For those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest, rain is a part of life! Being a wedding photographer based in Portland, I’ve definitely seen my fair share of rainy wedding days and I’m here to assure you, it will NOT ruin your big day!

That being said, there are definitely some things you can do which will make a rainy wedding day easier, and tipping you off as to what those are is what this blog is all about!

So fret not! If rain is in the forecast for your wedding day, take a look at these tips below, take a big breath and know that your day can still be stunning and amazing in every way!

Tip #1

Choose a venue which has a rain backup plan

Almost no matter what, it is always safer to have a rain backup plan than no rain backup plan. Believe it or not, I’ve had mid-August weddings have had not only rain, but also hail and a bit of snow! Weather is, after all unpredictable!

So, the best way to handle this is with good preparation and that includes knowing what your venue’s rain backup plan includes!

I once had a bride whose wedding day was filled with very heavy rain and the venue didn’t have any backup plan, so her wedding ceremony had to occur inside the reception tent, in between the round reception tables. This was far from ideal and could have easily been avoided by simply renting and setting up a secondary emergency tent in the case of rain. The venue had a large green field that would have very easily allowed for a second tent, and if it hadn’t have rained this second tent could have offered a shady spot for guests to congregate during the cocktail hour.

Adding a tent is probably the easiest backup plan if you are planning for an outdoor ceremony and reception, but some venues have extra buildings or rooms on site as their automatic backup plan. To be fully prepared, be sure to include these backup spaces in your venue tour and note whether it would be large enough to fit all of your guest list and if not, again consider adding in a tent as a backup option.

Tip #2

Clear umbrellas are your friend!

There is one amazing venue in Portland that owns a gigantic fleet of 30-something clear umbrellas to ensure that no matter the weather, a couple and their entire bridal party can still have their portraits taken outside.

Clear umbrellas are a fantastic solution to rain because they both look uniform and still let in a lot of natural light to light the faces of those who are sheltering beneath them. Dark umbrellas cast shadows on faces and also a mish-mash of umbrellas tends to ruin the cohesive effect of planning a wedding with a certain color palate in mind.

If your venue doesn’t offer clear umbrellas (and most of them don’t) you can order a bunch on-line and have them to hand in case of rain so you can still get those beautiful portraits you dreamed of!

Tip #3

Schedule in some “touch up time” after Bridal Portraits

With the use of clear umbrellas you’ll most likely still be able to do your Bridal Portraits outside. Embrace this and have fun with it! If you just let go of your worries and enjoy celebrating your wedding day with your best friends and your partner then your images will still turn out beautiful, candid and joyful- just as you always hoped. Also, rain dosen’t show up that much in photos, so don’t worry that all your images will have streaks of raindrops preventing a sharp final product.

If you are planning a “First Look” and the majority of your portraits will be occurring pre-ceremony, make sure to wrap up at least 30 minutes prior to your ceremony. This way you and your wedding party will have plenty of time for wardrobe, hair and makeup touchups so you will be perfectly styled again once your ceremony start time rolls around.

I remember one wedding I photographed where the bride’s dress got a ring of discoloration around the train from the rain and mud on the ground during portraits. In the down-time we had scheduled in post-portraits and pre-ceremony I was able to clean the hem of her gown and the discoloration on her train with a damp cloth. By the time her ceremony started, her dress was dry and you couldn’t tell at all that it had gotten muddy!

So, scheduling in this “touch up time” allows you to enjoy your portrait time fearlessly knowing you’ll have the time to handle any minor imperfections that come from wearing your wedding dress in the rain.

Tip #4

Don’t skip out on the “Sunset Portraits!”

Most couples plan in about 15 minutes for sunset portraits during the golden hour when the sun is low in the sky just before sinking beneath the horizon.

On a rainy day there might not be any official “sunset” as the sun will most likely be hiding behind the clouds, obscuring any of that golden light that comes at the end of a clear day. However, just because you aren’t seeing the sunset, don’t skip this second short “sunset” portrait session of you and your groom!

These portraits are taken for more than just the beautiful light. When you sneak out of your reception for this second 15-minute portrait time with just you and your partner, you will be so much more relaxed than you were when you did your first set of bridal portraits earlier in the day. At this point in your wedding day all the pressure is off, you’ve been fed and you aren’t worried about keeping your wedding look pristine for when you walk down the aisle. Thus, these portraits can be extra-freeing and extra-joyful! On a rainy day during this second set of portraits you can ditch the clear umbrellas and embrace your partner without worrying what the rain will do to your hair and you can get some really incredible images of the two of you, sharing your love as the rain falls from the sky.

A bit of caution however, on a rainy or overcast day you might want to consider bumping up your “sunset portraits” for a bit earlier in the “golden hour” as especially on a cloudy day, the light fades very quickly and if you wait all the way until 15 minutes before the sun settles below the horizon it could be a little too dark for these portraits. Play it safe and schedule them at least 30-45 minutes prior to when sunset is scheduled for and you’ll have plenty of light to document these relaxed and wonderful images!

Tip #5

Don’t get cold feet! No… literally!

One of the worst parts about a rainy wedding day isn’t your dress getting wet, which can be dried off, but rather your shoes getting wet… and cold… and then staying that way through your whole reception.

An easy way to avoid this is bringing along a cute pair of rain boots or other waterproof shoes for under your dress during outside portraits! Most wedding dresses are floor length anyway, so you won’t see them, and then you can always still take stunning indoor images showing off your heels or whatever style of bridal footwear you choose.

It can also make for a cute photo to lift up your dress for a quick shot of your colorful boots before you escape back into the dry warmth of an inside or covered space!

I hope this blog helped put you at ease if rain is in the forecast or if you are planning your wedding on the shoulder season where rain is a possibility.

Whatever the weather though, just remember it’s your emotion that will be captured the most in your wedding photos and it’s your attitude that you will remember when looking back. So no matter what the weather, embrace the day for the joyful occasion it is! After all at the end of the day you’ll be married to the love of your life and nothing can put a damper on that!