What to do if it rains on your wedding day

Bride with an umbrella on her wedding day

First and foremost your wedding should always have a Plan B, no matter what the hiccup is. Many brides and grooms dream of an outdoor wedding, but they should always consider an indoor or sheltered alternative to avoid disappoint should the worst come to the worst. You should also think about transport: perhaps the short walk to the venue from the ceremony will not seem so short in bad weather conditions. Your wedding day plans may include a drinks reception on a terrace overlooking beautiful gardens, but dont forget to have an indoor plan with beautiful dcor as a back-up.

Now lets be vain for a moment. Rain is terrible for hair even the most coiffed, hair-sprayed of manes. Talk to your hairdresser about making your style as secure as possible for your wedding day and ask them to show your mom or bridesmaid how to recover it if it starts to look a little windswept of frizzy. This may involve emergency supplies of hairspray, and hair straighteners close to hand. Similarly, dont risk ruining your wedding shoes on the way to the ceremony to find yourself conscious of them later in the day, with their mud stains and wet blotches. Consider taking a pair of wellington boots which can add a really fun look to your photos if the heavens open; or perhaps buy a second pair of shoes that you can wear outside and change into later in the day. Umbrellas are a very easy contingency to have in place and there are some really pretty or unusual designs around to choose from, which could also double up as a parasol if the sun comes out.

Its not only yourself, your wedding dress and your groom (in that order!) that you have to worry about if the weather is wet on your wedding day. Think about your guests and how theyll be kept warm and dry too. Perhaps provide the ushers with a supply of umbrellas to hand out to soggy guests and also ensure that they greet guests at the car where possible so they dont get drenched on the way in to the ceremony or reception. Supplying ponchos for your guests may be taking it a tad too far, so maybe temporary walkways or gazebos are the way forward instead.

It is always worth planning ahead to ensure that the weather wont spoil your wedding day. Looking at the weather forecast might seem obvious, but to a busy bride just before her big day, that will be the last thing on her mind. Instead, it will be spray tans and last-minute dress fittings! Perhaps this should be left to the groom or an usher, but looking ahead at the weather forecast will help you prepare for even the wettest of weathers. It is better to be safe than sorry, especially when your wedding dress and make-up are at stake!

The very best advice is to ensure that you keep things in perspective and enjoy the day as a whole. Whether you are met with showers and storms or glorious sunshine on your wedding day, your day will be perfect no matter what, so long as youre in the right mindset. Its also worth knowing that a rainy wedding day is actually considered lucky in some cultures. Similarly, every time it rains after your big day, it will be a nice reminder of the happiest day of your life especially if theres a rainbow! Read moreon getwed.com... What kind of wedding do you want? Top tips for minimising wedding stress Follow getwed.com on Twitter

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What to do if it rains on your wedding day