El Niño And The 2024 Wedding Season
As if the past few years haven't been challenging enough (thanks to a worldwide pandemic and a prolonged, very wet La Niña period), El Niño - a different weather phase that traditionally brings dry and intense heat - is now underway in Australia. Enter: an uncomfortable and unpredictable 2024.
While this means that the next 12 or so months will likely be a lot warmer and marked by severe fire danger, it doesn't automatically signal disaster for weddings. We promise! There are still SO many exciting and truly magical things about our upcoming spring and summer (hello bright skies and gelato carts!), and there are always people on hand to help execute contingency plans should rising temperatures threaten to wreak havoc on your big day.
Below are our top tips for wedding planning during El Niño.
Ensure your guests have adequate shade and sustenance
A climate crisis needn't ruin such an important, romantic, and fun occasion, but it's a wise idea to plan ahead if it's looking like your wedding day is going to be much hotter and/or smokier than hoped. While you can't control Mother Nature, you can absolutely get creative and help keep your nearest and dearest as cool as possible throughout both your ceremony and reception. Paper parasols, refreshing drinks, and a ‘chill out’ area with vintage furniture are a few ways to beat the heat!
Look after any furry friends that will be attending too
Pets are part of the family, so it's just as crucial that animals coming to (or starring in!) your wedding have access to lots of water and shade.
Trust your team - they’re specialists!
Every single vendor, ourselves included, is invested in making your day really personal and unforgettable - rain, hail or shine! At Peppers Creek Barrel Room & Chapel, for example, we often have extra staff onsite just in case back-up plans for extreme weather need to be enacted.
It's also helpful to remember, one of the silver linings of COVID-19 is that businesses in the wedding industry are now a lot more accommodating to these last-minute changes. Many, if not most, have updated their policies so couples are presented with options should something unforeseeable happen with La Niña, El Niño, or whatever natural disaster is thrown our way next.
Photography: Thierry Boudan