Rain on Your Wedding Day
Rain on your wedding day doesn’t have to ruin your celebration – or your photos. When clouds roll in and raindrops start to fall, you can still have a joyful ceremony and stunning images to remember it by. In fact, sometimes, inclement weather makes for some of the most memorable wedding pictures.
WHY WEATHER SHOULDN’T STRESS YOU OUT
There’s a reason people worry about gray skies and gusty winds. We get it: you’ve planned your wedding for months (or years), and you want everything perfect. But here’s the thing: nobody can control the weather. Rather than checking radar updates every hour, it’s more productive to plan for different scenarios—and trust your professional vendors to adapt alongside you.
- Rainy wedding moments can be magical. Soft skies and droplets often lend a romantic feel.
- Snowfall creates a dreamy vibe, adding texture to the background of your photos.
- Windy weather can bring out an “Outlander-level” drama in your images if you’re up for it.
- Forecasted rain doesn’t necessarily mean it will rain at your ceremony – it’s just a chance. (We use Radarscope for very detailed rain tracking!)
HOW PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ADAPT
A significant part of hiring a seasoned wedding photographer is ensuring that they know how to handle any type of weather. Whether it’s rain, heat, or even snow, they’ll have the gear and experience to pivot as needed. That said, they won’t ask you to brave dangerous conditions—they’ll be open and honest about what’s feasible.
- Plan B (and C, D, E …) Locations: Pros often scout indoor spots or covered areas for portraits if the skies open up.
- Professional Lighting: Do you have to shoot inside? For a professional photographer, creating lighting should be as easy as finding lighting.
- Creative Angles & Lighting: Even under dreary clouds, photographers find pockets of soft light and use reflections in puddles or windows for unique images.
- Post-Rain Opportunities: After a shower, you might catch a rainbow or glistening leaves that enhance the scenery.
TRUST, COMMUNICATION, AND PLANNING
The foundation for handling a rainy wedding day – or any inclement-weather wedding – is strong communication among you, your planner, and your other vendors. If you have a wedding planner, they’ll likely address backup plans, such as tents or indoor spaces, from the start. Vendors want your event to run smoothly; they know you’ve put immense trust in them and will coordinate to ensure everything stays on track.
- Weather Updates: Your vendors will likely be three steps ahead of you when it comes to preparing for inclement weather. Thus, you can be at ease.
- Stay Flexible: Sometimes the forecast is entirely wrong, or the storm breaks sooner than expected. A good team will roll with it.
- Keep Guests Comfortable: If it’s chilly or damp, consider having blankets, heaters, or hot drinks ready.
STAYING FLEXIBLE AND Enjoying Each other
Rain (or snow, or wind, or excessive heat, or … ) on your wedding day might change the timeline or move portions of the event indoors, but it doesn’t have to dampen your mood. Your job is to enjoy your union while we handle the details that make the photos work. Sometimes, those unexpected conditions lead to extraordinary pictures you couldn’t plan for in advance.
- Windblown Veils and Skirts: Embrace the drama! Some of the most captivating shots happen with a breeze.
- Snowy Backdrops: If it’s winter, the gently falling snow can look downright magical in photos.
- Rain-Kissed Portraits: A drizzle can create a soft, romantic effect that’s hard to replicate on a sunny day.
- Post-Rain Contrast Boost: After a shower, the natural colors are deep and rich and can make for killer backdrops.
Ultimately, if you trust your team, you can focus on what truly matters: marrying the love of your life. And yes, we’ll be ready—even if you decide to set your vows during a Sharknado (still waiting on that one.)
