Rainy Day Wedding Tips
“What do we do if it rains on our wedding day?!”
We hear this question a lot, and for good reason! Kyo loves to shoot outdoor weddings and portraits, so naturally, we tend to attract people who want outdoor photos. The only downside: having no control over the weather.
But don’t let the unknown of the weather hold you back. If you’re thinking of an outdoor wedding, we say go for it! As long as you plan ahead for rain and bad weather, you won’t have anything to worry about on your big day.
We’ve put together some of our top rainy day wedding tips below to help you come up with your Plan B.
As you read, we of course want you to make note of your favorite ideas, but more than that, we hope you’ll be encouraged and maybe even a little excited about the beautiful shots that a little rain on your wedding day could help create.
Rain On Your Wedding Day
As much as we want to be positive and optimistic about this, sadly, it does happen.
In the area where we live and work– the NYC and New Jersey area– it rains about 32% of the time, which is 2 days out of every week. So there’s about a 1 in 3 chance that it’ll rain on your wedding day.
But there’s a really big silver lining to this rain cloud: overcast skies actually make for better outdoor portraits!
The clouds and rain diffuse the light, making it softer and more flattering for portraits. So with a little planning, the rainy day wedding portraits we take often turn out to be some of our biggest show stoppers.
Here are our top tips for how to prepare for rain or bad weather on your wedding day:
1. Have a positive attitude!
This tip is numero uno for a reason. No one can control the weather, so there’s just no point getting upset if it doesn’t cooperate on your wedding day. If it helps, remember what we said about cloudy skies: they’ll make your skin look amazing.
Plus, stormy weather makes for really dramatic images. Some of our favorite images are from moments when a storm rolled in. This happened at Suzannah and Jeff’s wedding, just as they started their portrait session at Mercer Oaks. Even though they only had a few minutes outside with Kyo, they got some AMAZING pictures– some of our very favorite portraits ever.
2. Be willing to get tiny bit wet!
If it’s only drizzling or misting outside, and you’re willing to risk taking on a little rain water, we can get plenty of beautiful outdoor photographs.
3. Have umbrellas ready
This one’s a no-brainer. We always recommend deciding what umbrellas you’re going to bring way before your wedding day, so you don’t have to think about it the day beforehand.
Do you want a huge colorful golf umbrella that you can both snuggle under? A transparent umbrella? A white lace one that matches your dress? Make sure you procure it well in advance so it’s one less thing to worry about.
4. Consider having rain boots on hand
If it’s been raining steadily and the ground is soggy, you could end up walking around aerating the lawn with your stunning white heels.
Trust us, having an alternate pair of footwear that you can throw on under your dress will be a life– and shoe!– saver (and you don’t have to show the boots in your photos if you don’t want to).
5. Be flexible with your schedule
If there’s a downpour on your wedding day, and then right at 6:02pm there’s a brief respite, don’t be surprised if Kyo sneaks over and asks, “could we jump outside for a minute?”
That’s because he’s always keeping an eye on the light and the weather, and if he notices a perfect moment for some outdoor portraits, he’ll let you know.
Abby and John got married at Brittland Estate in Chestertown, MD, a gorgeous colonial manor on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay. It was stunning, but they got the cats-and-dogs type of rain on their wedding day that forced them to change their plans for an outdoor ceremony, lawn games, and cocktails on the patio! Luckily, right as the reception got started, the rain slowed, and Kyo took them down to the docks. They snuck in a speedy outdoor portrait session just before the light disappeared entirely!
6. Remember that it often isn’t possible to see the rain in photographs, even if it’s raining quite a bit.
All of these portraits were taken in the rain, and you can’t even really tell. So even if you’re getting a little wet as you stand outside during the portrait session, remember that you likely won’t be able to see any rain once you get the final photos back.
If the thought of rain is stressing you out right now, remember that rainy day wedding photos can be total show-stoppers!
Many of our favorite photos ever were taken in the rain.
Kyo Morishima Photography