Outdoor Weddings: Beating the Heat

McKinney has, for all intents and purposes, become the Wedding Capital of North Texas, due to our many non-traditional locations, from our unique historic venues to lush and scenic outdoor settings.

This bride at Myers Park chose to meet her groom at the altar by 4-wheeler.

Brides expect Texas summers to be  hot, so June, July and August brides often won’t plan much outdoors for fear of melting their wedding party and guests. However, this year, with weather forecasts showing no sign of an end to this heat, brides with September and October wedding dates may be a little nervous about record heat on their big days.

We asked McKinney wedding planner Wendy Kidd (Each & Every Detail) to provide a few tips to help brides with outdoor weddings deal with the heat:

“If your ceremony is outside, don’t forget about your guests’ comfort.  While they may not be out there long, the heat wave we’ve had is killer!  Sunscreen towelettes, programs in the shape of fans and customized water bottles are all great ways to help keep your guests cool.  If at all possible, position your outdoor ceremony so guests are sitting in the shade and not facing into the sun. If your wedding is in the early afternoon (the hottest part of the day), you may consider renting a tent for your outdoor space.  They can be less expensive than you think and many of the options for tents are not as necessary when used for just the ceremony.  Your guests will have a much better time if they don’t spend the reception recuperating from the heat!”

 –Wendy Kidd, owner and president of Each & Every Detail

And here is some information and a video, both from the Each & Every Detail blog, to show how special a McKinney wedding can be:

“Last year, Each & Every Detail donated its services to a little group called Collin County Event Professionals for a free wedding giveaway. The wedding package included almost everything from engagement photos to a horse carriage ride at the end.  We were so touched by how many other vendors donated their time and services. It was an amazing project to be involved in and we enjoyed every minute of working with Amy & Vic. The wedding was held on November 7, 2010, at the Chapel at Chestnut Square in McKinney, with the reception at the McKinney Performing Arts Center.  Each & Every Detail provided full wedding planning services, through lead planner Wendy Kidd.”

For more information about planning a wedding in McKinney, the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau staff can help you get started – free of charge – with room blocks, goody bags for your out-of-town guests, suggestions of venues based on guest list size, and more.  The certified wedding planner you choose can help you do the rest!

Call 214-544-1407 (or tollfree at 888-649-8499), email us at info@visitmckinney.com, or visit our wedding planning page online.

Special thanks to Wendy Kidd for her contribution to this blog entry!

A Winning Team

The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau received two First Place Awards in their budget category — for Cooperative Marketing and National Tourism Week Promotion– during the Annual Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (TACVB) Conference held last week in San Marcos.

The First Place award for Cooperative Marketing recognized the MCVB’s creation and promotion of Bloomin’ and Boomin’, the month-long marketing campaign celebrating McKinney’s community culture featuring the arts, humanities and agricultural tourism.

“We began planning this campaign well over a year before it actually took place, working with more than 20 local organizations to help them get their events on the schedule and on their websites,” said Diann Bayes, Executive Director of the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The McKinney Community Development Corporation played a part in this cooperative marketing effort, too, helping us and the partnering organizations with partial funding.”

The First Place award for National Tourism Week Promotion rewarded the MCVB’s recognition and celebration of National Travel & Tourism Week, held annually the second week of May.

“Typically, CVBs use that week each year to promote their city within the city itself, to its residents, encouraging them to be tourists in their own towns,” Bayes said. “While we did just that, as we always do each year, we took it one step farther by also recognizing people within our city who make it a great place to visit as well as to live.”

The MCVB started off the week with a proclamation from Mayor Brian Loughmiller, declaring it National Travel & Tourism Week in McKinney. MCVB staff also facilitated a half-day Texas Hospitality class to help teach store owners, business people and others about how to provide the best Texas hospitality to visitors and residents alike. The second half of that week, the MCVB turned their attention to those in the community who serve visitors and residents.

“We solicited votes via our social media outlets – Facebook and Twitter – to identify the top Hospitality Hero in McKinney. Then late in the week, we were honored to host personnel from McKinney’s police and fire departments for breakfast and lunch in our offices,” Bayes said, adding that local tourism partners and businesses donated the food for the special day. “Our Public Safety Awareness Day was our way of thanking our police and fire personnel for keeping our guests safe when they come to visit us in McKinney.”

Bayes and her staff especially appreciate awards from the TACVB because of the nature of the competition.

“The people who vote on these award entries are our peers – other CVBs staff members, tourism professionals, people who are doing their own work in this industry,” Bayes said. “To receive recognition from them is an honor.”

About the TACVB: The Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus was established in 1972 to provide cooperative action and exchange of ideas between the CVBs  of Texas cities, to maintain professional standards within the tourism marketing industry, to unify legislative and public relations efforts among the cities, and to provide quality continuing education opportunities for its members.

About the McKinney CVB:  The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau’s mission is to promote McKinney as the destination of choices. Its vision is to generate economic impact by promoting and developing McKinney as a premiere destination for business and leisure travelers, so they fully experience McKinney’s historic charm and friendly unique atmosphere. The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau is located on the first floor of the Heritage Premier building at 1575 Heritage Drive, and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 214-544-1407 or toll-free 888-649-8499, or consult www.VisitMcKinney.com.

Help a Hero

McKinney loves our heroes, be they our public safety personnel who protect us here in our own community or our uniformed men and women who fight for our safety and freedom here and abroad. You can help a hero this weekend by attending Music Under the Stars at McKinney’s Wales Manor Vineyard and Winery on Saturday, Aug. 13 starting at 7:30 p.m. Yes, it’ll be hot Saturday evening, but Wales Manor sits atop one of McKinney’s higher points and the stage area sits amongst the trees – a quite picturesque and relaxing setting.

John Wales, owner of the winery and a veteran himself, frequently hosts events geared toward helping our Armed Forces and at Saturday night’s event is no exception. Proceeds from the event will benefit “Heroes on the Water,” an organization that helps disabled vets heal and relax physically and mentally, rehabilitating them and reintegrating them in society through a special therapy of sorts  – on the water in kayaks, fishing and communing with the outdoors. Learn more on their website: HeroesOnTheWater.org.

“We may think it is hot right now in Texas. I promise you it is hotter for our men and women overseas– daily sleeping in tents, carrying 60 lb. rucksacks, while dodging bullets and  IEDs,” John Wales said. “Being TEXAN is more than a name or word. It is a lifestyle and a choice involving honor, hard work, truth and integrity. Help honor and support those in need who have sacrificed for our great nation!”

To thank you for helping our soldiers, you’ll be treated to an evening of outstanding music. Hometown favorite songwriter Zane Williams opens the show (7:30-7:45 p.m.), followed by Charlie Faye & Band. The gate opens by 7 p.m. Get there early for a better seat selection and bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. And John loves to have people bring cameras and post their pictures on Facebook! Or even videos on YouTube.

• Admission is $10 per person; kids 16 and under are free.
• They’ll also be selling wine, margaritas (they DO check IDs), water and sodas, too, plus you can bring a picnic basket of snacks.
• Tip: load up on fresh fruit and veggies, and refrigerate it before you come! But please leave outside beverages at home.)

Here are the details for getting there:

DIRECTIONS: Go to www.walesmanor.com  OR- From Hwy 380/Hwy 5 intersection in McKinney, Go 2.0 miles east (towards Princeton) on Hwy 380. Left FM 1827 (New Hope). Go 1.9 miles on FM 1827. Right on County Road 408 (improved dirt road) 1 mile. The winery is on right. 4488 County Road 408, McKinney, TX 75071

And as always, for more information about what’s going on in McKinney, check VisitMcKinney.com and visit our Facebook page.