In the UK it doesn’t matter what time of year you book your wedding, there is always a chance of rain, you could book your wedding in July and be unlucky and have a shower, you could book your wedding in April and have one of the hottest days on record for that month.

Coping with Rain on your Wedding Day

No one books their wedding hoping it rains, but there is always a chance, here are our tips incase it rains on your wedding day.

When to get Married?

First thing’s first, if you want to minimise the chance of rain on your wedding day, there’s a few things you can do to help yourself.

As you might expect, January and February are the wettest months in the UK, while last year June was the driest. It goes without saying that you’re less likely to be subjected to rainy wedding photos if you get married in the summer. 

This image shows you the average rainfall for each month.

Average Rainfall each Month

Credit: Monsoon

According to these statistics, April and May are the driest months followed by June.

Rainy Wedding Photos

Of course, none of this can guarantee that the rain Gods will be looking down on you, so it’s better to try and go with the flow. 

Rainy wedding photos are in no way dreary. If anything, they can be romantic and stylish, forcing the happy couple to get cosy, surrounded by the beauty of nature.

They can be some of the most breath-taking and impactful wedding photos – just have a quick google and you’ll be positively inspired with what you find. Central to this however is a pretty wedding umbrella, so invest in one (or several) ahead of time, it will be key to making your rainy wedding photos stand out.

As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them! It’s far better to let go and embrace the rain than try and resist something you can’t control. Think for instance what you would do, if you were going to a festival like Glastonbury during a rainy patch. You’d make the most of it.

This means dancing in the rain with your wellies, sliding about in the mud and taking selfies of rain-stained make-up. Ok, so not all of them are a good idea if it rains on your wedding day, but you get the picture! Plan ahead and you can even order personalised wellies or rain covers for guests – a moment to capture for posterity, exclusive to rainy wedding photos.

Peter of Eye to the Tyne Photography said “As a wedding photographer, I’m always prepared for every eventuality. I always carry a large white umbrella, a clean bath towel, a spare shirt and some plastic food bags. What a strange combination I hear you say? Well let me explain.

Once the sun goes down and if it’s still raining, I will always try and get couples to embrace the rainy weather. I always insist that they have the umbrella, in order to keep dry (I usually get soaked!). I then put a towel down on the floor to keep the bride’s dress dry and finally the food bags go over my flash units and keep them dry. We’re now ready to create some MAGIC.”

Fiona of Fiona Walsh Photography said “The weather, hey! It’s the one thing every bride tells me and, I must admit, I myself did turn my focus to ‘I sure hope it doesn’t rain’ when I got married. I think the key to feeling more relaxed about it is to adopt a calm frame of mind about the whole wedding. It can’t be perfect, it can’t be precisely as you plan it, but in a good way. I’ve seen so many weddings not go to plan but still be absolutely amazing. I think it’s just about having faith that whatever happens up there in the sky, it’ll turn out ok, with rain or without rain. I’ve actually had couples say they almost wished it would rain so they could get the epic backlit shots I’ve taken! Hehe. Just look at the possibilities of amazing shots if it does rain.”

“My second tip would be to make sure you find a photographer who is competent with off camera flash or with making well-lit photos indoors.”

“Thirdly, make you sure you pick a venue that you love inside as well as outside. If it does rain, you’ll be indoors and want to know you’ll be happy if that’s the case.”

It may rain and if it does, just embrace it, in the UK there always seems to be a chance of a shower and if you really don’t fancy taking that risk then you may consider getting married abroad, a destination wedding is becoming more and more popular as couple wish to get married in the sunshine with a lot less chance of rain.

However, this is easier said than done, so here’s a few coping strategies and rain on wedding day tips to get you through it:

How to prepare for wedding day rain

It is always good to have a plan, be it drizzle or a heavy shower having a plan for rain is a good idea just incase.

  • Have a Plan B at your venue
  • Umbrellas at the ready
  • Blankets
  • Wellies for outdoor festival weddings
  • Consider your Hair and Makeup

If you are expecting rain then speak to your venue, they will no doubt have a plan in place, your drinks reception maybe outside, and still can be, if it does rain then there is a room or area set up where your guests can move to.

If you are planning to get married outside then your venue maybe able to bring this indoors if it is forecast to rain, otherwise have some brollies ready for your guests just incase. You can buy some lovely white wedding umbrellas from Ebay or Etsy if your venue cannot provide any.

Depending what time of year you are getting married you may wish to have some blankets for guests to keep warm, if you re getting married outside then a blanket and a brolly maybe a welcome item for your guests.

Relax and embrace it

Perhaps it’s time to re-frame what a happy wedding means to you. Aesthetics aside, it’s about making important vows to the person you love in front of the people that matter most in your lives. It’s about sharing food, drink and laughter and celebrating what it means to love and be loved. Keep this in mind and no rain on your wedding day should ever define the success of your nuptials.

Even if it does rain on your wedding day, try and keep some perspective. It’s rare that rain is ongoing – there’s usually a break in the clouds, or a small shower that will pass. 

It’s virtually impossible for couples not to be glued to weather forecasts in the lead up to their big day. However, this can be helpful for planning. 

If you expect it to rain at certain times, you can always rejig your schedule to host indoor activities during the downpour.