Y’all must think I *wish* for rain on wedding days with how much I talk about it.

But that’s not why I keep bringing it up.

The truth is, so many venue locations all over the globe have a high chance of those rain clouds sweeping in on any given day throughout the year.

Since weather is the most unpredictable variable on your wedding day *(okay, weather and a few extremely drunk wedding guests…) why are we all not talking about it more?

Why does it always seem like a surprise that weather predictions could go crazy the weekend of one of the biggest days of your life?

Everyone should be mentally prepared for any type of extreme weather: hot hot heat when it should be mild, unexpected freezing cold fronts, rain, sleet, and hair flinging, flower petal destroying, mess-up-all-your-outdoor-decor strength winds. (Note the sturdy metal holder in the photo? The signs can still fall off if they aren’t heavy enough).

It’s good to get a grip on this now, while you’re planning, on exactly how little or how much something like this could “ruin” your day. Acting like it could “never happen to you” and sticking your head in the sand is *not* the ideal way to be prepared mentally, and you could end up an absolute wreck.

The reason I’m trying to reach out to anyone who is planning? If you end up mentally unprepared, and in that wreck-like state of mind, it might be harder to remember all of the near perfect moments of your day. And those are the memories we all want to hold on to, right?

Those knock-your-socks-off, I-found-my-forever-person type of memories.

So let’s start. Because a good wedding day is all in the planning.

Typically, after the whirlwind of your engagement, you’ll start thinking of potential dates with your partner, and a general location (mostly because all of your friends and family cannot stop asking you about all of those exact details as soon as that ring goes on your finger). If you’re considering having the wedding somewhere tropical, it might be helpful to look up when monsoon season starts and ends. I remember sitting in Barnes And Noble looking up the best times to travel abroad, usually in one of many Rick Steves travel books that I had piled up in the aisle. Now, all it takes is a quick google search to see some of the strongest weather patterns in the area you want to have your ceremony.

Now, even if you are avoiding something as typical (and drawn out) as Florida’s hurricane season, that still might not guarantee you’ll avoid rain. So what can you do ahead of time if there is really no way to predict if you’ll have good weather?

Venue, venue venue.

Pick a day (or a few) and visit venues with your partner. You should have a few things on your list, but I will get into in a later blog devoted to helping you find a venue. But specifically for weather? Check if your venue has a plan B. That means, if you’re planning on having your gorgeous ceremony outside, make sure the venue has a relatively quick option for all of your chairs, flowers, tables and signs to be moved to an inside location if rain is headed your way.

The plan B area should be large enough to seat all of the chairs of your wedding guests. You won’t want part of your guest list seated and the rest having to stand around during the length of the ceremony unless you know that there are enough able bodied people coming that will absolutely be happy to stand for at least a half hour.

If you’re planning on having your reception outside as well?

I cannot recommend investing in a tent enough.

There are beautiful white or clear tents you can find if you plan enough in advance to land a rental. They can cover the majority if not all of your venue area for the reception. I don’t say “in advance” lightly, because it never fails that a crazy rain storm is barreling through for a weekend that was expected to be sunny, and all of the online wedding groups are going crazy with desperate requests to find tents large enough to help protect their wedding plans since many places have sold out.

They are not a cheap investment, but well worth the peace of mind. If you’re near central Texas, consider contacting Whim Hospitality for high quality rentals. Anytime I see their trucks pulling up to a wedding I know I can expect something beautiful!

There are some venues that have a clear plastic wrap around option, or panels that can be rolled down for their areas that are open to the elements on the sides. Just like restaurants have for their outdoor seating that quickly needs to be covered.

Next up- umbrellas.

This may sound like an obvious choice, but it’s one more thing to put on your long list of things to remember for the day.

Cute clear umbrellas can usually be found ahead of time *(seriously, think of ordering these long before a storm is announced!) for at least you and your fiancé, or possibly for your entire wedding party if you want to be sure a little rain won’t stop having some fun portraits outside. They wouldn’t be a waste if it doesn’t rain. They make cute gifts and it’s something everyone can use, which, isn’t that what everyone is looking for in a gift?

But even without clear umbrellas- you may want to add a note on your wedding website (if you don’t already have a website somewhere like the knot, I’ll be doing a blog on why those are helpful, too!) to let your wedding guests know to pack a small umbrella in their car or purse.

Vendors & Wedding Planner.

Are all of your vendors prepared for crazy weather? There are so many amazing cocktail hour events I have seen over the years. Custom leather luggage tags and belts being branded for your friends and family, donkeys bringing beers around to your wedding guests, live bands playing by an open air bar with custom cocktails picked by the couple… and so many of these stations are set up for the outdoors.

Work with your wedding planner to see what it would look like if the weather is too poor to have your plans outside. Is there a spot your guests could still take photos with the donkeys? Can the band move all of the equipment inside after they have already set up outside? Is there an extra charge for that? Your wedding planner is really key for reaching out to every vendor in plenty of time to know all of the answers so no one is shocked by anything that goes down on the big day.

With all of your planning, take a deep breath, and let’s think about it actually raining on your wedding day.

Picture yourself getting ready, the wedding party you chose getting ready all around you, probably looking for where they put their shoes, and whether their hair is looking it’s best… and you see dark clouds show up out of nowhere. What’s the feeling that’s popping up? Fear? Dread? Or are you more of the “I don’t care, I’d marry the person I chose anytime, anywhere?”

That “If I’m a bird, you’re a bird” type of love?

It wouldn’t matter if a hurricane came barreling in, you’ll still scream your vows to each other over the wind type of love?

Really put yourself in the situation, and then put your partner in the same boat. If it would give either of you extreme anxiety, please find a fully indoor option for your wedding.

That’s the safest answer.

Because at the end of the day, you will eventually look back on your wedding photos, sitting in the comfort of your own home, and not remember exactly how cold you were or if your hair got messed up. You’ll see the smiles and remember the feeling that your loved ones all came out to celebrate one thing: you.

Please let me know any other questions you have regarding wedding planning! I am happy to help share my knowledge from shooting over the past 19 years.

Happy planning guys!

-Amy Elizabeth