We’re not going to lie, most people dread the thought of rain on their wedding day but it’s just one of those things you can’t predict. We’ve shot some beautiful wet weather weddings – in fact we shot an incredibly joy-filled wedding during Storm Angus and the bride and groom laughed their way through torrential downpours all day!
Here are some of our tips to make sure you’re prepared for a fantastic wedding, whatever the weather!
1.) First up, contact your venue and let them know your concerns. If you’ve planned for an outdoor wedding make sure your venue can offer an indoor plan too. Is there somewhere for guests to mingle during the drinks reception or will they be sitting straight down at the wedding breakfast tables? Do they provide umbrellas for guests to use? Is there somewhere guests can leave wet coats, prams and umbrellas? Is there an alternative room for the ceremony and can it seat the amount of guests you will be inviting? Are there locations for wedding group photographs that aren’t weather dependent?
2.) Contact your wedding photographer. Chances are they will have experienced their fair share of wet weddings and will be able to talk you through how they would work and show you examples of previous rainy weddings that they’ve shot. All our photography gear is waterproof and we always bring along our own boots and umbrella so rain or shine your photography will still happen!
2.) Providing umbrellas sounds obvious but it’s something that so many people forget! You can buy bulk packs of large umbrellas online – keep a couple back for your wedding party but do think about placing some in a stand next the main doors at your venue so that guests going to and from their cars or for a cigarette won’t get drenched.
3.) If you’re the bride make sure you’ve packed spare makeup for when you get to the venue and one of your bridesmaids can locate it easily, along with hairspray for touch-ups.
5.) Nominate someone from your wedding party to take charge of organizing some table games and a quiz, or consider hiring a table magician. Providing colouring packs for any young guests is a good way to keep children amused.
6.) Consider alternative footwear – high heels can be a bit unstable on wet floors and can sink into wet grass so think about something you can change into later in the day. If your wedding is going to be in field why not get some wedding welly boots!
If you’ve done all you can to prepare for a rainy wedding then just focus on enjoying your day. Rainy weddings can lend themselves to some really creative photography, so embrace the weather and let your photographer really show you what they can do! Here’s some examples of some beautiful rainy weddings we’ve shot:
Liv & Neil had a ton of fun at their wedding, laughing & smiling their way through Storm Angus
Kate & Lincoln avoided the showers & had a perfect day at Pangdean Barn
Ivan & Gary couldn’t avoid the rain, so they embraced it for some beautiful photos!
Lauren & Tom‘s day started very wet, & we certainly felt it on top of Lewes Castle!
Richard & Mel – So much rain, but Mel was prepared with her Hunter wellies!
Chloe & Dave had a long walk between venues in torrential rain, but that didn’t stop them from having massive smiles on their faces.
Laura & James – The weather was so bad we were unable to leave the venue for the majority of the day, but we found lots of great spots for photos inside!
Milly & Chris – They certainly tested the waterproof-ness of their marquee!, but had an amazing day never the less!