+ what to do if it rains on your wedding day

Let’s be honest, in the UK it rains. A LOT. So, there’s a pretty high chance of rain on your wedding day. But it rarely rains all day, so there are usually moments where you can squeeze in at least a few photos outdoors, right? 

Well, at Lee and Sofia’s October wedding, this was sadly not the case. It rained ALL DAY LONG! I couldn’t believe it! In fact, to date I have never been at a wedding where it rained so much! But Lee and Sofia were amazing. They most definitely did not let the weather dampen their spirits, and were absolute troopers! 

Preparing for a wet wedding

With only a couple minutes walk between St Michael and all Angels, Waddesdon – and the Five Arrows Hotel, you might think there was little chance of getting that wet. But to be on the safe side, the couple had booked a limo to transport Sofia and her bridesmaids from the hotel to the church and bought a few white umbrellas too. And as it happened, it was very much needed. It absolutely chucked it down in the short amount of time between getting ready at the hotel to getting to the church. Their forward-planning definitely paid off! 

So when planning your wedding, definitely have a wet-weather contingency plan, just in case!

Wedding group photos at Waddesdon

Like many couples, Lee and Sofia were excited to have confetti thrown as they exited the church. While the rain made that impossible outside, we did manage to contain it by only the bridesmaids and groomsmen showering the couple with confetti in the porch of the church, while I stood outside under a big umbrella snapping away! So just goes to show that where there’s a will, there’s definitely a way! 

Ideally, the couple would have loved to have their group photos outdoors. But again, sadly that was not to be. So instead, our plan B was to have a shot with all the guests inside the church, with me shooting from the pulpit. 

For family and other group photos in wet weather, I usually look for a doorway with a porch or overhang, a large hallway, staircase, or spacious room which isn’t being used, whilst also thinking about the best light. I luckily managed to get some photos of the groom and his party in the church porch before the ceremony. 

For the other group photos, the best place I could find was in the corner of the marquee, where I could borrow a bit of natural light from the transparent sides. Since the marquee was already laid out for dinner and the staff were still making a few last minute touches to the tables, I didn’t want to disrupt things too much, so we worked quickly. This too meant that everyone could get back to the bar to be with the other guests as quickly as possible, and get warm by the fire. 

Bride and groom photos at Waddesdon

Next it was onto the couple photos. I always love to provide couples with a variety since these will often be the most-prized photos, and certainly one or two will end up on a mantlepiece or framed on a wall.

Where I can, I love to use natural light, so taking some photos on the staircase landing (and temporarily moving all the furniture to accommodate us!) was my chosen spot. And while it wasn’t raining too heavily, we also managed a few outside in the garden. Phew! 

So don’t worry, there are always solutions to be found. It just means getting a bit creative sometimes. And I definitely don’t mind stepping out in the rain, putting on wellies and bringing out the transparent umbrellas – which I always carry in the boot of my car – to get those all-important shots! 🙂 

The evening party at the Five Arrows Hotel

It was brilliant! With delicious food, a quiz about the couple, prizes for those who won the bet on who would deliver the longest speech, a surprise birthday cake for the maid-of-honour, a VW camper van photo booth with dressing-up props, and a live mo town band, there was no longer any care about the rain as it drizzled on! Instead the party was turned up to full volume! 

As the saying goes, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” which was most definitely the case at this wedding! 

To Lee and Sofia – thank you so much for choosing me as your photographer, and may you continue to keep dancing, whatever the weather! 

So my lovely readers, I hope that this offers you some reassurance, that even on the very wettest of days, it is still possible to have the best day ever! 

Love,

Lorna x

P.S. For more ideas and tips to help you prepare in case of wet weather on your wedding, check out this blog post. 

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Wedding Venue: Five Arrows Hotel, Waddesdon
Photography: Lorna Richerby Photography
Venue styling & flowers: The Luxe Design Company
Hair & Makeup: Hair and Makeup by Emma 
Cake: Gifted Heart Cakes 
Wedding dress: Rosa Clara 
Bridal shoes: Rachel Simpson shoes
Band: OJ’s Soul Band 
Vintage Campervan Photo Booth: Rusty and Roses