Krista & Tony | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens | Wedding Rain Plan 101

23 Apr Krista & Tony | Magnolia Plantation & Gardens | Wedding Rain Plan 101

By Taylor DuVall | April 23, 2020

But What If It Rains?

Anybody who has ever planned a wedding has asked themselves this question. When you’re spending big money and planning for months, nobody wants the forecast to quite literally rain on the parade. Today, premier Charleston wedding photographer Priscilla Thomas is going to calm your fears with a little case study. Krista and Tony’s GORGEOUS Magnolia Plantation & Gardens wedding is a prime example of two important factors:

Every couple should have a wedding rain plan
With great team of vendors, your day will be brilliant … even with precipitation

The Wedding Row: Tell us a bit about Krista and Tony’s Wedding!

Priscilla Thomas: Krista was a vision in her one-of-a-kind bridal gown with gold accents cascading down the dress. Tony was all smiles when he turned to see his beautiful bride-to-be. Sporting a blue suit and festive multi-colored bow tie, Tony stayed on theme with a classy look and unique touches. The duo looked just so amazing standing with each other and strolling downtown Charleston. Even with overcast skies, the wedding party, families, and couple stayed upbeat … and it shows in the photos.

It rained for both their engagement session and wedding. Both times they adapted seamlessly to the circumstances, but that was made easier by having a wedding rain plan prepared.

TWR: What was their wedding rain plan?

Priscilla Thomas: To have their ceremony under the covered veranda. Fortunately, the rain was on-and-off. Because of this, they decided to push back the ceremony thirty minutes to let a storm pass. Once the rain stopped, Jessica Cruz [from Cruz Coordination] and team wiped down the chairs and the ceremony went forward outdoors.

For their pre-ceremony portraits, I kept my phone out with the Dark Sky weather app. It does an adequate job of predicting when rain will start/stop. I used this to determine how fast we needed to move for photos and which combinations we could get done in uncovered outdoor areas. I also have several clear umbrellas I keep in my car just in case of rain that I’ll lend to the bride and groom for portraits and travel.

TWR: How should other engaged couples best prepare for potential weather and start a wedding rain plan?

Priscilla Thomas: Couples should consider their options in the case of inclement weather happening from the very beginning when they are selecting their venue.

Does the venue have an indoor option that would work for ceremony/reception? Will it still comfortably fit their estimated guest count?
If there isn’t an indoor option available, does the venue allow tent rentals? Couples should reach out to rental companies about the cost of a tent and to see when they have to reserve one by. A tent rental is not an inexpensive item and should be factored into the wedding budget early on as a tentative cost.

TWR: Any final words of wisdom for rainy weddings?

Priscilla Thomas: Don’t be afraid to embrace the rain; it can make for some unique photos. We staged a non-literal portrait where Krista and Tony are kissing in the vintage VW bus. The raindrops on the windshield are what’s in focus.

Lastly, having a great wedding team, especially an experienced planner, makes all the difference on how smoothly a wedding day goes regardless if it’s a rainy or sunny day.

wedding rain plan

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