How to Make The Most of A Rainy Day Wedding » Advice from Real Couples
“A wet knot is harder to untie.” The first time I heard that saying was at my childhood best friend’s wedding. It was your typical humid East Coast summer day where intermittent July storm clouds rolled across the sky. It poured during dinner while we celebrated outdoors, and I’ll always remember the sound of the rain as it washed over us—soothing and uniting us all under the large white tent set up next to a small pond.
I love the rain. On my days off, I love hiking and exploring the parks in the Bay Area, especially the redwood forests. I’ve had some of the most magical times hiking alone in the woods on wet weather days. There’s a sense of quiet and wonder watching the rain fall as the fog breathes between the trees.
Of course, in the wedding industry, rain is not the desired condition for traditional weddings. The image most people tend to think of is happy couples on sunny days. But having shot several rainy day weddings, I’ve grown to love them and have found the unique beauty in these soggy celebrations.
The Danish have a word called “hygge,” which translates to the feeling of being cozy with good people in a pleasant atmosphere. I believe that rainy days bring out hygge in all wedding celebrations. In hopes of helping others who may see rain clouds in their wedding forecast, I’ve compiled some tips and reached out to several of my past rainy day couples to see if they could lend some first hand advice.
Rainy cocktail hour under umbrellas at the Secret Gardens in Bodega Bay.
How to make the most of your rainy day wedding:
Clear bubble umbrellas are the perfect portrait prop (stylish and functional!).
If it’s really gonna pour, a cute pair of rain boots can provide functional and stylish protection while walking around.
Put longer hair in an updo or braid for a low-maintenance, rain-tolerant style. And/or ask your hair and make-up artist to stay a little later for touch ups.
Let go of expectations, go with the flow, and enjoy the adventure. Good times will happen with good people, regardless of the outdoor conditions
Nicole + Santiago // Rainy Day on the USS Potomac in the San Francisco Bay
Waiting to board the USS Potomac. // See more from this wedding.
How did you approach the weather report?
About 10 ten days from the wedding we started seeing the weather reports, and it wasn't looking good. I went through a little denial for a few days, but once it became clear it was going to rain, I had a few moments of sadness that I wasn't getting my sunny-blue-skies day, but then just moved on and accepted it. I loved the theory everyone told me that rain on your wedding day actually signifies good luck.
How did the day turn out, and how did the rain factor into the day? Or was it not even a factor at all?
We had our wedding ceremony on a 180 ft yacht, and had planned to use the upper deck for our service. Additionally, our reception was going to be at an outdoor patio at a nearby hotel. So my plans were definitely affected by rain, but certainly not ruined. Once I accepted it was 100% going to rain, I honestly just listened to my venue manager and caterer for both sites. They were the professionals and had dealt with this numerous times, so I trusted them to suggest the best options. My friends got cute silver umbrellas that everyone could share and that would look good in photos.
Did it meet your wedding day expectations?
Other than not exactly turning out how I had envisioned, the day took on a special quality—we, along with all the guests, felt like we were sort of on an adventure. And the rain made our space very "cozy," so people were just laughing and having a great time, despite a little chaos and water. Our band helped ease a lot as they played fantastic brass band tunes, and it was difficult to not feel upbeat.
What helped you make the most of the rain?
I've had people tell me that my wedding was one of the best and most fun weddings they had ever attended! And it wasn't due to it being "perfect," that's for sure. I think it became a sort of shared adventure, and there was a lot of love in the room, and it just made the day super special. The reality is, you are there to share the love of you and your partner with your friends and family. That's the whole point—not the scenery, the perfect setting (or weather). So I would just advise—you cannot control a lot of things about your wedding, other than how you handle them. Stay focused on why you're there, and just go with the flow.
PS—the rain actually made our wedding photos amazing! All of my friends commented on how they took on a beautiful vibe due to the lighting. (Thank you, Vivian!!)
Seeking shelter at Cavallo Point Lodge from an unexpected spring rain. // See more from this wedding.
How did you approach the weather report?
Rain in the Bay Area is very hit or miss depending on how the storm swings. When we first picked the date, the long term forecast said that the only day for rain in April was in fact our wedding day on April 25th. It's hard to trust long term forecasts but sure enough as we got closer and closer, the rain forecast held true. It was disappointing at first because for me one of the few things I ever wanted out of a wedding was for it to be outside. But what are you to do? Can't fight the weather and you can't move the date with venues and vendors so you just have to roll and make the most of it. I say this more easily with hindsight!
How did the day turn out, and how did the rain factor into the day? Or was it not even a factor at all?
The day turned out perfectly. While the rain factored into the pre-wedding photographs and changed our order and location, it all worked out in the end. We just had to adjust and you of course were very helpful in guiding that process. For the ceremony, it obviously shifted inside. I was not wild about the church venue, but it turned out to be very beautiful and intimate, arguably more intimate then the original location under the eucalyptus trees.
Did it meet your wedding day expectations?
Definitely. Given all the Covid craziness and then the weather, it really could not have turned out any better.
What helped you make the most of the rain?
Just leaning into it. The pre-ceremony photos were a bit of an adventure in the rain. The venue became very cozy and romantic with the darker clouds outside and the use of candles in the church. That was a nice touch that just went with the elements. Dark and moody outside, cozy and intimate inside. Then when the clouds broke after the vows, that was pretty good timing on nature's part. The rest of the day was beautiful and fresh, that perfect Bay Area clean air after a fresh rain. The surprise of the weather shift made the moment all the better. In the end, we just had to give in/submit to the weather, and were very surprised along the way at how the rain actually made our wedding even better/more memorable.
Kissing under bubble umbrellas in a mossy rainy forest. // See more from this wedding.
We scheduled our wedding for December in Oregon, so we were well aware that the forecast would most likely be rain. We purposefully scheduled our wedding for the rainy season because the forest is so much lusher and more beautiful during winter than summer. We visited the spot where we got married during the dry season and knew how beautiful it would be once it became verdant again.
Our photos were very important to us, so we planned ahead and got our guests matching umbrellas to ensure a cohesive look. The rain was colder than we expected on our wedding day. However, I purchased a day coat for the occasion. I wore the coat in some photos, which gave great variation.
I wore my hair in an updo because I was nervous about the unpredictability of how it would react to the weather. My sisters both wore their hair down, which was fine. I was more conservative than needed in that regard and may have chosen differently, had I known.
To summarize, we purposefully chose the rainy season for our wedding because we knew the photos would be gorgeous. We absolutely adore the work Viv did and could not have asked for a better wedding day.
Severin + Robert // Rainy Day Na Pali Coast Hike Wedding in Kauai
Hiking along the Na Pali Coast. // See more from this wedding.
Do I wish it hadn't rained or had rained less on our wedding day? Sure. Did we still have an amazing wedding with gorgeous photos in spite of the rain? Absolutely.
You don't get the lush, verdant green of Kauai without rain, and when your wedding day includes a 4-mile hike along the mountainous coastline, we always knew rain was a possibility. We had talked with Vivian about the potential for rain and how to handle it in advance, and she had showed us photos of other weddings she had shot in the rain, which made us feel better. The rain made hiking a little slower and more logistically complicated (I'm still amazed none of us fell in the mud!), and maybe we didn't get every picture we would have if it had been a perfect sunny day. But every person who's seen our wedding photos has said about the rain, "You can't even tell!" And despite the fact that the rain seemed to start up again every single time we tried to take family portraits, Vivian made it all work out.
Instead of the beach, we took portraits in this cool grove of trees that provided a little shelter, and they came out amazing. Vivian literally jumped across rocks to cross a river in the pouring rain to take photos for our wedding. She was in great spirits the whole muddy hike; the pictures turned out phenomenal, and we have some very special memories. Rain is a factor of life if you are planning outside wedding events, but that doesn't mean rain needs to overshadow the fact that it's your wedding day.
We had done some planning to account for possible rain—we had rain jackets packed, I wore my hair in a fishtail braid hoping that it was a style that would stand up to wind and rain (and it did!), and Robert changed from a suit jacket to a vest and boutonniere to make hiking easier, but there was really only so much one can do. I was definitely a bit stressed and obsessively checking the weather in the days leading up to the wedding, but once it is the day of, you just have to let it go and enjoy the day. It helped to have a photographer and groom who were unfazed by the downpour. My absolutely favorite unexpected moment from the wedding was the 50+ strangers who passed us on the hike, realized we were wearing wedding clothes, and stopped to congratulate us on our marriage.
First look at Bodega Bay Trailhead in Sonoma Coast State Park. // See more from this wedding.
How did you approach the weather report?
If you're reading this, there's a good chance Viv sent you because it might rain on your wedding day! Our emotions eventually shifted from "what if it rains?" to "it's totally going to rain - what do we do?!" and I think moving to a mindset of acceptance a few days in advance helped us push aside disappointment and focus on having a fun time on our big day. We had an all outdoor venue, so we bought 10-packs of clear umbrellas and clear ponchos for all guests on Amazon as soon as we saw the 10-day forecast wasn't looking good. About two days before our wedding, it was very clear that we were up against a 100% chance of rain. Thankfully we had an email list for all of our guests handy, so we emailed them inviting them to bring jackets and umbrellas. This wasn't the formal attire we envisioned, but we hope it helped our guests stay dry and have a more enjoyable evening. I was also worried about bridal hair. I tend to have frizzy hair and worried that getting married near the ocean + outdoors + wind + rain meant I had too scrap my half-up/half-down hairstyle and go with some kind of unplanned updo. Ultimately, I decided not to change the plan. The weather didn't end up impacting my hair as much as I thought it would, and I'm glad I stuck to the plan I invisioned. We did pay a bit extra for the hair/makeup stylist to do some touch-ups after the ceremony, and I think that was the right call. I was pretty wet!
How did the day turn out, and how did the rain factor into the day? Or was it not even a factor at all?
We had so much fun! We went through with our plans to take photos at the ocean, and while it was very cold, windy, and pouring rain, we have some amazing photos and memories, and no regrets whatsoever! Viv was a champ and kept us in good spirits the whole time. Because we had heavy rain all day and an all-outdoor venue with limited tents, yes, rain factored into the day! Our planner helped put together rain plans in advance, and ultimately we scrapped all of those and had to "wing it" day of - changing around the time/location of speeches, first dance, etc. to accommodate moving into a tent and a shifted schedule. Ultimately, we just wanted to get married, hang out with our friends, and have great food and music - and we still got those things, just a bit differently than planned. Admittedly, some things did not go as planned - but we are grateful for our vendors who did their absolute best working hard in the rain, and short of entirely changing venues, there wasn't much else we could do, so we figured we may as well enjoy what we can.
KASS + MIKE // Rainy Day wedding at WaterFall Lodge in ben Lomond
Waterfall Lodge, Ben Lomond
How did you approach the weather report?
We had planned an outdoor ceremony and reception in early May in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Rain/grey skies/cold temperatures were always a chance, but we were optimistic that we'd have bright sunny skies as the weather had been stunning in weeks past. We started obsessively checking the forecasts 10 days out and quickly pivoted from optimism to realism - it was definitely going to rain on our day. About 4 days out, we decided to put the rain contingency plans in place and just surrender to the rainy vibes. Best advice we have: be decisive and switch plans early instead of staying in the denial induced limbo of hoping/wishing things would be different!
How did the day turn out, and how did the rain factor into the day? Or was it not even a factor at all?
The day turned out to be incredible, and possibly more breathtaking and memorable because of the rain. We did get lucky that the rain cleared up just in time for our ceremony, meaning our guests didn't get soaked and could get by with the clear umbrellas we provided. However, it had been a very wet morning making the set up logistics and pre-ceremony photos a little more challenging. Our weather contingency plan also included renting, last minute, a large clear tent canopy to cover our reception area. It had a much smaller footprint than our initial table layout, but it was a blessing in disguise - our guests were closer, cozier and warmer and it gave our reception a more intimate feel.
Did it meet your wedding day expectations?
Our wedding far exceeded all of our expectations! The rain and cloudy skies brought a misty vibe to our redwood forest scenery, which truly made all the colors rich and vibrant. Viv took the most iconic photo of our ceremony where the arch, florals and an umbrella perfectly frame our first kiss and we will treasure this unique image forever! We also had amazing support from our venue staff, day of coordinator, photography team (Viv + Doug) and family & friends, who all adapted to changing conditions with grace. We chose to not be stressed by the rain and instead leaned into gratitude for everything being more special because of it.
What helped you make the most of the rain?
Tactically, we purchased tons of umbrellas, hand warmers, canopies, extra towels, and space heaters and we over-communicated with our guests about the conditions and what to expect. The rain also kinda forced us to have an open and flexible mindset and stay focused on what mattered: creating a day full of joy and love as we celebrated our union with our friends and family. A little bit of rain could never get in the way of that ultimate goal (and thankfully our guests agreed!).
