When tying the knot a wet knot is harder to untie. That is the old saying about rain on your wedding day. Rain is meant to symbolise a stronger marriage and therefore be good luck but understandably a lot of couples want to avoid the rain. In good old Blighty that’s often not possible, in fact in England annually on average it rains every 1 in 2 days pretty much according to the met office. That statistic covers the whole country, but looking month on month there is a 1 in 3 chance of rain every month.
For my couples I always say to plan for the worst and be thrilled by the best. If you plan for rain you won’t be half as disappointed as if you have your heart set on a sunny day.
Mitigate the risks
If you’re really averse to rain impacting your day then you can make decisions that limit the risks. Think about your venue, your transport, your ceremony. How do they cope with rain. What differences will it make to your day? Below I cover some of the things you can do to mitigate the risks of a wet weather wedding.
Where in the Country?
If you choose to get married in the Northwest there is far higher chance of rain than in the Southeast. There is also more chance of rain at altitude, so a venue in hills or moors has more chance of rain than at sea level. Generally though the West of the country is wetter than the East due to prevailing winds coming across the Atlantic.
Essentially if you want to be dry choose Shoeburyness is Essex in the summer for the best chance as any! Shoeburyness often tops the table of the lowest rainfall in the country.
There is still a chance of rain though, so unless you want to take all your guests off to the Dry Valleys of Antartica (yes really!) or the Atacama Desert then I would recommend preparing yourself for the chance it may rain on your wedding day.
Venue
There are a few important things to think about when considering rain and your venue.
Is there hardstanding parking and access road? You don’t want cars getting stuck in the mud.
Is there space for guests to stand inside for reception drinks and whilst any rooms are ‘turned round’?
Are there grass areas guests need to walk across? Will they get wet and muddy? Will guests ruin their shoes? You may want to provide shoe savers for guests stiletto heels if there is…
Where can you have photos taken if it rains? Amazing gardens are great but if you only have a marquee group photos may become challenging!
Do you have to walk a distance between prep locations/car park etc to the ceremony and or reception?
Umbrellas at the ready
There is no bad weather just bad clothing, that’s another classic saying. For a wedding you want to be smart and can’t exactly don waterproofs but you can protect yourself.
Umbrellas are your friend especially clear or white ones. Personally I always carry at least one white golfing umbrella in my car at all times. I thoroughly recommend golfing sized ones especially for brides to give the dress as much protection as possible.
If going for a deep umbrella clear is better as they will hide your face. White umbrellas can be great for photography though (see top of the post!). I personally have this one from Amazon which is higher quality than many of the ones I see advertised as wedding umbrellas.
You can get a long coat or cloak to protect a wedding dress further as an umbrella can only do so much when wearing a large skirt!
High heels or wellies?
Lets face it wet grass and stilettos don’t go hand in hand! If you are planning to wear heels have a second pair of shoes ready for outdoor elements. That could be trainers, wellies or boots. Avoid suede though in the rain!
I donned a pair of wellington boots for my wedding. It only rain first thing but the ground was wet and muddy so they saved my main shoes when taking couple photos.
Outdoor Ceremony
If it’s going to rain you may need consider your ceremony location. Can your venue play it by ear and have an indoor and outdoor space set up or do you have to make a decision in advance?
If you are determined to have it outdoors let your guests know so they can bring an umbrella and coat if needed. It’s sensible to have some spare umbrellas to hand as well.
Be flexible
The main thing with rain in the UK is that it is more often than not showers. It is rare or a full day to be wet from start to finish (although it does happen). If it does rain be flexible. Work with your venue and photographer and go outside when it’s dry and in when it isn’t. For couple photos that may mean nipping out mid meal but even if for only 5 minutes it will make the difference between no photos of just the two of you and some.
Embrace it
If it really does rain that much then embrace it. It can make for some epic photos, and if your outfit does get a little wet or dirty do you really actually mind? Everyone is more precious at the beginning of the day, understandably as you want your guests to see you at your best, but unless you have specific plans to wear your outfit again just get out there and have some fun! A dirty gown shows you had fun!
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