There’s no mistake severe weather can cause undue stress to anyone on his or her wedding day but having a venue and/or coordinator/planner who have solid plans to navigate the unforeseen is the game changer.
According to the Knot, almost 60 percent of all wedding ceremonies are held outdoors making nature a clear preference for a flora and fauna backdrop. That’s a pretty high percentage of married couples who have battled some form of unexpected weather and the outcomes of all these events relied heavily on the back up plan.
Since Weymouth Hill is more of a garden/wooded setting designed by a landscape architect, we highly encourage all our ceremonies outdoors, but this all comes with some careful planning and coordination. It is never left up to chance and one of the most common questions we are asked is, what if it rains.
Here are just a few of the Weymouth Hill protocols from our playbook that you should consider and implement no matter where you chose to get married.
- Don’t let a downpour be a mood downer: Of course, everyone wants perfect weather on their wedding day and some lucky ones will actually get it. It’s best to get in the mindset early on that perfect weather doesn’t equal perfect wedding. One of our rainiest weddings to date was one of the most spirited and it was absolutely because of the positive attitude of the couple and all the guests. The saying making lemonade from lemons couldn’t ring more true in this case.
- Don’t ignore special or severe weather statements: At Weymouth Hill, as owner I feel a responsibility to the safety of guests as does our staff. We watch the weather and radar all day. We do our very best to work through a break in a stormy day or to be aware of clippers in the area during your ceremony. That said, I’m also watching for those red dots on the radar or high winds. During heavy wind, it is not safe to be under tent or a tree canopy. In rare cases, or in tornado warnings, it may be necessary to take precautionary shelter, and every wedding should know where their guests could evacuate if needed. Again, this is unlikely, but something to consider and you should ask your venue what their evacuation plan is and if there is a backup generator on property. Our backup generator saved us on more than one occasion. The key here is someone needs to be monitoring weather during your outdoor ceremony. If you don’t have a planner/coordinator enlist a responsible family or friend.
- Tent can save the day: While mentioned above, tents are not a solution for severe weather, but they can sure save a rainy day. Look for tent rentals that will offer sidewalls. You or your planner will need to determine the weather direction and if sidewalls are needed, noting that you will need to maintain airflow for guest comfort. A tent can provide a canopy to a rainy day while still being outdoors. Honestly, tent design is becoming so elegant and a dreamy design can rival any indoor ballroom.
- Weather Team: Yes, that’s right and we aren’t talking about the local news channel meteorologists. This is a group of people who will be on standby to assist when unexpected weather comes through and drowns your floral, threatens your ’dj’s equipment and waterlogs all your guest’s chairs. At Weymouth Hill, we have a team always on standby during ceremony and reception and they have a basket of towels to dry chairs. We had a record wedding, we dried chairs five times! Our crew has rain gear and can assist getting anything out of the weather that is needed. When planning a wedding that does not have such a team, you should bring a tote with microfiber towels for quick drying and ponchos, especially if rain is in your forecast.
- Communicate with your guests: This is where a wedding website is super useful. If weather is looming on your day of, send your guests any special notes about this as they are surely wondering what your plan B may be. Guests should also be prepared with the potential for a rain jacket or umbrella. Often guests just presume everything will be moved inside, which isn’t always ideal.
- Be prepared: Your outdoor venue will likely have some provisions and covered spaces, as well as umbrellas on hand. However, having your own gear on hand never hurts. This weekend both mother of the groom and bride bought clear umbrellas just in case, even though we have some, but it’s always nice to have extra on hand.
- Don’t sweat a rain delay: While not ideal, sometimes it’s best to hold your guests indoors until a small shower passes. We’ve done this more than once and once seats were dry, the romance and vivid color of a fresh rain surely set an unexpected mood.
Remember, weather is something no one can control, but having a gameplan can ease everyone’s mind.
