What To Do If It Rains On Your Wedding Day

“When I grow up, I want to get married in a torrential downpour.” Um, yeah, no. I can’t think of anyone who ever wished for rain on their wedding day. I mean, rain is nice. It cools the air, it creates drama in photos, and it even reduces allergies. But, it’s literally the last thing that a couple wants to see at their wedding. I will even admit, it’s something that this professional wedding photography doesn’t want to see either. But, a few raindrops don’t mean that all is lost. So, grab your rain boots by the straps and let’s talk about what to do if it rains on your wedding day.

Embrace That S**t

There has been a “problem” at every wedding we have ever photographed. Hair and makeup ran late, the zipper on a bridesmaid’s dress broke, and rings were misplaced. But minor problems don’t have to ruin your day, and neither does the rain. There is literally nothing that you can do to change the weather, so my words to you are this: embrace that s**t. If you stay in the moment and roll with the weather, you’ll be able to look back on your wedding day with fond memories.

Create A Back-up Plan

Now, just because you embrace the weather doesn’t mean that you don’t need a back-up plan. Whether your wedding day will come with light sprinkles or a major downpour, there are ways that you can make your wedding more enjoyable. The ideas below range from the very dramatic, to the simple and fun. Choose the options that make the most sense to you, your guests, and your budget.

Add a Room. If your reception location is adjacent to an indoor venue, you may consider renting out a room in case of a torrential downpour.

Tent It Up. One common backup option is to put up a tent on the grounds of your wedding venue. This should give you plenty of coverage from the elements. Just make sure that you check with the venue to see if a tent is allowed on the property.

Change the Wedding Ceremony Start Time. It’s been done before! At one of our weddings at RT Lodge, the ceremony start time was moved up an hour to account for impending (and strong) thunderstorms. For those of you hosting smaller weddings, you may have the option to move up or move back your ceremony start time.

Change the Wedding Ceremony Location. If you have chosen a wedding venue with an indoor option, then this is the one for you!

Rearrange the Photography Timeline. I know you were wanting to do a traditional aisle look, but that means that nearly all of your photos will happen after the ceremony. If the rain plans make that impossible, it’s time to opt for a First Look.

Purchase blankets, rain boots, and umbrellas. We are all down for taking photos out in the rain! Make yourself and your guests comfortable with a few simple items. Heck, they can even double down as a wedding favor!

Trust Your Photographer

I have photographed weddings in all sorts of weather conditions. I have seen grey skies, sprinkles, and full downpours. No matter what, we will get photos of you on your wedding day. But that means that you, the couple, will need to meet us halfway. There are places that we just can’t go to. This is due to safety or gear reasons. But, there are still plenty of options in play if it rains on your wedding day.

Covered Spaces. At nearly every wedding venue there is a covered walkway, courtyard, porch, or tree that we can place you and your partner under. We will look for spaces that offer shelter and natural light.

Head Indoors. If the weather is not cooperating, or the lighting is just not up to par, we will head indoors. We will look for windows and blank canvas spaces. Once, during a wedding, a horrendous thunderstorm hit just as we were about to do the couple’s photos. All we needed was just a simple window to create some intimate photos. If we don’t see any natural light indoors, we will flash you! No, seriously. We have plenty of flashes and gear to still grab some great photos.

Umbrella-ella-ella. Clear umbrellas are going to be your friend. Grab some up in your town, or snag some off Amazon!

Hire Professional Wedding Vendors

Dwelling on the hiccups is literally a death wish for a wedding. Well, you can’t say that Erin! It didn’t rain on your wedding day! You’re right. It didn’t. But guess what? It rained and rained and rained for days about three weeks before my wedding day, which caused the Nashville Flood. Three weeks before my wedding day, my entire wedding venue was underwater.

The flood was a major last-minute challenge. Obviously! But guess what? The wedding vendors that I hired were already on the ball. They called around to numerous other locations in the Nashville area, and in no time, my wedding day was saved. If you find yourself facing last-minute weather challenges, your amazing wedding vendors will be your lifeline. So it’s crucial that you find the right people for your day.

Here’s the thing. We have seen a LOT of rainy wedding days. From torrential downpours at the Ceremony start time to monsoons at the reception. If you feel like I am the right professional wedding vendor for you, please feel free to contact me at any time. I would love to photograph your wedding; chances of rain and all!