Rainy Day Wedding Tips for Florida Brides: How to Plan for the Unexpected
Don’t Worry, We’ve Got You Covered!
Planning a wedding is an exciting yet nerve-wracking endeavor. You’ve got the dress, the caterer, and the perfect location. But there’s one thing you can’t control—Rain on your wedding day. For those getting married in Florida, rain can be a frequent concern. With our state’s unpredictable weather patterns, it’s not uncommon for the forecast to predict a chance of rain every day. However, it’s important to understand that this doesn’t always mean you’ll need to trade your wedding gown for a raincoat.
In Florida, rain showers can be quite localized. Imagine it pouring for 20 minutes in Boca Raton while the sun continues to shine in Palm Beach. This means that a rainy forecast doesn’t necessarily spell disaster for your big day. The key is flexibility and smart planning.
Understanding Florida’s Weather
Florida’s weather patterns are famously unpredictable. Thunderstorms can pop up from seemingly nowhere, often disappearing as quickly as they arrived. This can be a blessing in disguise for brides and grooms who choose to say their vows in the Sunshine State. While it might look ominous at first, there’s a good chance the sky will clear up just in time for your first dance. 📸
One of the biggest fears brides and grooms have is, What if there is rain on my wedding day. All across the world brides and grooms are looking forward to having perfect weather on their wedding day. However, sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. It could be very disappointing when the sun hides behind the storm clouds on a bride’s special day. However, if you’ve planned properly and have a great attitude then rain doesn’t have to ruin your wedding or your pictures.
South Florida is a wonderful place for a wedding. There is no question that we have the best beaches, with warm water and waves that are just the right height for you and your wedding guests to enjoy. In addition, there are hundreds of fantastic hotels and wedding venues to choose from. Locations such as Miami Beach, the Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach are all perfect places to tie the knot. With some extra planning and some common sense you should be able to have a beautiful South Florida wedding rain or shine.
Here are some tips and ways that you can help insure you have beautiful pictures event when there is rain on you wedding day and everything gets wet.
First, you should select a venue with an indoor location in case of rain. However, rain on your wedding day doesn’t always mean that your entire day will be spent inside. Often when it rains in a tropical climate such as here in South Florida, it only rains for a few minutes, or maybe an hour and then it stops. When this is the case, you would still he able to dash outdoors for some photos. As a South Florida photographer, I have noticed that after the rain stops there is often a strange and awesome calmness to the weather in which there is absolutely no wind and very soft lighting created by a blanket of a single cumulus cloud. This is a great opportunity to take fantastic wedding pictures. In addition, if the blue sky opens up chances are you could be treated to an awesome rainbow.
In the days leading up to your wedding you many be tempted to keep an eye on your weather app, or continually check the weather, this is a sure way to leave you feeling that your wedding could be a wash out. Don’t fully trust your phone’s app to give you the complete story. Your phone’s app may show rain all day long when the reality is the rain only lasts for a few minutes.
My best advice is to consider possible rain and plan accordingly. If your venue has no indoor space, consider making plans to rent a tent. Even if you have to go with plan B, chances are you still may have an opportunity to take some outdoor photos. I recently shot a wedding where it poured right after the first look. During the rain I shot some beautiful photos indoors using the ballroom with the flowers as a background. By using some soft window light and throwing the ballroom flowers out of focus I was able to create beautiful portraits of the bride and groom. Then as the rain became a slow drizzle, we grabbed an umbrella and shot some fun bride and groom photos while walking in the rain. Next, I shot the family portraits indoors. After another 30 minutes the sun came out and we were treated to that super calm weather, which gave me time to get beautiful and ethereal outdoor photos.
While having a beach wedding on a sunny day is very common here in South Florida, however, if mother nature has other plans, making a rain plan could help insure that you wedding day is filled with fun romantic and creative pictures.
In my search for creative solutions I look for windows or doorways that will allow me to shoot through to the outside while keeping the bride and groom out of the wet weather. This image was taken under an overhang so the bride and groom stayed dry while I shot this one. Also, having an umbrella on hand can also offer a very creative opportunity for beautiful pictures. That is, if you are willing to head outdoors for a few shots. Shooting outdoors with umbrellas will only result in a hand full of creative photo so that is not a complete solution. You photographer will need to do better than just a few creative images.
I always show up to my weddings early, however a wet wedding day means I need to be extra early and I need to spend even more time finding creative solutions to the limits of not going outdoors.
Since there is nothing anyone can do to make to rain go away your best option is to have a great attitude and along with your photographer, think extra creatively. It’s very important that everyone has the right attitude. When people are under stress or upset creative thoughts become blocked.
Seriously, you can’t have a negative attitude and be a creative thinker at the same time. If you are a bride or groom you may be thinking that’s the photographers job, and you would be correct in thinking this. However, seeing a happy bride or groom may help keep your photographers mental thinking more positive.
Bride arrives at her Biltmore Hotel wedding in the rain.
One rain related issue that effects you wedding is the fact that during bad weather most of the hotel guests can’t hang on the beach, therefore they are hanging inside the hotel, which makes the inside of the hotel more crowded. This means that your wedding photographer is going to have to be on the look out for indoor places to shoot. One of the best places to start is inside the ballroom or ceremony room. One solution could be a call to your florist with a request to have to flowers and the ceremony or reception room set up early. By using your décor as a background to your wedding photos, your photographer could create some beautiful portraits in a location that is beautiful and not crowded by hotel guests.
Lastly, remember that rain is often seen as a sign of good luck on your wedding day. Many couples have found that unexpected rain makes for some of the most memorable and romantic photos. After all, who can resist a kiss in the rain?
Whether you’re tying the knot in Florida or elsewhere, these tips can help ease your weather-related worries. Remember, some of the most magical moments arise from the unexpected. Stay prepared, stay flexible, and enjoy every moment of your special day.