What To Do If It Rains On Your Wedding Day

During the planning stages of your wedding the question of “what to do if it rains” is one area that you may not give much thought to.

The weather is one aspect of your day that you have absolutely no control over but wedding day rain does happen,  therefore it is vital that you have an adequate contingency plan in place. Jo Daye of Accent Events has drawn on her wealth of experience as a destination wedding planner in both Italy and the UK to outline exactly what a contingency plan should entail.

John & Lisa’s Isle of Capri wedding photography courtesy of Alfonso Longobardi

Contingency Planning

So, what would you do after 12 to 18 months of planning a destination wedding banking on the sun shining, views as far as the eye can see and a venue selected for the option of alfresco dining; then on the day of the wedding the weather does not behave?

Based on the high number of sunshine hours and low chance of rain, most destination wedding arrangements are very much about location, being outside, blue skies and vibrant colours all to be captured in story book photography.

A “what if” scenario should be included on the agenda of things to consider early on in the wedding planning process; particularly when deciding on the ceremony location, the reception and entertainment. In the instance of bad weather you must be 100% comfortable with the contingency option.

Here are some key considerations:

Venue – When visiting potential venues always check there is contingency option. What can the venue offer you for your symbolic civil ceremony and the reception area?

Some 5 star venues are very much about dining on the terrace where the atmosphere is created by breathtaking views or in a courtyard area of a castle or monastery, the combination of ancient buildings, wisteria and acoustics from the classical trio playing softly is what you have dreamed of and your guests hope to experience. Does the plan B offer you an acceptable in-door option?

Is there an exclusive area for your wedding party or will you be moved into the main restaurant area with other guests? Is the venue able to provide a marquee covering?

How will speeches and the first dance be accommodated if you are with other non-wedding guests?

Music – If you are planning on having a 5-piece live band for evening entertainment, how will this be managed if the reception is moved inside?

Check if there are any restrictions? Does the music have to be at lounge music level so as not to disrupt other guests? Where can the first dance take place and where can guests dance?

Photography – Location and scenery play an important part for creating your wedding story – what will happen if the heavens open?

Transportation – Possibly beating all of the above, there is the question of how you will arrive at your venue especially if you have chosen to host your wedding off the mainland on an island.

Real Wedding – Isle of Capri, Italy

This September we had a wedding on the island of Capri, Italy. The weather was incredible up to the day before the wedding. The morning of the ferry crossing from Sorrento to Capri, the sunshine disappeared, the wind came out in force coupled with torrential rain, thunder and lightening. The crossing was extremely choppy! The streets of Capri turned into mini streams, the blues skies became a dramatic grey and everyone took to cover. It was necessary to confirm all suppliers travelling from the mainland were able to cross and fulfill their commitment to the wedding arrangements. In this case it was possible but what are the alternatives if this was not possible?

The couple in question took everything in their stride. The bride was philosophical about the weather and did not appear to be affected by this drastic change nor was she upset about Plan B as this was fully explained at the venue visit stage and at a meeting on checking into the hotel.

Come the day of the wedding there is usually a moment when emotions surface and for this bride it happened on the morning of the wedding, the relentless down pour managed to get underneath her skin. The day before there was always hope the sun would shine but the wedding day arrived and there was only the sound of large rain drops falling.

So drawing on a famous Italian wedding saying “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunate – A drenched bride is a lucky bride” the staff of the 5* Grand Hotel Caesar Augustus carried out Plan B seamlessly giving the impression there was no change to the wedding itinerary. The bride and groom had an amazing day where colourful umbrellas featured heavily in the photography and the dramatic sky and grey clouds provided an amazing edge to the wedding photos and the couple’s smiles were the most rewarding aspect of the day.

We always hope that our chosen location will deliver the sunshine for a wedding abroad but it is shortsighted if the possibility of rain or wind is ignored…having a strong Plan B will save the day and your guests may not even be aware this has actually been called into play or they will appreciate the thought that has gone into Plan B.

In summary

Don’t worry if all doesn’t go according to plan, if you incorporate the following three steps, you will minimize potential stress and your day will still be fantastic:

• be flexible
• have a Plan B
• above all else enjoy your day.