Memorial Day weekend: The real  beginning of summer.

The first official day of summer is the Summer Solstice (June 20^th this year) according to scientists and calendars, but everyone else knows that summer begins Memorial Day weekend. Schools are getting out, it’s a long weekend and the weather is heating up. Parades, BBQ’s and parties all weekend long. Memorial Day weekend has come to symbolize that we are a summer-loving, fun time country. It’s a time to reflect on our freedoms given by troops, and to enjoy being with family and friends. One way I love to do this is by sitting around a fire pit in the backyard.

Backyards and summertime go together like warm days and ice cream, so to me having a backyard fire pit is like adding sprinkles on top to the summer days and nights. Summer can be the busiest time of the year, but also the most relaxing. The kids are out of school, vacations are underway and the days go by too fast. Relaxing in the backyard is a great way to slow the time down and enjoy it. We all have good memories of sitting around a fire pit roasting marshmallows and hot dogs, telling ghost stories and camping in the backyard in a tent. So this Memorial Day, kick off summer right by roasting a hot dog on the wood burning fire pit, enjoying the parades, and preparing for many more days just like it. After all, Memorial Day is the Official Unofficial beginning of summer.

When my fiance and I began to plan our wedding this Spring, I began to understand why little girls start dreaming up their weddings before elementary school; because of the massive amount of detail to the event. While I’m letting her handle all the finer points (like the difference between deep purple and plum color bridesmaid dresses) I have started to think of the other things people remember about weddings. Usually it’s not the color of the candles around the room or the table cloths, but things like the stories shared about the couple after the reception over a glass of wine. Since this is what I remember from weddings, I looked for something that could bring people together outside on the September night of our wedding.

I love being outside on a warm fall night with my fiancé, and that’s one of the reasons we picked a September date for our wedding. Having the reception at a place we could go outside was important to us, so we picked classic style club house overlooking the course. One thing I’m looking forward to having on the deck of the clubhouse is a gas fire table. The more I’ve looked into these particular fire tables, the more I’ve wanted one at our wedding reception. It looks classy but is a fun and interesting centerpiece for guests to mingle around after dinner. One idea we had for the fire pit is to set up some comfy chairs to sit around it in and then have a bag of marshmallows for the kids  (or adults!) to roast over the flame.

Since we have 3 different colors for our wedding, we could mix in those colors into the fire glass on the table to add a personal touch for the evening. Another fun idea to do with the fire glass would be to spell out the date or our names in glass in the gas burner. One  would be great to sit around with guests on a beautiful fall night. Since the deck on the clubhouse is larger, we could have a couple of different fire pits on the deck so more people could migrate outside. Since the fire pit would run on gas, no one will leave smelling like smoke or get dirty in the ashes. Anyone who has set up decorations at a wedding knows it could be a nightmare if it’s too complicated, but a fire table is so simple to set up  we won’t waste any time while we decorate.

I would love to look back on our wedding and see photos of people mingling, laughing and relaxing on a beautiful fall night. My fiancé and I both hope to have a classic wedding that people we will remember for a long time, and will have had a full night of enjoyment. Gas fire pits would be an awesome addition to a wedding reception, something people will remember sitting around for years to come!