Trystan and Katie are married! Yah! While they have been planning their wedding from across the world (quite literally, they flew in from Australia for their USA wedding), the one thing we couldn’t control was that we ended up with the most rainy day we have had here in Williamsburg… it didn’t stop raining for even 5 minutes the entire day. Katie planned to wear her dress again for an Australian wedding and reception (they actually scheduled to fly out of Williamsburg the morning after their wedding); so we had to do 99% of the photos indoors so that the bottom of her dress did not get wet.
Colonial Williamsburg Resorts, as usual, delivered in their exceptional service – arranging for a covered horse and carriage, picking up right in front of the Williamsburg Inn, so Kate was still able to go on her dream carriage ride. With the lovely beauty of the Williamsburg Inn, we ended up with an amazing gallery of images to remember their day <3.
If you’re fearing a rainy wedding day, let’s talk through a few things!
- First, and truly FIRST – stop and remember. No matter the weather, no matter what happens… you will be married to the LOVE of your life and your forever best friend.
[Okay, I could probably end the blog post here as that’s truly the most important thing. But, you’re probably saying… but Mattie, I paid a LOT of money for this wedding, and I want stunning images. The rain will ruin that… So, let’s keep going… as long as you remember that the marriage is more important than the photos 🙂 🙂 🙂 ] - Choose a venue that has rain options if you can – your photographer can be super creative with using open doorways, rooms with big windows for more of a natural light look, etc. but you can definitely help out by choosing a venue that has a porch, a lovely stairwell or fireplace for family formals, etc. Even more important, being sure your venue has a great staff ready to implement rain plans is always helpful!
- Be ready to get wet if you’re willing! While Katie had to save her dress for their Australian wedding, most brides are able to get their dresses a little wet and send it to the dry cleaner afterwards. So I highly encourage you, even if you’re experiencing a rainy wedding day – get clear umbrellas from Target or Amazon, and go outside anyway! Images in the rain are absolutely stunning! My husband assists me on wedding days so I can be out there in the rain with you (he’s super sweet and holds the umbrella over me – mostly to protect the camera, lol!).
- Be flexible. I know you have probably spent ample amounts of time going over the perfect timeline with your wedding planner or close friends; but when we have bad weather, there usually are parts of the day that are better/worse than others as far as the rain. Being willing to mix things up and run outside for couple’s portraits when there’s a break in the rain will be 100% worth it, even if something else is slightly delayed!
That’s it, friends. Because point number ONE truly is it. At the end of your rainy wedding day, you will be married, no matter what mother nature decides to do. Choosing a photographer who can capture images in all types of lighting will give you beautiful images no matter what. And, in many cultures, rain is a sign of blessing – let’s embrace it and create beautiful images together that celebrate you and your new spouse!
