Is the forecast for your wedding day not quite as bright and sunny as you’d hoped? Not to worry! I have some great rainy wedding day tips to make your day picture perfect! The first step? Don’t stress! Getting upset doesn’t change the forecast so try to stay positive and make a plan! Here are 6 proactive tips to not let rain dampen your wedding day plans:

 

Embrace the rain!

It may not be what you dreamt of but it’s part of your day and your story! Try to look on the bright side and work with your vendors to make a backup plan so it won’t even be a worry on your big day!

 

Plan some wiggle room in your timeline.

If we end up moving photos indoors, most times we need to use flash especially if you have a larger wedding party. Flash can take a little bit of time to get just right for portraits and sometimes we have to get creative about how we place everyone especially if you have a large wedding party. If we’re limited to using a location within guests’ line of sight, consider whether you’re okay with them seeing you prior to the ceremony. If not, be prepared that we may need to use a portion of your cocktail hour to finish photos.

 

Have a plan for portraits!

Talk with your photographer – they’re here to help and most have had to photograph rainy wedding days. You’d be surprised by the types of locations we can use for portraits! For outdoor photos, as long as there’s a spot with a covering or overhang where we can fit your full wedding party, we’ll try to use that!  If there isn’t an ideal location outdoors we’ll find an indoor spot with great lighting for your portraits! Even if we have to do wedding party and family photos indoors, most times we can still photograph the couple outside especially if you’re open to taking some epic rain photos with an umbrella!

 

Talk to your venue!

If your ceremony or cocktail hour were originally planned outdoors, work with your venue to coordinate a covered backup plan like an indoor ballroom or tent. Keep in mind that if there’s lightning, tents aren’t a safe option. Most venues allow a bit of flexibility about when you need to make your decision since the forecast can change leading up to your wedding.  Be sure to ask your venue coordinator and wedding planner what the cutoff is for making a decision about locations. Don’t forget they still need time to setup tables, chairs and decor!

 

Gather the clear umbrellas and rain boots!

If it’s not down pouring, we can usually get some beautiful wedding party photos with umbrellas outside! If it looks like rain early in the week, task your wedding party with picking up clear umbrellas from Target or Walmart. THESE ONES are my favorite and I actually bring a few with me to every wedding just in case! Rain boots, whether coordinated or mismatched, can be a really fun photo opportunity with your wedding party!

 

Keep in mind that forecasts change (A LOT)!

Forecasts will change a bunch of times in the week leading up to your big day. Peek at the forecast if you must but don’t panic! Work on your rain plan, communicate it to your team and if you feel that panic starting to sneak in, assign checking the forecast to a trusted member of your wedding party so you can relax and enjoy the days leading up to your wedding!

 

I’m a former rainy wedding day bride myself (I see you Hurricane Joaquin) and I promise that your day will be absolutely perfect if you let it be! Click here to see Jaimie & Jake’s rainy wedding day blog post – you may not even be able to tell it was raining because of how seamless the day was!

 

Did these rainy wedding day tips help? I hope so! Have other questions about rainy wedding days or wedding logistics in general? Leave them in the comment section below or get in touch HERE!

 

Some photos were taken while working with Lisa Hornak Photography, Ashlee Mintz Photography & Hillary Muelleck Photography.