Buggin' Out

I went to an outside wedding last year in Burlington, VT during the summer on a very small, private ‘island’ that was accessed by a dirt road through a swampy-esque area. The reception, held under a large tent in a grassy area at the center of the island, was fun and elegant all at the same time with down-home BBQ served up buffet style on beautiful china and a kickin’ Zydeco band. It was this wedding that inspired Mr Corn and I to have a clambake.

Since it was August in VT on an island near a marsh, the bride and groom set out baskets of bug repellent wipes. I remember looking at the wipes and thinking she had gone completely overboard with planning, until about 8:30pm when ever chigger, gnat and no-see-um in the surrounding 12 counties showed up to feast at the wedding...on us at which point I was VERY glad for her attention to detail.

A couple of months ago, I saw an ad for www.dontbugmepatch.com in Real Simple magazine:

According to the blurb in the magazine, ‘Vitamin B1 and aloe are released through the pores to deter bugs. It’s nontoxic and waterproof, so there’s no need to reapply after a dip'.

I contacted the company for a sample and it came the other day. It should be applied a couple of hours prior to the event, and I am not sure my guests will go for it since it is a non-traditional concept…but do you think it would be a good idea to put some of these in the out-of-town bags and then have wipes available on-site?

If you are having an outdoor wedding, are you doing anything to combat the wildlife?