How To Handle Rain on Your Wedding Day

Nobody wants bad weather on their wedding day, especially rain. We plan for specific times of year and locations that will hopefully be beautiful and clear. But sometimes it just happens. It’s out of your control. There’s literally nothing you can do about it.

What you CAN do is prepare yourself ahead of time. With a little bit of preparation ahead of time, you’ll not only be better able to handle bad weather on your wedding day, (should it gosh forbid it happen), and even more importantly – you’ll have peace of mind that the day will go smoothly regardless.

Because no one, and I mean NO ONE, wants to feel stressed out on their wedding day.

With that said, here are my recommendations for how to handle rain on your wedding day (or any kind of bad weather for that matter). And yep, most of it has to do with preparation ahead of time.

Have a Plan B

This may seem obvious, but I’ve definitely been to weddings that didn’t have one… 😬

If any part of your day is outside during a part of the year that could potentially rain/storm/or idk, tornado, make sure you have a backup location. That could mean moving things to the indoor space of a venue or maybe just having the number for a tent rental company ready at the hand.

If you’re going the tent route, make sure you check to see how early you need to book it in order for it to be set up in time. This often means at least the day before. If that’s the case, you’ll want to have a plan to make the official call (of whether or not to rent the tent)  by a certain day and time.

Have Umbrellas Handy

Order a few umbrellas ahead of time just in case. Clear ones work best (so you can get those dreamy under-the-umbrella couples portraits together). I recommend these!

You can also ask your photographer if they have any clear umbrellas they could provide. Most wedding photographers have at least one and they will be willing to let you use it on your wedding day.

You just want to make sure you have enough for you and your wedding party (if you have one). If it’s not raining hard, there’s a good chance your photographer will still want to take some photos outside. They will look super cute under the matching clear umbrellas – I promise!

Plan to get a little bit dirty.

Yes, your dress will get wet. It might even get a little bit (or a lot a bit) dirty. Please, DO NOT try to keep it pristine and clean. That will only dampen the vibes (get it? haha) and distract you the entire time. Just embrace the day and let it unfold naturally. Your wedding photos will be beautiful regardless of whether or not your dress got a little bit dirty. You know why? Because you looked happy and relaxed.

Have backup layers + footwear for rain.

Say it’s raining on your wedding day and you decide to take some couples portraits outside on the lawn under a clear umbrella. You step onto the soggy grass and your stiletto heel sinks two inches into the wet ground. 🫠Whoopsies! Have a pair of shoes handy that you can wear outside for any rainy day portraits. You don’t have to wear them all day, but having cute and comfy footwear for the outdoor portions of your day will be handy.

You’ll want to have a cute layer you can wear over your wedding day ensemble in case it’s chilly as well. Again, you don’t have to wear it all day. It’s just a backup in case. 

Adjust Your Hair & Makeup

If you have long hair, opt for a style that’s more rain or wind-resistant. Something like an updo or long braid are great options!

Ask your makeup artist to use water resistant products if they have them, and to provide you with a mini “day of touchup kit.” Most makeup artists do this already, but you can always ask yours about it in advance to make sure!

Talk to Your Photographer

Talk to your photographer and make an “in case of deterrent weather” plan for the day! If it rains the day-of, ask your photographer and guests to keep an eye out for a break in the rain. Those are great times to sneak outdoors for some fun portraits. Just 5 minutes is all you need to get a few stunning portraits outdoors with the dramatic weather behind you!

If it’s not rain you’re fighting but intense wind, consider stepping outside around sunset for some windy sunset portraits! Your hair might be a little destroyed after, but you’re just heading back inside to get down on the dance floor at that point, right?

Embrace the Weather

Try your best to embrace the weather and just go with the flow! Your wedding photos will be so unique and beautiful because of it. Trust that your guests will come together to make the best of it and everyone will have a great time regardless. People make great parties, not the weather!

Our Wedding Day: 

My partner and I got married in April of 2026 in San Francisco. Spring in SF can be hit or miss for rain. We had our fingers crossed for nice weather and even experienced a heat wave in the City about a week before our wedding! Alas, as our wedding date got closer, the forecast was said to rain all weekend.

We had to completely adjust the layout for our reception space. The venue was a brewery, mainly indoors with a large outdoor area available as well. We had hoped to set our welcome table outdoors with some fun lawn games as well. Because of the forecasted rain, we had to revamp the layout and squeeze (almost) everything inside! It was kind of a headache, I’ll be honest. But wow, I’m so glad we did it! 

The weather ended up not as bad as we expected the afternoon of our wedding day, but knowing there was space for everyone inside the brewery just in case it rained was invaluable.

For our ceremony, we were planning to get married on Crissy Field Beach in SF. Thankfully we had nothing to set up (standing only) and it was a relatively small ceremony.

Alas, it literally dumped rain all morning. Our Plan B was to walk into Fort Point and hold our ceremony on the third floor where we would be covered from the rain. We just wanted somewhere dry and preferably outdoors.

We lucked out and the rain stopped the hour before our ceremony, so we ended up being able to hold it on the beach! It was incredible. But the entire morning while I was getting ready with my girlfriends and it poured rain outside my hotel room, I wasn’t worried. I knew it would work out whether we got married on the beach or at Fort Point. Having that peace of mind the day of our wedding was priceless.

This is why you have a Plan B!!! The peace of mind is well worth the extra effort put into having a backup plan in case of deterrent weather.

The Pro’s of Rain on Your Wedding Day

Because rain isn’t all bad! It’s dramatic, it’s dreamy, it’s a symbol of rebirth. If you can fall in love with the idea of rain on your wedding day, nothing can dampen your joy on your wedding day. Let’s dive into all the reasons rain is actually great to have on your wedding day!

1. It’s good luck! I know most brides probably hate hearing this, but it rained on my wedding day and I stuck to this theory. If you and your partner can get through rain on your wedding day, you can get through anything.
2. Your guests might be more squished together at an indoor venue which means more socializing instead of spreading out into small groups. People are more likely to meet one another and actually have a conversation instead of relocating to a space farther away from the crowd!
3. Rainy day wedding photos have a beautiful vibe! You’ll get raindrops glistening off tree branches. You can get cozy couples portraits under clear umbrellas. 
4. Your community will come together + show up for you in the best way possible. When it rains on a wedding day, people will do dang near anything to help the wedding couple make the best of it. It’s really beautiful to see all your friends and family come together and make the best of a not-so-ideal situation at the last minute. And THAT, my friends, is more memorable than the perfect weather wedding day will ever be.

Now, if you’re currently planning your wedding and trying to figure out what to do if the forecast isn’t looking ideal, I hope this gave you a little peace of mind. Rest assured, your day is still going to be so meaningful. And honestly some of the most beautiful weddings I’ve ever photographed have happened in less-than-perfect weather.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who will help you stay calm, be flexible, and fully present no matter what the weather decides to do, I’d love to hear from you! Simply inquire through my website and tell me all about your wedding plans, rainy plan included. 🙂

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