12 Tips if it Rains on Your Wedding Day!!

Here in New England I am often planning for at least some part of every wedding day to be outside. From a beautiful oceanfront ceremony to a cocktail hour on the terrace, many couple choose this region for the breathtaking landscape as the backdrop of their special day. But we all know Mother Nature is fickle and can serve up just about any kind of weather on any given day. Everything will be OK if you are prepared. Here are 10 tips for planning for potential rain on your wedding day!

1. Have a back up plan- this is a no- brainer. If you having anything outdoors please, please  have a back up plan! Another site for your ceremony. A tent company on standby. Make sure you have options if the forecast looks like it will not be all you are hoping for.

2. EMBRACE the rain! The photos will be AMAZING!! The color, the lighting, no one will be squinting! Think Wellies & puddle jumping= makes for great photo-ops! Pack some towels to dry off after and go for it!

3. Buy gear to match your color scheme- Have fun with the colors of rain gear you pick! Have all shades of your wedding colors for your girls, white for the bride(s), black for the groom(s)! Have fun! Go buy out all the shawls, pashminas and wraps and offer them to the wedding party and your guests. This will color coordinate your pictures too if you pick the colors for them! Bonus!

4. Set up a deadline for making the call inside or outside and stick to it! Set up a cutoff time to decide when you are going to pull the plug on the outside events and stick to it. This will give the tent company, catering company and everyone else a chance to adjust, make staffing changes and set up the proper equipment they need. This should NOT be a last minute decision! Give your vendors proper time to adjust accordingly.

5. Be flexible & be realistic! If you are having an outdoor event remember it can and might rain, snow, hail or be windy. Work with it. Go with the flow. If you have a good plan A, plan B and plan C and are willing to make any of them work you will be fine! Anything can happen. The pictures you see on Pinterest and in WellWed magazine are not always what will happen for weather. If you are realize that your day will be just perfect! 

6. Think of all the people involved! Are your guests going to have wet bottoms from the wet chairs? Make sure someone wipes them off! Is the ground going to slippery when wet? Have someone help walk women in slippery shoes to where they need to go. Are your bridesmaid's dresses going to be see through if they get wet?!?! Let them wear coats! Think ahead and avoid any of these from happening. 

7. Can't do outdoor photos the day-of the wedding- no problem! Do it after. If your dream was to have outdoor formal photos on the day of your wedding and the weather just is not going your way- just skip it! Set up a time when the weather will be nicer, have your hair done, throw on your fancy wedding attire and go do it! Your photographer will be happy to help you! This way you can go to all those amazing places you wanted to go have your photos taken at anyways and without a strict timeline to work with! You can take your time and get some pretty awesome pictures in beautiful weather. Sounds like a win-win to me!

8. Buy cheap, clear plastic tarps! Go to your local super store or hardware store and buy a few clear plastic tarps. If the forecast is iffy this is a quick cover-up for anything you would not want to get wet. If the forecast says rain for an hour before your ceremony then clearing to sunny- cover all your chairs, aisle, and flowers with plastic and then right before your ceremony pull it off and you have yourself a dry place to get married! Simple and cheap enough!

9. Warn your guests! Give them a good heads up! Mass text message. Update your Facebook status telling people that it might be muddy, windy, cold etc. They will listen and dress appropriately! 

10. Bring extra shoes for everyone. Think about where you are walking when you are outside. Wet ground? Don't wear heals or anything you can slip in. Forgo the fancy shoes and wear boots if you can. Once you get inside change into your gorgeous shoes! Save them for when it is safe to put them back on. Have flip flops for your guest to put on if they get soaked. Towels by the door would be really handy and maybe even some socks for any soaked feet. Your guest will thank you and have a better time if they do not have wet feet!

11. Hay!! For next to nothing you can use hay to spread over an area outside that is going to be muddy if it gets wet! The hay will help soak up the water and keep your feet, and your guests, happy and dry!

12. Use professionals and TRUST THEM! Professionals will all know exactly what to do and have done this before! I have back up for the back as I tell my clients! If the power goes out- I got it! If you need a tent- I have the owner  of the tent company on speed dial! This is for sure a reason to hire a wedding planner like myself and my team at Detailed Engagements- we have it covered! We can make those last minute calls that need to be made and still deliver you the day of your dreams. When you use a professional, it gets done, things are fine and all the bases are covered long before the day of the event. I have a game plan and a back up plan! I have you covered. You just have to show up in your oh-so-cute rain gear and smile. Because I've got this! 

So if you are looking at a forecast that includes a few too many rain drops for your liking as long as you follow my tips above you will still have the day of your dreams!

Happy planning!
~Tiffany