With an outdoor ceremony planned for this weekend – the first CapRo wedding of 2024! – rain plans are on my mind. Turning back to this post from 2019 confirmed that we have done everything we need to do to be prepared for Saturday. A solid rain plan indoors (read: no tent or rentals required) and a shaded ceremony location in perfect 70 degree spring weather if Mother Nature allows us to use that option.
If you are also planning elements of your wedding day outdoors, keep reading for some solid advice from our founder Bree...
Image: An Endless Pursuit
If there is one guarantee for your wedding, it’s that you cannot guarantee what the weather is going to do for your DC area wedding day. As day-of coordinators, we’ve found less and less couples pining for the month of May or October, because there’s no real chance anymore that the weather is going to be all that nice in those months. We’ve had weddings in EVERY month of the year, because why not? Weather’s going to do, what weather’s going to do, and in this area, it’s not going to be predictable, so why have it be such a big portion of your wedding date consideration?
We’ve had snow in March, t-shirt weather on Christmas Eve, and hurricanes in October – it doesn’t really matter anymore and so we’ve found our couples are less inclined to play the weather odds game, and just get married in a month that makes sense to them for scheduling, traveling, monetary, or emotional reasons.
Regardless of the month you get married in though, there are some things to consider/take into account with regards to your wedding & the weather and we’d like to share them with you.
#1. Think of your guests
Lots of our couples think about the ceremony or reception THEY have always dreamed of and say things like “well, it’ll be a fast ceremony, so if it’s cold, who cares?”. Well, YOU might not care that you will have a super fast ceremony in 30 degree weather, but your guests might. Remember that guests arrive earlier than you do and could be outside for 45 minutes in the freezing cold – not only not fun, but sets a tone for your wedding day, of one where the guests comfort might not have been considered.
If you cannot give up that dream of an outdoor wedding, even if the weather turns wrong, at least consider offering your guests something to help – extra umbrellas for rain, extra blankets for cold weather, etc.
#2. Be OK with your backup plan (oh and HAVE A BACKUP PLAN)
I can’t tell you how many of our couples sort of look at me blankly when I ask them what their rain plan is. The answer is: too many! Don’t add unnecessary stress to your wedding week / day-of with not having a back-up plan for weather. This could mean a tent, a back-up reception location, or tons of umbrellas for each guest. Whatever it is, you have to have a back-up plan AND I recommend that the plan is something you are OK with.
#3. Tents are expensive
When budgeting for your wedding, consider if your weather plan (or back-up) means needing to rent a tent. Be aware that tents are EXPENSIVE and typically can’t be cancelled the morning of the wedding, so consider this when you pick your venue.
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What did I miss? Any other weather-related advice to share with our engaged and wedding planning friends? Sign-off in the comments!
