It doesn’t matter if you have a fully indoor or outdoor venue, rainy day weddings can be stressful. They involve a lot of logistics that many people would rather avoid. It doesn’t have to spoil your fun, though! These tips will help you embrace the rain instead of dreading it. 

How to Approach Rainy Day Weddings

Before I dive into the tips, the most important thing you can do is approach rainy day weddings with a combination of preparation and lightheartedness. (That’s probably just good wedding advice in general.) You can’t control everything, but you can have back up plans and be willing to roll with the day as it unfolds. The wedding featured here is a perfect example of how to get beautiful photos and enjoy being in the moment no matter what the weather brings.

5 Tips for a Fun Day Despite the Weather

1. Get matching umbrellas. 

Every article about rainy day weddings will tell you to get a tent. That’s important, don’t get me wrong! But unless you plan on having your ceremony and taking pictures all under the tent, it’s worth getting umbrellas for your photos. 

When you pick out your umbrellas, think about how they’ll look in photos. Colorful umbrellas can be playful and cute, but they often reflect in weird ways on skin. White and clear umbrellas are your best bet for not casting odd colors or blocking precious light on a cloudy day.

Remember to get enough umbrellas for everyone in your photos, too. If you want portraits with friends or family, make sure they’re covered. Get your umbrellas well in advance. That way you can avoid running from store to store if some places are short on stock.

2. Have a change of shoes on hand.

Many of us spend a long time picking out just the right shoes to round out our wedding attire. Unless your dream shoes are rain boots, you’ll want to be flexible on this point. Consider wearing those gorgeous shoes for the ceremony then switching into something fashionable but more practical for the rest of your celebration.

If you still want your practical shoes to look “wedding,” consider getting a white pair of your go-to shoes. For the wedding featured here, the bride switched from her formal shoes to Tevas sandals. She could walk around without her heels sinking into the ground and enjoy herself more. 

3. Be flexible on your layout.

Rainy day weddings can require us to move things around on short notice. Think about where you’ll put the things that shouldn’t get wet and what can stand to be in the rain. At this wedding, they moved rugs from the outdoor bathroom area to under the tent to mitigate mud. Check in with any rental companies you’re using in case they have specific rules about inclement weather.

4. Stay safe while having fun.

When it’s raining, the dance floor is bound to get slippery. Have mops and towels on hand. At this wedding, a guest led a conga line around the dance floor to dry everything up. This was so much more fun than telling everyone to stand on the sidelines while one person mopped up. It got everyone involved and kept the party going!

5. Keep guests entertained with low-maintenance activities.

It’s easier to enjoy rainy day weddings when guests stay entertained from start to finish. No one has time to moan about the weather when they’re having fun. Having a dance floor is great if that’s your thing. It’s nice to have other options for smaller groups to connect too.

The trick with reception entertainment is to make it low-maintenance for you so that you can enjoy your time too. Yard games are a good place to start, and some can fit under a tent. This wedding had cornhole under the tent. Later in the night, they brought out a cigar bar as a treat for guests.

Of course, food is always a great way to break up the night and give people a new experience to remember your wedding by. This wedding had an ice cream truck. Guests loved it so much that no one really noticed the rain. Other treats like a coffee bar or pizza station give guests a way to interact over crowd favorites.

Were these tips for rainy day weddings helpful? You also might like these tips for a sustainable wedding and these colorful wedding ideas!