a seasonal menu that includes grilled entrées and local, fresh produce. Gazpacho shooters and grilled fruit skewers make tempting appetizers, and for dessert, consider fruit pies or tarts in lieu of (or in addition to) the wedding cake. Frozen cocktails (mint, cucumber or watermelon are popular flavours) or even ice lollies.

7. Lastly, when hosting a destination wedding, consider planning additional events throughout the weekend so guests can turn your wedding into a small getaway.

“In the summer, guests tend to be open to taking more days off to create a vacation around an event they’re attending,” says GM Sean Granger. “Organizing additional activities in advance is a thoughtful option for them. Also, if guests turn your wedding into a mini-vacation, you’ll have more time to interact with them on your big day,” Granger added..

Summer Wedding Tips: 6 Summer Wedding Planning Dos and Don’ts (theknot.com)

For most of us summer time means fun times! Spending more time outdoors, enjoying the longer days and shorter nights, makes us forget that our skin often doesn’t feel the same way!

The sun and the heat can take their toll and it’s on us to try to help our skin out. Gone are the days when we were young sprogs where we spent hours and hours in the sun and ended up with the worst sunburn ever. Now, even when going to the shops, hanging up the washing, sitting under the awning, there are some very important tips to help keep wrinkles at bay, minimize UV damage and aging spots – especially with the UV being that much stronger.

Here are some guidelines from Granny Mouse Country House & Spa’s Manageress that will definitely keep you safer from the elements while enjoying the long summer days.

• Sunscreen – wear it every day all year round, and be sure it’s a minimum of SPF 30. Don’t forget your hands, feet, ears and lips. Reapply every couple of hours is also a must and more so if you are hanging out by the pool and swimming. Even though it’s our first tip on this list, make sure sunscreen is the last step in your skincare routine.
• Lighten your skincare routine – the heat and humidity of summer means you can swop out a heavier cleanser in favour of a gentle, foaming option.
• Wear protective clothing – start with a hat, because those harmful rays reach your scalp and your ears when you leave your head unprotected. And remember, caps are not nearly as effective as hats with broad brims, because as they leave your ears exposed. Don’t forget Besides looking good, you’ll ward off those little wrinklesat the corners of your eyes. They come from too much time in the sun. You’ll protect the whites of your eyes from damage and block that eyeball-searing ultraviolet (UV) light. So grab those shades before you head for the beach, or the park, or anywhere outside — whether it’s bright or cloudy.
• Keep moisturizing – Unlike winter, when your skin is needing a little more moisture, in summer a lightweight moisturiser is enough. Don’t remove moisturiser from your summer skincare routine, no matter what your skin type, as this could make your skin problems worse by making your oil glands work overtime. Invest in a soothing or calming gel based formula that gets easily absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feel behind.
• Stay hydrated – our body can get dehydrated pretty quickly in summer, so it is important to drink a lot of fluids throughout the day to stay hydrated. Apart from drinking water, make sure you also eat water-rich based foods during this season. Eating antioxidant-rich foods like tomatoes, lemons, bell peppers, turmeric, green tea, garlic etc, can keep several summer skin infections at bay and make your skin look healthy and radiant.
• Go lighter on the makeup – This summer ditch your heavy foundations and powder-based products and swop them with tinted moisturisers and lip balms in your everyday makeup routine.
• Exfoliate – Anything in excess can leave you with a negative consequence which is a fact. And while exfoliating is a skincare step that we have been repeatedly told to keep in check, summertime warrants for a gradual increase in the number of days we exfoliate per week. Specifically, if you have oily skin.

Monitor these tips to enjoy your summer with no skin woes or worries and make it awesome for your skin. Should you need more advice, visit the Granny Mouse Country House & Spa team to see which treatments would be best suited for you at https://grannymouse.co.za/our-spa/