PREPARING FOR RAIN ON YOUR WEDDING
You’ve picked the PERFECT outdoor venue, everything is coming together. The anticipation is building and you’ve been thinking about your wedding day, dreaming about it (literally). And you hope you crossed all of your T’s and dotted your I’s, and then, rain is on the horizon. What to do!
Nobody wishes for rain on their wedding day. The wet feet, the mud speckles, and the fight to get in a car with umbrellas are just too clumsy! But unfortunately, one thing we can’t control is the weather. And the BEST thing you can do for rain on your wedding day is to HAVE A PLAN!
Below are a few important tips for preparing for the rain on your special day. And how we’ll get the portraits you deserve!
1. Talk to the venue
Especially if you’re looking at outdoor venues, make sure you know what their strategy for inclement weather is when booking! Could the party be moved inside? Would it fit ALL of your guests? What adjustments would have to be made? Your planner and venue should be on the same page about it. Also, don’t forget to include all other vendors in the change of plans!
2. Buy clear umbrellas
You probably have seen portraits with clear umbrellas on Pinterest. And I am here to tell you they are a photographer’s best friends on a rainy day. Any colored umbrella or even dark umbrellas will either make your face too dark or create color casts on your skin. And we don’t want to give you a green face!
The clear umbrella lets light through while still protecting you from the rain. I always have two on hand for my couples, but if you want your whole wedding party to be covered, get clear umbrellas in ADVANCE. They seem to never be in stock locally!
3. Types of rain
There are totally different types of rain and our photography plan will change according to that. My job as a photographer is to ensure you get the most beautiful portraits that you deserve! For that, we need one thing, LIGHT!
On overcast days, the clouds act as a sheer curtain for the sun, so the light is evenly distributed, which is actually great for portraits!
Colors are richer and we have a lot more options for locations if we don’t have to worry about the harsh sun. If we have a light drizzle, we can get those clear umbrellas out and either include them in the pictures or toss them aside quickly for portraits.
If we have pouring rain, or some crazy inclement weather coming our way, the best alternative is finding a covered outdoor location, porches are the perfect solution! I have seen bride and groom and entire wedding party portraits are done in porches and they actually turned out beautiful!
4. Timing
The images you see on this blog post were taken During a TORNADO WATCH, and timing was everything! By giving ourselves plenty of buffer time and waiting it out (but also having umbrellas!) helped us get gorgeous portraits after the rain had passed!
Timing is also extremely important for you to make the call the morning of your wedding, make sure to let your vendors know as soon as possible, so they can set up your beautiful décor ahead of time!
5. Stay positive
The BEST thing you can do on your wedding day is STAY POSITIVE! Let everyone else finish the little details for you, hand off final to-do lists, and delegate. The morning of your wedding should be a stress-free zone, spend time with your best friends, get your hair and makeup done (make sure your MUA also has a plan for rain!). And stay positive! As your photographer I will make sure that we get the best portraits possible, rain or shine!
Happy planning!
