I often get asked, “what happens if it rains?” I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if you’re getting married in the UK, you can NEVER guarantee good weather. In fact, I would almost say to expect bad weather and take sunshine as a welcome bonus!
Of course in the grand scheme of things, if it does rain on the day, you won’t care and shouldn’t care because it’s the day you finally get to marry the love of your life! When all the food has been eaten, the wine had been drunk, The Macarena has been danced and the last of the confetti has fluttered to the ground, all that’s left is photographs, memories and love. And that’s what really matters, right?
As hardy veterans of the English summer, we think of of ourselves as immune to weather worries. Armed with a stiff upper lip and a stoic acceptance earned through years of damp disappointment, we greet rain as an old unwelcome friend.
And yet I challenge any bride to open the curtains on her wedding day and see sheets of rain without feeling their heart sink a little in her chest. But never fear. Stop checking the weather app. In fact, delete the weather app. The best defence is offence. Don’t get caught short; weather-proof your wedding. Here’s a few ways you can make sure you’ll be singing in the rain:
- Umbrellas– Clear umbrellas are inexpensive and can be an absolute blessing on the day, if it pours down. I always recommend you get clear ones because they let light through; if it’s raining and cloudy, light will already be limited. Normal opaque umbrellas will restrict the light even more and make for dark photographs. If I’m driving to your wedding- which I most likely will be- I always carry two clear umbrellas in my boot for the bride and groom (a girl’s gotta be prepared right?!) but a few extras for group shots would be a god-send.
(I bought my ones from Primark but Ebay and Amazon have loads and if you’ve got a large bridal party, it’s worth getting some for them too.)
- Don’t be precious about your dress– Yes I understand you spent a lot of money on it but trust me when I say, however careful you are, it’s going to be trashed by the end of the night whether you like it or not. People hug you and get foundation all over it, children will walk across it, people step on it by accident, you’ll be dancing and someone will spill a drink on you. It’s inevitable. And that’s only if it’s dry! If it rains, the bottom of it will definitely get wet and most probably muddy too. The fact is, you’ve bought it to wear on that one day, so enjoy yourself as much as you can in it, do it justice, you’re never going to wear it again anyway. And dry cleaners can work magic afterwards when you finally get around to cleaning it! At the end of the day, it’s a celebration. And no celebration should be hindered or harnessed because you’re too worried about getting a bit muddy.
- Bring spare shoes- I’ll definitely get some pretty shots of your wedding shoes in the morning looking all pretty and pristine. But if it rains, do you have a back up pair? One that’s water friendly…have you thought about weddington boots? (that’s a thing you know!)
4. Have a rainy day contingency plan– When looking at your venue, does it have well-lit indoor areas where you can take your group photographs? Is there somewhere where your guests can mingle if it rains? Is there somewhere sheltered outside for them to go? (Guests do like to mingle and drink!) Are you allowed to throw your confetti indoors if it rains? The logistics of having a large group of people milling about for hours at a time is challenging as it is; don’t make your plan weather-dependent.
5. Get creative– have a look at ideas from rainy day weddings and get excited about photographs which you might like and add them to your Pinterest board. There are so many great ideas out there of what you can do on rainy days so have a look what you like. It’s important you communicate with your photographer any photographs that are important to you so you are on the same page creatively.
6.Guests fun- Try to give your guests an order of service. A timeline for the day so they know what to expect and when so they don’t miss a moment. What time food is served, what time the cake cutting is and the first dance etc. There’s nothing worse when they feel like they don’t know what’s going on and often how long they have to wait for food to arrive. Generally if there’s free alcohol around people are generally really happy rain or shine.
7. Laugh it off– They actually say rain Is meant to be lucky for your wedding day so remember what it’s all about and enjoy it and have fun! If you look all the photos do anyone of them look unhappy? Gosh no!! It’s their wedding day!! It may seem like your worst nightmare at the time but it’s the sort of thing people will remember, laugh about, tell stories about…it’s actually really romantic and exciting. See it as an adventure, and remember what its all about!
