Planning a wedding amid climate change

Climate change now controls almost every aspect of summer event planning, including choosing a cake frosting that won’t melt to picking flowers that won’t wilt. The raging climate emergency could soon make fall and spring replace summer as the peak wedding season.

While some couples planning weddings this summer have chosen to stay indoors, others have altogether moved dates to months with cooler temperatures. Although 2023 has seemed particularly acute, scientists fear extreme weather will only intensify as Earth warms up further.

When Coy Boggler, 47, and Annie Wall, 41, started planning their intimate event in Phoenix earlier this year, they had no clue that by July, an unprecedented heatwave would settle over the city for 31 straight days. “It was pretty miserable,” said Boggler.

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Although the couple had rented a tent, when they tested it out with air conditioning units, the temperature inside wouldn’t drop below 93 degrees Fahrenheit. An acquaintance then invited them to shift the ceremony to the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting.

They married on July 8 at the museum, with some of the 21 guests later returning to Boggler’s house for a reception with catered barbecue. It’s no doubt this year’s summer has tested the wedding industry on how to adapt to different challenges introduced by a changing climate.

Some event planners have implemented mitigation measures for couples having outdoor weddings, such as ordering paper fans and water spritzers, and setting up ‘comfort stations’ for the guests complete with sunscreen and eyedrops for poor air quality.