What To Do If It Rains on Your Wedding Day
Rain on your wedding day is often considered good luck, but let’s be real — clear skies are obviously ideal for most of us. If your celebration is outdoors, rain can interfere with your vision, but if you prepare with smart planning and embrace whatever weather shows up, you’ll be just fine. Read some of my favorite rain plan tips below, and see how my couple Kasey & Edward handled a rainy forecast on their cinema-inspired wedding day.
Kasey & Edward’s wedding day at a drive in movie theatre began with beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds, but there was rain in the forecast.
By the time guests gathered for the ceremony, heavy grey clouds rolled in and storms were looming, but multiple tents were set up in case guests needed to escape the elements.
First things first, you definitely need a rain plan with your venue and vendors!
Even if you live somewhere that “never rains,” creating a plan is non-negotiable. Weather patterns and severe weather is more unpredictable than ever.
Always walk through both scenarios during your venue tour, starting from guest arrival and moving through the entire experience. Factor in the key moments of the day — ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing — and ask the staff how each could be shifted if needed.
If rain hit, where would people wait?
How would they enter?
Is there coverage, like a marquee or awning?
Is the walk to alternate spaces manageable in formal shoes if it’s wet or muddy?
The night before, Edward buried a bottle of whiskey upside down at the drive-in — a Southern tradition meant to ward off rain.
Superstition or not, the skies held until after the ceremony. Guests credited the buried bottle when sprinkles came only after the vows.
After the ceremony, the bottle was dug up and shared — the perfect full-circle ending to a beautiful wedding with a great rain plan!
If your venue doesn’t have a good indoor backup, a tent is essential.
Last-minute rentals aren’t always available, so don’t rely on that strategy, but many companies offer “rain insurance” contracts where you put down a retainer to hold a tent in reserve and only pay the full cost if you confirm closer to the day.
Tents can be expensive, but sometimes the only way to keep things moving if it rains. If your budget allows, multiple tents can cover different parts of the day so guests aren’t stuck in one space in the event you need to flip a room from ceremony to dinner.
By dinner, the skies parted just enough to give us another glimpse of blue and white — a reminder that weather can change in minutes. Thankfully Kasey & Edward had brought clear umbrellas for the few sprinkles we did get, and they were so cute for couples photos.
Flexibility is the key to enjoying your wedding no matter the forecast.
If the rain is just light scattered showers, you may just delay for a few minutes and move forward once it clears. If it’s a steady drizzle, think about umbrellas for your guests and consider carrying on anyway.
For areas with quick-moving storms, you can simply wipe down chairs and start a little late, or you can offer an extend cocktail hour while guests wait out the worst of it if it’s a longer wait. Guests will appreciate the effort you make to keep them comfortable.
For dinner, guests moved under the tents, strung with glowing lights that made the whole evening feel warm and intimate, no matter what the skies were doing outside.
The reception unfolded under intense, brooding skies, and the mood was so cinematic, a perfect fit for their movie themed day!
At the end of the day, weather is out of your control.
The best thing you can do is relax, trust your vendors, and lean into the moment. Some of the most artful photos come from couples who let go of perfection and just enjoy the beauty of the rain — whether that’s mist catching the light, droplets on flowers, or the energy of everyone laughing under umbrellas.
Got your rain plan ready and want to talk photography? I can’t wait to hear from you!