What Happens if It Rains on My Wedding Day?
It’s every bride’s worst nightmare, isn’t it–rain on your wedding day? Or is it actually good luck? Whichever it is, if there is one thing we cannot control about your wedding day, it’s the weather. If you’ve lived in Raleigh for any length of time, you know how unpredictable the rain can be.
Nicole and Bryan’s wedding last May ended up being one of those rainy days, but it was still absolutely beautiful! These two held their ceremony at Sacred Heart Catholic Church and then celebrated with their guests at Haywood Hall.
Haywood Hall was the perfect reception space for a Sacred Heart wedding, as the historic home is only a couple blocks away from the downtown Raleigh church. Haywood Hall dates all the way back to 1792. It was actually the home of a North Carolina state Treasurer, John Haywood. The inside of the home preserves its history while doubling as a beautiful space for a bride and her ladies to get ready, as Nicole chose to do. While the venue does have a space for the guys to get ready in a separate building on property, Bryan and his fellas chose to get ready elsewhere.
The Rain Plan
Nicole and Bryan’s Sacred Heart ceremony was no issue of course being indoors, but Haywood Hall doesn’t have a large indoor reception space. Thankfully they had rented a large tent, able to keep the guests dry for dinner! If you’re having an outdoor wedding, a rain backup is a MUST! Some venues have large indoor backups. If yours doesn’t, you need to have a tent. This applies to both outdoor ceremonies and outdoor receptions.
Thankfully the storm passed after dinner, and everyone was able to make it back out onto the dance floor to party!
What about Portraits in the Rain?
Couples are often most excited about their bride and groom portraits, but if it’s raining during your scheduled portrait time, what do you do? That is exactly what happened to Nicole and Bryan. Right as we were in the middle of taking their portraits, the sky broke open. We were on the lawn of the Capitol building and ran for cover. After a minute we could see that it wasn’t letting up, so Nicole asked me if we could just take pictures in the rain. The answer was yes! We got the sweetest portraits of the pair in front of hydrangeas, rain drops falling all around them.
Here are a few options you have in the case of rain on your wedding day:
- Find a time during the reception to take portraits, if the rain is supposed to clear up
- Bring some clear umbrellas
- Find a covered or indoor area for portraits
I’ve done every one of these options, depending on the couple’s preferences and the weather that day!
To sum it up, Nicole and Bryan’s wedding day turned out beautifully in spite of the rain. If you’re concerned about rain on your wedding day, here are my biggest pieces of advice:
- Don’t stress, but be prepared
- Have a rain backup, even if it costs a little extra
- Get creative with portraits! You could find another time, look for a covered area, or just get wet!
We can’t control the rain, but we can control how we view the situation!
Here are a few of my favorites from Nicole and Bryan’s wedding at Haywood Hall!
The Vendor Team
Ceremony venue: Sacred Heart Church
Reception & getting ready venue: Haywood Hall
Planning: Mandy Owen Events
Photography: Yours truly, Megan Nicole Photography
Florals: Williams and Whimsy
Hair: The Pretty Barrette
Makeup: Molly Ingraham
Band: Emerald Empire Band
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