Every Wedding Needs a Plan B
I think all wedding planners can agree with me when I say that it’s important to have a plan B when it comes to your wedding day – especially when it comes to the weather. Mother nature is extremely unpredictable, and she has absolutely no mercy when it comes to your big day. With tropical storms like Matthew or heavy rain that could cause flooding like in Louisiana, I think it’s better to stay safe than be sorry later.
Even though everyone swears that it’s good luck, no one actually wants it to rain on their wedding day. There’s a reason you’ll see so many posts on Facebook asking their friends to pray for clear skies for a wedding they weren’t even invited to. I’m starting to even wonder if that was made up to make some of the Bridezillas feel better about her wedding day downpour.
Regardless if you’re totally chill with the idea that it could possibly rain on your wedding day or not, don’t let it put a dampener on your big day! Instead, that’s where I come in. It’s important to remember that regardless of how your wedding day goes, the most important thing remains true – you’re getting married! Rather than stress about things you can’t control, plan ahead and embrace your rainy day with these amazing ideas that will make your guests think you had a deal with mother nature and meant for it to happen!
Waterproof Makeup
I think this one is really a no-brainer, but I felt like the list was incomplete if I didn’t include it. If you know anything about makeup you know that water, humidity, and makeup aren’t the best of friends. You’ll be crying anyways on your wedding day (from happy tears I hope!), so save yourself from looking like you’re melting and grab the waterproof formula of your favorite makeup next time you go to the store.
Do the Up-do
When I walk outside in rainy weather, my hair proceeds to grow outward and immediately frizz up. Heck, I can’t go to Florida for vacation without frizzy hair. If you’re afraid of rainy weather on your wedding day, you may also want to opt for more of an up-do hair style to combat and hide the frizz ball mess it would be otherwise. Keep it loose and whimsical with a loose ‘messy’ updo. Plus, you can easily still wear your perfect flower crown!
Clear Umbrellas
This would mainly be for any outside portraits that you may still get to do (or even your ceremony like below!) given that you’re not in the middle of a full-on downpour or hurricane. You could opt for the basic black umbrellas, but how much fun is that?! Having a clear umbrella will allow for some cute, intimate photos with your photographer rather than the simple holding and standing poses. It will also give a fun, light feeling in your photos. (We’re not mourning your rainy wedding day, remember?!) This shot from The Image is Found via Junebug Weddings almost makes me wish I would have had my rainy day ceremony outside!
If you’re still wanting a portion of your rainy wedding day outside, there are ways to be generous with your guests and stay on budget. You could also provide more basic umbrellas (white, black, or even in your wedding colors!) for your guests that they can pick up with their programs on the way into the ceremony. You can easily order these individually or in bulk from places like Amazon for about $3 per umbrella.
Rain Boots
To go along with the clear umbrellas, you could also throw in some matching his-and-hers rain boots for the perfect rainy-day wedding photo like this one from Michelle Lindsell! “And that’s really all I’ve got to say about that.”
Link to Live Weather Updates on Your Wedding Website
If you’re having a southern wedding during hurricane season (or even a northern wedding in the dead of winter!), I think this idea is a must! Having live weather updates linked to your wedding website is a perfect way to keep your guests informed of possible location and logistics changes while also allows you to avoid having to answer the same question about the weather a hundred times.
Stylish Coffee (or Tea!) Bar
A stylish coffee bar is the perfect accessory for your wedding to warm up cold, wet guests! (I don’t know about you, but a great cup of warm coffee and a pastry can make me immediately forget about all my current problems.) Borrow some Keurigs from your closest coffee-loving friends, buy some K-cups and your favorite coffee add-ins, and BAM! You have yourself a coffee bar! Pair it with a donut spread, and I promise you’ll have the happiest guests.
Tent Rental on Speed Dial
Say it with me, Tents aren’t tacky! You may be hesitant on throwing up a big white tent for your outdoor affair after all of the hard work that you put into designing and decorating your event, but you may not have a choice when it comes to the wrath of mother nature. Dry guests are happy guests! Plus, your decor wouldn’t look so cute anyways after being drenched from the rain.
I am a firm believer that you can turn a tent into whatever you want to- because I did it! When I was planning my own big day, I knew I wanted it to be an outdoor affair. I did what any smart bride would do and I asked my venue about the back-up plans they would have for inclement weather. I ended up booking my venue and reserving a traditional white tent (just in case!) for my wedding day over a year in advance. And you know what? It DID rain, and it looked even more beautiful than my original plan A! Here’s a glimpse of my indoor ceremony and white tent, captured by Kati Hewitt Photography.
P.s. Did you know that you could even do a clear tent like this one from Sperry Tents in South Carolina? You wouldn’t even need to give me an excuse for rain to do this — How breathtaking is that?!
This is a great article that many brides need to think about. I’m so lucky that my outdoor wedding has perfect weather!
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked the post. 🙂 I think it is definitely a conversation that needs to be had when planning an outdoor affair!
Great advice for Plan B! I attended a ceremony outside on a mountain top, with reception at the lodge below. The entire event was going to be outside on the patio. A freak storm rolled in during the ceremony. It was not predicted, but the event was able to move the entire reception inside. People got a little damp during the ceremony, and with a small delay, stayed nice and dry for the remainder of the reception. It was so beautiful in the rain, even the Bride & Groom loved the change in plans.
Yes! Everything happens for a reason! You can never predict the weather. I’m so glad that bride and groom went with the flow and enjoyed their day regardless! 🙂
It sprinkled on my wedding day. Indiana weather is crazy so we planned everything indoors. Reception in a firehouse next door to the ice cream shop. We all went and got ice cream when we had a free moment(not included in reception, but no one can pass up this ice cream). No one cared for rain. We are used to it. Great tips for all brides to think about.
Thank you! I am so glad that you liked the post’s tips. It sounds like you had an amazing reception with ice cream! How fun!! 🙂