Rain on your wedding day. How'd you handle it?

quezzo

So my wedding is next week and right now they are calling for rain. The weather here got crappy really early and I was wondering how you guys who are already married dealt with any weather issues on the wedding day? At the end of the day, its not a big deal because I still get to marry the greatest man I've ever met, but at the same time, I don't want to look rain soaked and I'm a little sad about the outdoor pictures. Any suggestions?

oxerny

If it rains on my wedding day, we get my ring for free.Im counting on rain.  And my ceremony is outside.

J&K10910

Someone here had really cute umbrella pictures taken.  I wish I could remember who to direct you to her bio, but I can't.  Maybe someone else will, or she'll see your post.  Try not to worry too much.  Nothing wrong with being prepared, but the weather report will probably change at least 5 times between today and next weekend. 

vallyhoo

Please, Knot, don't break this link:[url]http://www.theknot.com/co_profileview.htm?profilename=RainyDayWedding[/url]

vicmo5

The forecast predicted rain until the day before my wedding, but there ended up being not a cloud in the sky.  Buy a few cute umbrellas beforehand.  And scope out some indoor locations for pictures just in case.

tlv204

Are you Catholic? I'm not, but DH is. Someone on the knot told me to hang a rosary outside the night before the wedding for good luck.  I used DH's rosary.  I know this probably isn't what you were asking for and I know it's silly, but dude it rained 4 days straight, sunny that sat. and sun., then rained another 3 days straight.  Just saying.

nicoleabrock

There are some amazing wedding photos in the rain.  I have seen brides wear rain boots and hold umbrellas.  Don't stress over something you have no control over.  Embrace it!  Just google wedding photos in the rain to get some inspiration.

J&K10910

What Vally posted works too!

BecW2be

The weather is the one thing I cannot control, so therefore it's the one thing that's freaking me the hell out. Outside ceremony, outside reception, outside after party. I have rented a 40' x 40' tent with walls, so all will proceed in there if it does rain, but it will suck and I will be very, very disappointed. I know that sounds bridezilla-ish, but it's the one thing that will break me if it happens. Is any part of your wedding outside? If not, I wouldn't worry about it. I went to a wedding just a couple of weeks ago in a monsoon, and it was beautiful in the church with the rain streaking down the windows. I would not worry one bit if it's inside. If it's outside, just start taking shots when you wake up and you'll be so drunk by the ceremony time that it won't matter. That's my plan, anyway. (Just kidding! Sort of.)

mandapanda78

Bec why would you be kidding? Shots are a fantastic idea, rain or no.

meriamjuicy

As long as my photog is ok with getting a little wet I am too.  I don't mind showing a bit of leg and bare feet in my wedding pics.My forecast is showing rain and temps under 60,  and I am doing outdoor ceremony and reception.  Right now I am pricing tents and hoping people wear something warm.  I still have a few days. :::crossing fingers:::

lpstl

It rained on my wedding day. I'm still bitter.It did let up about 30 minutes before our outdoor ceremony, but everything was still complete chaos. It was gray outside and I guess my photographer didn't know how to work with it, or didn't have a strong enough flash so everyone looks sickly in our portraits. He also didn't do a very good job of finding alternative locations (we had planned for outdoor portraits only).So, I would check with your photographer and come up with a rainy day plan. Have lots of towels on hand to wipe off chairs incase it does let up before your ceremony (leaf blowers help too).

BecW2be

Oh I wasn't kidding about the shots! Those are definitely in order. I was kidding about being so snockered that my dad has to carry me down the tent aisle instead of escorting me. I'll be like the big sister in "16 Candles" if it rains, I swear to God.

lyndausvi

I had a huge smile on my face.  Seriously, at 5am on the Tuesday before my wedding I saw the hurricane report and knew the tropical storm was going to hit.  I cried then with my DH.   I never shed another tear or complained about it again.  There was nothing I could do about the situation anyway.Oh and my wedding was to be a beach wedding.  The reception was under a tent.  We had 50+ mph wind driven rains, my cake started to melt.  DH and I said if we are upset it will bring everyone down.  If we act like it's not an issue everyone else will not see it as an issue.It was the best day of our lives and we have some great pictures of the rain and quiet a story to tell also.on another note I was bummed we did not get many outside pictures.  Oh well

LesPaul

chelbell326 has the parasols. 

bbyckes

Some of those pics make a rainy wedding day seem not so bad.

frostbitten

Here are some cute rainy wedding day picture ideas: http://classicbride.blogspot.com/2009/09/rainy-day.htmlhttp://thebudgetsavvybride.com/2009/10/07/budget-savvy-wedding-of-the-week-tiffany-and-ian/And some awesome wedding umbrellas: http://blogs1.marthastewart.com/weddings/2009/08/tuttut-it-looks-like-rain.htmlIf it rains, get your bridesmaid decked out in some fun Wellingtons! Embrace the weather! You can also take some indoor shots so no one will even know it was raining.

mandapanda78

OMG Bec! I had seriously toyed with a) downing a bottle of prosecco or b) "borrowing" one of mom's xanex, but all I could think of was the 16 Candles sister! I need to find a way to calm my nerves AND still be able to remember the wedding.... I'm in the same boat as you, btw. Outdoor everything and praying to all the gods who care for clear weather. We have a rain plan and it's a good one, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried we might actually have to use it.

quezzo

Thank you guys for the suggestions! I love those photos! None of my wedding is outside. I knew October was a crapshoot in Chicago, and I picked next weekend based on 1. Availability and 2. The way the leaves looked last year on this weekend. I've been looking at the weather since the 10 day forecast could provide it to me, which was probably a bad idea, especially since originally I wasn't concerned about the wether at all. It has changed everyday too. The first it was cloud with a 10 percent chance of rain (I was more than happy with this), yesterday it was a 60 percent chance, and today it is a 40 percent chance with rain the day before and after. That's when I started becoming a little concerned, especially about the pictures. The rosary outside is a good idea too! I'm Catholic (not a good one) and my fiance is not, but it couldn't hurt, right? I already bought some umbrellas on sale so we'd have some options. Maybe I could get the girls rain boots too as a last minute thing? Certainly something to look into. Thanks again!

MissSarah786

My only advice is to get umbrellas that are all the same. Mixing polka dots with stripes with solids is not going to be picture friendly.

vallyhoo

It doesn't even look like it's raining in some of those pics. Maybe some people just wanted pics with umbrellas

lpstl

Bec, that was me for about 30 minutes on our wedding day. When I woke up and saw the sky, and the forecast I refused to put on my big girl panties and instead threw a giant pitty party complete with moans and groans of "why does this have to happen on MY wedding day??????" and "MY wedding is ruined, it's NOT fair".Then my mom made me a very large mimosa and I got over it. Alcohol = Problem Solved!

MissSarah786

Vally, in the movies, they often put milk into the water because just water rain drops often don't show up on film. That's probably what happened. Although, I loved the umbrella idea so much, I almost got one too. Instead I got a parasol.

mandapanda78

Thanks for the new sig quote, lpstl

vallyhoo

Sarah- no kidding, I never knew that. Thanks for the factoid.Also thanks for not calling me a Ho today.

lyndausvi

Here is my nephew being suffoated. Gotta love the my jacket.

frostbitten

Guezzo, Have you thought about having your pictures done at the Garfield Park Conservatory: www.garfieldconservatory.orgThat way if it rains, you can get some cute boots and umbrella shots outside and them some bright pictures inside with all the gorgeous plants, etc.  

lpstl

haha! Glad to help Manda, I'm full of good advice :)Those pics are pretty, but this is more realistic of what things could be like even if the rain stops (yes, the woman dressed like cher is my grandma, and yes she is fabulous).[img]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3598373037_2f058c7a14.jpg[/img]

quezzo

Hi frost - We won't be downtown Chicago. We're in the suburbs. If we were downtown, I wouldn't be as concerned because there are a million cool places we could go! There are a few in the burbs, but now its a matter of trying to figure out if we have time to get there. I will probably have to talk to our photographer and see what he suggests too. Thanks for the suggestion though! It is beautiful there!

sucrets4

It was a downpour for my parent's wedding, and my grandpa used a table umbrella to shield my mom when she got out of the car.They still have the umbrella. 

engaged2Q

It poured buckets on my wedding day...and it was perfect! We started out with a good forecast about ten days out and ended up with a 90 percent chance of rain. We planned for it, and everything worked out beautifully. We have had a lot of people say that the rain added a lot of wonderful atmosphere to it, actually. The ceremony and reception were outside in a tent with walls. Did we get all of the outdoor pictures we wanted? No, but we got pictures, too, that we wouldn't have had any other way and came up with a few last minute indoor alternatives. My wedding was perfect and I never let myself get worked up about the rain...if rain is the only thing that goes "wrong," than you're pretty lucky. Things could be much worse than rain, key people or things could not show up, and that would be tough to work around-rain is not. Rain actually made our day better, which was not what I expected it to do.