As a photographer, as a couple planning your wedding, there is one major enemy that we must face. That enemy? Mother nature. Unfortunately it's one of the many things in this world that we have absolutely no control of - woohoo. It can be extremely frustrating especially while wedding planning when you begin dealing with forecasts of rain. The absolute worst thing to see happen on your wedding day. Or is it? While of course no one wishes to have rain on their wedding day, we sometimes have to accept the inevitable. The most important thing is making sure you know how to prep for a rainy wedding. You heard it hear first, prep is the first step in making sure you can still have a supercalifragalisticexpialidocious wedding... even with a bit of rain.


COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR VENUE


First things first when you’re expecting rain on your wedding day is to make sure you communicate with your wedding venue. Having a backup plan prior to your wedding day is so important and your wedding venue can help you with this. Many wedding venues will offer indoor options if you were planning on having an outdoor wedding. This is a quick and easy fix and allows you to stay dry inside while not taking away from the essence of your wedding day.


RENT A TENT


I already touched on this previously, but always having a backup plan is key! Especially when you’re dealing with something as unpredictable as the weather. If you’re planning on having an outdoor wedding and there is a chance of rain, prepare a tent! Whether it be a clear-top tent or not, you can still have the feeling of having an outdoor wedding while still staying dry. Just please make sure that your tent has siding so that guests don’t get wet in the chance of wind. Thank me later ;)

BRING CLEAR UMBRELLAS


Clear umbrellas are the ultimate prop for a rainy wedding day. If you choose to use a more colorful or patterned umbrella, that can obstruct the view or even cast a shadow. Clear umbrellas are the way to go if you’re wanting to protect yourself from the rain while not being distracting. They also are great if you are someone who suffers from "I don't know what to do with my hands" syndrome. It's a win-win in my book!


PREPARE YOUR WEDDING ATTIRE FOR THE WEATHER


Now I’m not saying you need to go all out and wear a raincoat and rain boots (although it has been done). What I am saying is to prepare yourself for the rain that is about to happen. If you know that you are someone who can’t really walk in heels and you want outdoor photos in the rain, maybe bring a backup pair just in case. The last thing we want is an accident happening on your wedding day!

You also want to make sure that you do everything to protect your dress (hey dress wearers, I’m talking to you!). Having a long train/veil follow you on the ground can lead to a very messy situation that none of us want. So making sure that you prepare your dress for the rain is key! Spraying your dress with some sort of protectant will help protect your dress and veil from getting wet and dirty and will save you a ton of heartache.


PLAN FOR IT TO RAIN ALL DAY


Do you know how you hold out that little bit of hope when you see a 40% chance of rain? Well, when it comes to your wedding day there is no room to gamble. I always say to plan for it to rain all day just in case. While that’s not really the answer you want to hear, it’s the answer that you need! Setting up these expectations in the beginning will not only help us prepare, but it can lead you to being pleasantly surprised if it does decide to clear up!


KEEP AN EYE ON HAIR & MAKEUP


Your hair and makeup are two things that could be seriously affected on your wedding day. It’s important that on a rainy wedding day you stay practical. Make sure that your makeup artist is using waterproof mascara and products that are long-lasting. This will withhold the rain (and possible humidity) and will have you looking flawless all day. As for your hair, make sure that it is secure and ready to go through any wind or rain.


EMBRACE THE RAIN


Above all else though, I encourage you to embrace the rain. Yeah, you’re probably thinking I’m crazy but it’s with reason! For many couples, a rainy wedding is a no-go. This is the worst thing that could happen to them. However, there is so much beauty on rainy days that many couples forget. Use the rain to your advantage! Have fun, be creative, and do things that maybe you normally wouldn’t be able to do on a sunny day. Just because it’s raining does not mean that your wedding day is ruined. Try and make the most of it and you will see that everything will work out just fine.


At the end of the day, the only thing we can do is take what we get and roll with it. Hopefully though, knowing how to prep for a rainy wedding may come in handy just in case Mother Nature decides to drop in and say hello. You can read more about Tori & Tyler's wedding day, featured also on the blog here!