“IT’S LIKE RAAAAAIIINN ON YOUR WEDDING DAYYYY” …ok, Alanis Morissette songs aside, rain on your wedding is not really ironic, but it truly is frustrating! When you spend so much time and energy arranging the perfect day, it can be tough to have something as simple and uncontrollable as weather ruining all your plans.

The big question facing brides & grooms all over the world is this: What DO you do if it rains on your wedding day? When choosing backup options for your ceremony and reception, I would definitely refer you to the experts: your wedding planner and the venues themselves! But I do have a few suggestions for some steps you can take, even if your best-day-ever is full of raindrops: 

1. Find open, covered space

Covered walkways, courtyards with large overhangs, wide porches, spaces with sheltering trees … look for places that offer shelter from the rain without sacrificing the light. It’s no secret that I LOVE naturally lit portraits! But I’ve found that even in drizzly weather, there are typically locations that offer cover while still allowing in plenty of light. (Let’s be real, I shoot 90% of my weddings in Western NY state and Northwest PA! Rain is pretty much inevitable!) Confer with your photographer and wedding planner about finding these kinds of locations at or near your venue! 

2. Employ umbrellas

When you think about taking shelter from the rain in everyday life, you think of umbrellas. So why not for weddings?! I love clear, rounded umbrellas because they allow plenty of light to come through to illuminate your face. At Justin & Miranda’s wedding, we used these clear umbrellas for the WHOLE bridal party. But we didn’t allow the rain to steal our joy. It was still one of the best days ever celebrating their love!

 3. Head indoors

If there are no open, covered spaces to use and the deluge is too intense for umbrellas, you’ll probably need to retreat indoors for your portraits. Large windows and bright white spaces will be your best friends in this situation, so again I recommend working with your wedding planner to find your best options at or near your venue. If the weather report suggests that you’ll need to move your portraits indoors, be sure to talk with your photographer so that they are prepared for this possibility! 

4. Keep calm and carry on!

Let’s face it, in every wedding on the planet, there is probably SOMETHING that doesn’t go according to plan. But that doesn’t have to ruin your day! If you stay in the moment and roll with the changes, you’ll be able to cherish the memories of your wedding day instead of dwelling on the hiccups. As you can see in the photos above, making graceful and good-natured concessions to the weather can allow you to get gorgeous images while fully enjoying your day at the same time! (Don’t simply cry until the storm passes, learn to dance in the rain!)

Whether you have a light sprinkle or a major downpour, I hope you find these suggestions helpful! And when you look back on those damp wedding portraits in 10 years time, I bet you’ll remember the joy of the day far more than you remember the weather!