A question I receive a lot is “What do you do if it RAINS on my wedding day?” The best way I can answer this is by assuring you that even if it rains, I will be able to photograph your wedding just as beautifully (gorgeous portraits and all) as I would without the rain. Learning to work with and around difficult situations such as bad weather is part of what sets a professional photographer apart and this expertise in handling less than ideal situations is part of what you’re investing in when you hire a professional photographer.

Obviously no bride wishes for rain on their wedding day, but it happens (and it happens more often than you’d think) and the best thing you can do about it is to just relax and trust that it will all be totally FINE! At the end of the day, a little (or a lot of) rain isn’t going to stop you from marrying your best friend! And, in fact, some of my favorite weddings have been on rainy days!

If you are worried about what will happen to your portraits in the case of rain, here are a few things to remember:

1. All I need to create beautiful natural light images on a rainy wedding day is ONE location with good natural light. Ideally, I will still shoot portraits outside on rainy days (undercover on a porch or with umbrellas) but even if we absolutely have to be indoors, one big window is enough to create stunning portraits (check out Ashley & Dean’s wedding for some examples of indoor portraits).
2. Let me worry about the pictures. If there’s a chance of rain, I will spend extra time scouting for covered locations for us to use! You have enough to think about on your wedding day without adding in any wory of where we will take your portraits if it’s raining.
3. Try not to stress about it if it’s calling for rain. Don’t think about the entire day and what will have to be changed or rearranged if it rains. It’s definitely important to have a backup plan for your venue (if you are having an outdoor ceremony and/or reception) but let your vendors handle the actual logistics of dealing with rain on your wedding!
4. If it is calling for rain, having umbrellas on hand for your bridal party and/or your wedding portraits adds a super-fun touch and makes for some awesome images! (Check out Kaitlyn & James’ wedding!)
5. And lastly, TRUST your photographer. If you’re willing to get a little wet on your wedding, we’ll go out for portraits despite some rain. If not, we’ll find a place undercover or indoors. I also will be keeping a frequent eye on the radar and if we get a break in the rain I might pull you outside for a few more quick portraits. Sometimes the best portraits are the ones that happened right after a big storm.

Remember: rain won’t stop you from having a beautiful wedding in the grand scheme of things, rain is probably one of the least tragic things you could encounter on your wedding day. So please don’t let rain steal your joy and don’t waste any time worrying about what you’ll do if it rains on your wedding day!

Xoxo,

Mary Kate