Wedding and rain. Two words that no couple wants to bring together on their wedding day but the reality is, no matter how much you dance to the sun gods, rain could happen.
As part of our Festival Brides Love feature, the wonderful Nikki of Fiesta Fields is joining us today to share with you her best tips on preparing for rain on your wedding day. It really doesn’t have to be a negative thing and the prospect and anxiety about how the weather could be is no reason for you not to have the outdoor wedding you have always dreamed of, and I will tell you why…
It rained on my wedding day. After a gorgeous week of sunshine and temperatures of over 20 degrees in the build up to our wedding, rain reared its ugly head on the day itself and the temperatures were no higher than 17 degrees. But do you know what? I didn’t care! From the moment I stepped out of the doors and down the aisle, I didn’t notice the rain. I noticed Bob and all of my friends and family beaming at me, but I didn’t notice anything else. And when we were doing our couple photos and my hair was all wet, I didn’t care! I was having too much fun trying to recreate ‘that kiss‘ from The Notebook!
Rain or shine, your wedding will be a blast because of the friends and family you are sharing it with it, not because of the weather.
Here is Nikki’s excellent advice on how to chase those rain blues away!
Rain, Rain Go Away…
Words by Nikki, Founder of Fiesta Fields
No bride or groom wants rain on their wedding day, but unless you plan a destination wedding (and even then, one of my friends flew all the way to St Lucia to get rained on) there is the possibility that it could happen. Here are my top tips on how best to deal with the good old British weather and why you shouldn’t let it put you off an outdoor wedding.
“But what if it rains?”
This is such a common question and very often from parents. I always answer that it’s the same as at any other venue. Barn, stately home, hotel, all will likely have an outdoor space that you would like to use for photos and your drinks reception. If you are unable to use it, yes, it is disappointing but you still have your inside space. It’s exactly the same with an outdoor wedding. Whether you are opting for a tipi, marquee, yurt or stretch tent, you will be providing a reception venue that – by the time you finish dressing it – will be totally unique to you and will wow your guests.
What’s your wet weather plan?
Make sure you have a wet and dry weather plan eg ideal plan is welcome drinks outside, back-up plan is on your dance floor. Consider a small separate undercover area for an outdoor ceremony, even if you reserve it but don’t put it up in the end. You never know, you could end up with a scorcher and need it for shade. Most suppliers will have a ‘mini’ version that’s in keeping with your main tent. In the grand scheme this will be a small cost, but you will feel better knowing any weather combination is catered for.
If it’s just a light shower forecasted, you could always ask your guests to come prepared with their umbrellas and make sure you have one for you.
If budget is tight you may have opted to have seating across your dancefloor in your tipi/marquee. Just bear in mind that if it does rain you will want one central area for your drinks reception.
Don’t watch the long-weather forecast.
Try not to watch the weather forecast too far in advance. It won’t be accurate and is an unnecessary emotional rollercoaster, at a time in your life when you really don’t need it. Make your wet weather plan, then try and stay away from the weather apps until a few days out, when it’s likely to be a bit more reliable. I played this exact game for the month of August (our wedding was on the 21st). Every time I saw a forecast for sun I was on a high, which sank to a low when a couple of days later the prediction changed to rain. In the end we had our marquee going up on a cool drizzly day, our ceremony practice in the rain and a gorgeous sunny day for our wedding.
Think of your photos
If you do have rain, embrace it. Have some funky umbrellas and wellies in back up (you can always return them if you don’t need them) and have a look online at some of the fab quirky wet weather photography around. Discuss with your photographer in advance and be prepared to be a bit flexible on the day. If it’s raining when you had allocated time for photos, spend some extra time with your guests and duck out when things hopefully brighten up. Rainy clouds and showery days make for beautiful and dramatic skies and you never know, you might get lucky and get a rainbow.
When you need to pop outside
Hire or beg, borrow and steal a selection of umbrellas to place by the entrance to your tipi/marquee, for when your guests need to make the dash to the posh loos.
On the day
I highly recommend having an on the day coordinator to keep everything on your day running on track. They will be there first thing to ensure everything is set up as it should be and all the jobs that would normally be assigned to your bridesmaids and ushers can be given to them. They can also help set up your back up plan if you need to. One of our coordinators, Kim, had a situation where there was a torrential shower just before the bride was due to arrive. She got everything moved into the tipis so guests didn’t really know any different when they arrived. Luckily things dried up and the couple were able to go outside and have a short blessing at their ceremony arch.
Hay Bales
Hay bale seating is really popular but the main downside with bales is you run the risk of being charged damages if they are returned wet. A few bales outside your tipi/marquee could be easily brought under cover if needs be. But if you are using bales for your ceremony, this is just something to bear in mind. Bales are a bit itchy, so are generally covered by couples with blankets or covers. This of course would protect the bale to a certain extent from a light shower and even if you make it through your ceremony dry, no one is going to wat to go out and pack away 30 plus bales once the party has started.
Often folding chairs can be less stressful, as if they get wet they just need a little wipe down and they will be ok.
The Cherry On The Top
It’s important to say that none of our couples who had rain on their wedding day felt it spoiled things in any way. Yes, sunshine is the cherry on the cake, but it’s people that matter, not the weather. Embrace it all, make memories, cuddle up round the fire. It’s such a rare and special thing to have everyone you love in one place. So, take it all in, enjoy and don’t worry about the things you can’t change.
A Bit About Nikki, founder of Fiesta Fields…
A quick introduction. I’m Nikki, founder of Fiesta Fields. A company I set up five years ago to bring together beautiful blank canvas outdoor spaces with people who want to celebrate in a way that’s unique to them.
An al fresco celebration gives you the pure, unadulterated freedom to decide every aspect of your day. I can’t lie, this flexibility does come with a few added stresses, but we are here to provide the help and support you need to achieve the dream, a wedding day or celebration that’s ‘just so you’.
Land hire only is available, but a creative and dedicated team of coordinators is also on hand to provide coordination support, from the basics of generator, loos and security to more involved bespoke packages including catering, marquee/tips and bar. We also offer on the day coordination. Whatever option you go for you can benefit from our wealth of experience.
We offer you total freedom to create your vision, giving you full flexibility on the suppliers you choose, giving you a day that will be totally individual and personal to you. A quick look at our gallery http://www.fiestafields.co.uk/gallery will show you how past couples have used their creativity and personal style to create a celebration unique to them. For more information visit fiestafields.co.uk or email nikki@fiestafields.co.uk
Image Credit: Abigail White 
Image Credit: Abigail White 
Image Credit: Abigail White
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett 
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett 
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett 
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett 
Image Credit: Memory Cake
Image Credit: Memory Cake 
Image Credit: Will Patrick Weddings 
Image Credit: Lesley Burdett
Big shout out to Nikki for sharing this article with us today and for all of your advice.
For more information on Nikki and Fiesta Fields, please visit their listing in our Festival Wedding Directory: Fiesta Fields | Beautiful Outdoor Venues
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