Even though rain on your wedding day may mean good luck for you and your new spouse, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily welcome. If you’re getting married at an indoor venue, chances are rain won’t affect your wedding much besides maybe extra traffic. But if you have always wanted an outdoor wedding, you can’t not think about rain. It comes with the territory. We’ve got some tried-and-true advice to help you plan for a rainy wedding and still have a blast! As I’m writing this, rain is pouring down on our venue. Thankfully, it’s only a Monday and not a wedding day, but we’ve had to deal with plenty of events in the rain over the years. Like I said, when you’re an outdoor venue, it comes with the territory. So what happens if it rains on your wedding day? What should you do to prepare? Budget, budget, budget! We can’t say this enough. It’s so important to budget for a rain plan if you’re going with an outdoor wedding venue. You’ll want to consider the cost of tents, renting extra indoor space, and miscellaneous items such as rain boots and umbrellas for your bridal party, extra fees to keep your hair and makeup artist(s) through the ceremony for touch-ups, and any other rain-related expenses. And if it doesn’t rain on your wedding day and you don’t need your rain plan, then it’s like getting a reimbursement! Do what you wish with the money you budgeted. Use it as extra spending money on your honeymoon, to cover post-wedding costs such as Thank You cards, or put it toward decorating your new home. If your parents or someone else helped pay for the wedding, consider reimbursing them for their help. Talk with Your Venue It’s important to talk with your venue about a rain action plan, especially if your venue is mainly outdoors and has limited indoor space. Four Oaks, for example, can fit 50-60 guests in our indoor space. For smaller weddings and parties, we are able to move the event indoors. For events with larger guest counts, we can do a mix of seating indoors and outdoors under a tent. Knowing what your venue can do will not only help relieve stress, but it can also help you adjust details to still fit with your vision. If you’re considering tents, make sure to also get in touch with your venue. Does the venue have tents you can rent? Do they have preferred vendors who will set up the tents? What does the timeline look like? Here at Four Oaks, we are prepared with tents we can set up in case of rain, and add lights and greenery to match the overall decor. We watch the weather closely the week of a wedding. If the radar is predicting showers, we’ll start having the conversation about tents a day or two prior – how many a couple needs or wants, the cost, and what’s necessary versus what’s not. We make a decision about 24 hours in advance so we have enough time to put up the tents, adjust our plans, and set up the wedding in time. Get Advice from your Wedding Coordinator Check in with your coordinator to see if they can offer you rain advice. Chances are, they have planned several weddings around rain, so they have tried-and-true advice. They might present ideas you’ve never thought of before, walk you through what to do if it rains, and help calm your nerves. Think About Footwear Consider opting for unconventional footwear! Earlier this year, my sister attended her college friends’ wedding at the groom’s family farm. It rained a lot the week leading up to the wedding, so the ground was pretty wet. The couple encouraged their guests to trade their fancy shoes for rain-friendly options. The guests were seen wearing assortments of Chelsea boots, Chacos, and rain boots. Even the bride opted for a pair of Chacos! Embrace It! The best advice we can give? Embrace it! You can’t control the weather (wouldn’t it be nice if we could?), so rather than stress about what you can’t change, focus on what you can do. You’ve spent months planning your dream wedding, so don’t let some poor weather ruin the day for you! You can get some creative and romantic photos, have a more intimate reception, splurge on some fun wedding umbrellas, and create fun memories that will last a lifetime. At the end of the day, you're still marrying the love of your life! You can find more rain tips for your wedding day here! Who knows, the rain may actually make your big day even more magical. And maybe you’ll even get a rainbow! Always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding? Come visit Four Oaks Manor's gardens!
3 Comments
6/17/2021 11:35:12 am
My son is planning his outdoor wedding, and he's concerned that it might rain. It makes sense that getting a good tent would be important! That seems like a good way to ensure that people can have a place to hide from the rain just in case.
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5/16/2022 02:29:09 am
You made a good point when you wrote that you should ask the outdoor wedding venue about their action plan in the event of rain. My friend is looking to have an outdoor wedding. I should advise her to look for a venue that offers tents or any other way to keep the event going despite the rain.
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2/7/2023 05:28:54 pm
I love how you talk about the importance of budgeting for rain on your wedding day so you can ensure the day doesn't get ruined. I have a friend getting married in the summer, and though it doesn't rain often you can never be too careful. We'll have to look into finding a venue we can store some rain precaution things and still has a beautiful outdoor space.
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