5 Essential Tips for Making the Most of a Rainy Wedding Day
Spring wedding season is just around the corner in the Southeast and with that comes a bit of unpredictable weather! As couples are planning their weddings for the year, we always hope and dream of the most beautiful, sunny, and perfect day. Of course, sometimes we’re not always lucky and Mother Nature throws us a rainy day. With that said, the good news is that there are plenty of ways to prepare and handle these rainy wedding days and make the best of the weather, with you, your guests, and photos in mind!
Note: I live in east Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains, where we receive rainfall all year round, so I’m writing from experience from living in a place with plenty of rain!
Pick a venue with an indoor or covered Plan B option— or create your own Plan B.
If you’re recently engaged and early in your wedding planning, and live in a location that has a lot of rainfall each year, I highly recommend getting ahead of the weather by booking a venue that has an indoor/plan b option.
A lot of venues have outdoor ceremony sites and an indoor/separate reception location (sometimes pavilions or tents) that often doubles as their backup ceremony site in case of inclement weather. With this option built in from the get-go, you can easily plan your wedding day knowing that option is always there. As you get closer to the date, and keep an eye on the weather, you can always chat with the venue owners/coordinators and go over the rain plan and make the decision to bring the ceremony indoors if need be, saving a lot of stress!
A few of my favorite Tennessee wedding venues with indoor and outdoor accommodations:
Waterstone Venue, Johnson City, TN
The Millstone, Limestone, TN
Sugar Hollow Retreat, Butler, TN
The Lake House, Piney Flats, TN
The Camp at Buffalo Mountain, Johnson City, TN
The Side Porch, Gray, TN
Glamping Retro, Erwin, TN
Chateau Selah, Blountville, TN
Greenwood Oaks, Greeneville, TN
Oak Meadows Farm, Greeneville, TN
If your venue or location is completely outdoors, you may have to create your own backup plan! Many of my couples in the past have rented large tents from wedding rental companies to host their reception and become the backup plan in the case of inclement weather. This is a great option if you’re hosting a backyard wedding!
2. Umbrellas, umbrellas, umbrellas!
Umbrellas really are the MVPs on rainy wedding days! Umbrellas are a great solution to help you still get outdoor portraits, with also remaining fairly dry. The classic, clear, bubble umbrella is the best for photos, as it allows light to come in and not shade the faces of those sheltered underneath! I keep 4 clear umbrellas in my car at all times, so that I’m prepared for any possible rain! Most of the time, one umbrella will cover two people, but the more umbrellas, the better! Umbrellas also make for some super cute and romantic newlywed portraits!
These clear bubble umbrellas can be bought on Amazon and also found in Target, in case you need to pick up some last minute the week before your wedding day!
Amazon: Clear Plastic Umbrella
**I do not receive commission from the above links, just adding to help future couples!
Sugar Hollow Retreat, one of my favorite venues here in Tennessee, actually offers a bunch of clear umbrellas as an ammenity to their couples! They have enough umbrellas to pass out to all of the guests so that they can still have their ceremony outside against the smoky mountain backdrop! I think that it is really rare for a venue to have this ammenity, but think it’s a great add-on!
3. Use porches and coverings for portraits.
If you’re doing a first look with your future spouse and want to stay somewhat dry for the ceremony, I recommend taking advantage of any porches, pavilions, overhangs and coverings to take your group photos and portraits! This will help keep you sheltered from the rain, but still allow for some outdoor photos with the essence of the venue. Of course, this is very venue dependent- some venues don’t have porches or places that are covered, but if they do, use them!
4. Keep an eye on the radar and use multiple weather apps.
Weather can change in the blink of an eye, and I’ve seen it happen first hand! You just never know when there may be a break in the rain on radar. I recommend designating a bridesmaid or someone close to you to keep an eye on what’s happening if inclement weather is predicted. They can give you a real-time update on the forecast and you can flex the day around it as it’s happening (at least for portraits).
I also recommend downloading a few different weather apps so that you can get a better look. Each app has different information. I really love any app that can give you an hourly look at the day. Weather Underground is usually my favorite and go-to. Accuweather is also really great. Apple’s Weather app is decent, as well. For Radar specifically, I bought an app called RadarOmega to more accurately see rain move in on radar.
5. Be flexible & embrace it!
Finally, my biggest tip is to just take a big breath and embrace it! The weather is one thing that we absolutely cannot control on a wedding day, so it’s best to just roll with it. I think some of the most beautiful photographs come from unexpected things (such as rain) and can create such magic if you embrace it! Most of my rainy weddings have also had the most magical fog roll in, too, which just adds to a photograph.
Bonus: If you’re a photographer reading this- make sure to bring a rain jacket and get a plastic rain cover for your camera!
I have personally had so many rainy wedding days in my years of photographing weddings that I now keep a few essentials in my car, just in case! I keep my rain jacket, stash of clear umbrellas, ziplock baggies (to cover up flashes) and plastic camera covers in my car at all times. You never know when rain may pop-up in the day and it’s best to be prepared!
Most cameras do have some type of weather seal to them to help protect them from the elements, but we do have to remember that these are electronic pieces of gear and electronics hate water. I highly recommend grabbing one of these plastic camera covers to help protect your investment.
Amazon: Plastic Camera Cover
**Again, I do not receive any commission nor is this an affiliate link, but it has saved me many times and I love using these!
All-in-all, I know it can be very stressful and super disappointing to have rain forecasted on your wedding day. I hope these tips help ease your stress and help you make the most of the situation! Remember that many amazing memories will be made on your day, no matter the weather! At the end of the day, you’ll be married to the love of your life and that’s all that matters in the long run!