Making the Most of Rainy Wedding Days

We all dream of a wedding with beautiful blue skies, warm sun, and guests who can have fun playing croquet on stripy lawns, but let’s be real for a second – this is Britain we’re talking about. It rains probably 50% of the time. If you’re not planning contingencies for a rainy wedding day, then you could be in for a rough time.

I’ve been at my fair share of rainy weddings and I can tell you that they present certain challenges, and sometimes it can genuinely ruin the day – but only if you let it. In reality, it’s much more about your attitude to it and how you plan. Here’s a collection of my observations on rainy wedding days and how you can make the most of your day should it rain on your wedding.

1. It all starts with the venue

Venue choice is massive. How accommodating the venue is for a rainy day should absolutely be part of your decision making in choosing a venue.

Are there a variety of rooms guests can spread out into comfortably, so they’re not standing in the same cramped room all day? Seating is important too, especially for older folks.

Are there interesting and aesthetically pleasing areas to take photos in? If it rains at the time when you’d be doing formal group shots, you’ll need a large space that can accommodate groups of people, and hopefully with decent natural light and a nice looking background.

Covered outdoor areas can also be useful to get outside. Things like pergolas, greenhouses, summer houses, covered areas. This is useful for taking photos of the happy couple somewhere that has lots of beautiful natural daylight away from the electric lights of a building.

Do the venue have blankets, umbrellas and suchlike in the event of rain? Ask them how they can help.

2. Look after the kids if you want a stress free day

If you’re having kids at the wedding then make sure there’s stuff for them to do inside, or they’ll just go feral and annoy everyone. Outdoors, kids can usually entertain themselves, but inside it’s a different matter. A little tipi tent with a TV showing films or with a selection of books, toys or games is a winner.

3. Outdoor ceremonies need a decent indoor alternative

Don’t risk a ceremony outdoors if there’s a chance of rain on the forecast. This happened at a wedding I was filming just recently, and it did rain – fortunately not very hard or for long, but if it had gone on much longer the whole ceremony would have been completely disrupted. The guests would have been sent inside and the couple’s ceremony would have happened without them under the pergola which was all that was licensed for weddings. The indoor space was a hotel suite and was not decorated. The seats would have taken a long time to move. Basically the hotel planners should have checked the forecast and called it for indoors. They were very lucky.

Remember that cameras and electronic equipment may not be weather proof, so even if your guests have umbrellas, the cameras may have to stop rolling in the event of rain.

So have an indoor space earmarked that is a genuinely fit-for-purpose ceremony room. Make sure that the forecast gets checked and that decisions are made in advance. Err on the side of caution, rather than winging it with fingers crossed.

4. Have umbrellas ready

Particularly if you’re having a church ceremony, make sure you have some clear plastic umbrellas available for yourselves and the wedding party. Normal umbrellas will obscure faces and cut out the light, whilst clear ones make photography a lot easier and the results much better.

These umbrellas will also come in handy during group shots and couple portrait sessions later in the day.

5. Manage your expectations

There’s no two ways about it, it is disappointing when it rains on your wedding day. However, it doesn’t have to mean you and your guests will be miserable. How good a day you have very much depends on your attitude, the stories you tell yourself and the narrative that you allow to play out in your head. Lean into a rainy day.

For photos, an overcast sky creates more flattering light for photos, plus there’s some rain shots that can look amazing when lit the right way, not to mention reflections and other watery effects.

6. Dress & shoes

Pick up the umbrellas, remember that the dress is for one day only – is it so bad if it gets a little damp, or the hem picks up some muck? Let it go and enjoy the ride! It’s always fruitless to stress about things you can’t control.

It’s becoming more common to see brides (and sometimes grooms too) have a change of outfit for the evening party. This works well for a number of reasons. You can move more easily, stay cooler, freshen up, and dance better. All this also brings variety to your photo and video. Changing the shoes can really help with all this as well as making sure your choice of shoes actually works with a rainy day in the first place!

Conclusion

In my time as a wedding videographer, I’ve seen how rain can add stress for brides and how that can make it hard for them to relax, be in the moment and enjoy the day. During couple portraits especially, if you can’t relax and enjoy the moment, you’ll struggle to capture anything you’ll be pleased with. So it’s vital to put it all into perspective, lean into the rain, accept it, embrace it even – make a decision that come rain or shine, you’re not going to let anything stop you having what’s rightfully yours – one of the greatest days of your life.

Remember, it’s your attitude that will set the tone for the day. Keep a positive outlook and focus on the joy of marrying your partner. A little rain can’t dampen your love and celebration!