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What happens if it rains on my wedding day?

They do say it’s good luck for it to rain on your wedding, but we’re not entirely convinced! Don’t get us wrong, rain is a wonderful thing – especially when Melbourne is often so short of the wet stuff – but in most people’s dreams about their wedding day it’s a brilliantly clear blue sky day with not a cloud in the sky. Rain can put a real damper on this kind of perfect weather wedding day, so it’s pays to have a think about what you will do if it rains.

From a wedding photography point of view rain can be a real problem and unfortunately it can wreck havoc with your photography plans, so it pays to have a back up photography plan for adverse weather conditions, especially if you are having an outdoor ceremony or want a lot of photos in the middle of vineyards or a beach

It is advisable to start to check the weather forecast only 5-7 days before your wedding. If you check it any earlier than this as you won’t be getting an accurate forecast. A great website and app for reliable weather forecasts in Melbourne is the Bureau of Meterology.

If you have an iphone, don’t use it’s built-in weather app – I wonder if refers to the same Melbourne on some days and proves notoriously unreliable! The radar and forecasting on the Weatherzone app appears to be much more reliable.

If rain or bad weather is forecast, then it’s time to swing your wet weather back up plans into action! These should ideally be done a few months before your wedding date.

What are your wet weather wedding ceremony plans?

So, what if rain is on the cards for your wedding day and you’ve planned an outdoor wedding?

Well, don’t panic (or not too much, at least!) but do get organised to ensure you have a back up location for wet weather on the day.

A good first option is your wedding reception venue so check with them if this is ok and what sort of set up they can create for you.

You should be able to make the place look good with decorations from your outdoor ceremony, and go down to the venue and see what it will look like the day before!

Another option is to find cover somewhere near your outdoor wedding location. This can work well if light showers or intermittent rain is forecast, as you might only need cover for a short period of time.

If you plan to be in a park there are often rotundas or picnic areas that can be used for wet weather shelter, or look to locate yourself somewhere out of the prevailing wind to get a little more cover from the elements.

What happens if it rains during your wedding photography?

Your wedding photographer should be able to suggest good places for undercover wedding photography  locations in Melbourne.

If they are a local photographer their knowledge will be spot on for great places that can be covered and away from wild weather. Be sure to discuss this at your first or subsequent meetings and take some time to look at the suggested locations yourself to see if you like them.

You might be surprised what a professional photographer can create in certain locations, even in the wet, so trust them that they will be able to take good photos.

Another option is to stick it out in the open, and if you plan on doing this you might want to schedule more time for your wedding photos (so you can shelter between showers!).

It is also a wise idea to purchase several big umbrellas. Your photographer might have a preference for colour, but generally white umbrellas are the best option so they don’t distract from the photos.  White is also a good option for helping the photographer to bounce a flash off them should be need a little help in the lighting department!

Be careful what colour or printing is on the underside of the umbrellas: you don’t want lovely wedding photos with someone’s corporate logo emblazoned across them all!

Is rain and wet weather bad in wedding photos?!

From a photography point of view some wet weather is actually not all bad……ok it’s bad, but it’s not ALL bad!

Wet weather can be good because clouds add a lot of drama and punch to your photos, whereas a flat blue sky can be rather uninteresting. Recent rain will make everything sparkle and look fresh and vibrant, whereas a baking hot day will make the colours washed out and flat.

There is also the opportunity to use puddles for reflections or alternative angles.

Ask any photographer and they will most likely say that they would much rather shoot on a day with cloud cover than a bright sunny day.

Will a wedding photographer stop shooting if it rains?

As long as it’s not pouring down with rain, your wedding photographer should be ok with shooting in a little bit of wet weather as their camera gear should be weather sealed.

So light rain, some mist and that sort of level should be fine to keep taking photos.

It’s more likely that you will begin to think twice about keeping going because the rain could ruin your hair, make up, make you both cold, and potentially turn a beautifully presented outfit into a bedraggled mess!

If the rain is torrential, have a chat with your wedding photographer, who might be open to re-shooting  the bridal portraits on another day.  If they’re a professional and their gear is insured, they should be able to shoot in whatever conditions you encounter.

Remember: relax, smile and enjoy your wedding day!

We’ve seen some fantastic photos from a wet wedding day, and it’s mainly because the couple smiled, laughed, and had a lot of fun. Wet weather will only ruin your wedding if you let it!