Your Wedding and the Weather

Picture this:

An unseasonable 95 degree day in early April leaves your mother sweating in the direct sun at your 3 pm ceremony. She’s drenched, apologetic and uncomfortable for the ensuing family portrait session, and your photographer is hunting down any shred of shade to keep everyone comfortable and avoid harsh lighting. Your photos still have too many shots of your sister squinting in the bright sunlight.

The autumn chill has you shivering in your strapless dress as you and your soon-to-be husband attempt to capture couples portraits outside. You’re trying to stay present and smile up at your honey, but the raised hair on your arms tells the truth. You call it quits early and rush back into the warmth. You wish you had more portraits with just the two of you before the ceremony, but you’re both hiding from the guests arriving downstairs and you don’t love the background of the getting-ready space. 

You planned the perfect rooftop ceremony overlooking the skyline of the city you both love so much. Your loved ones have come from all over the country and climbed several flights of stairs and have donned rainbow sashes to celebrate your queerness. There’s not a cloud in the sky. You wait at the altar next to the officiant, whose robes billow in the wind. The music starts, the crowd steps to their feet, and your lover begins to walk towards you down the aisle. Their gorgeous curls that you love so much fly directly into their face. With one hand, they hold their father. With the other, they hold flowers. They can’t bat the hair out of their eyes. 

No matter how perfectly you think you’ve planned things, you cannot avoid the weather. It will do what it wants- shockingly hot days in early spring followed by solid freezes, lovely autumn days where the clouds roll in and absolutely dump buckets of rain onto you and your unsuspecting guests, wind that simply will not take a break. And I’m here to tell you it’s going to be ok anyway. Weather is of course one of those things we wish we could control but all we can do is manage. 

There are some simple things you can do to manage the unpredictability:

• If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, make sure your venue has an indoor option that you also like. The reality we’re trying to avoid is: you love the outdoor venue. You check the weather the night before and there’s rain in the forecast, but when you wake up, there’s not a cloud in the sky. You get the outdoor altar all set up perfectly, and the clouds start rolling in. Last minute, you have to use the ugly indoor space you hated and crossed your fingers you wouldn’t need. It’s not a funny haha memory; you’re legitimately upset. We can avoid this at the venue selection stage! 

• If an outdoor wedding is your dream, as it would be mine, make sure to tell your guests your wedding will be outdoors . They need to be prepared with things like allergy medication, sunscreen, umbrellas (for intense sunshine or rain!). If they don’t know and are uncomfortable, they may not be upset with you, but they will be upset and that’s not the vibe you want at your wedding. 

• Shade is essential! Many outdoor altars offer shade to the officiant and the couple, but what will your guests do? I promise you do not want to sit down for dinner or dance in a crowded room with people who sweated through their clothes at the ceremony! If there’s any chance your guests will overheat or freeze, ask your venue what resources they can provide! Tents, umbrellas, outdoor heat lamps, all go a long way toward making your guests comfortable and helping them focus on what matters at your wedding. 

• When you are planning the timeline of your wedding, you must consider the sunlight. Check the sunset time on your wedding date and start planning your day in reverse from that time. Here’s a link to another photographer’s very helpful article about this topic: https://www.labirdiephotography.com/blog/how-to-plan-your-wedding-timeline-for-good-light-baltimore. The photographer is in Baltimore, but the advice about the light is valuable anywhere. If you're unsure about how the sunlight should affect your wedding timeline, talk to your photographer. We study light for a living, so we can help!

• Consider the weather in your attire selection. We’ve seen grooms sweating profusely in heavy-weight suits in June. Bridesmaids shivering in their gorgeous strapless gowns with literal snow falling on their shoulders. Being uncomfortable won’t necessarily ruin your wedding, but it’s definitely not going to add to the magic! If it may be surprisingly chilly, choose a shawl or jacket that coordinates with your dress, and don’t forget your bridesmaids may need something too! Consider the time of year carefully when choosing suits so you don’t end up freezing in linen or sweating in wool. A backup shirt is also a great idea, just in case you sweat through the first one. It comes in handy if you get a stain too!

At the end of the day, the weather is going to do whatever it’s going to do. The unexpected is to be expected, and I promise that can be ok! A little planning makes all the difference: plan for options you will love, no matter the weather. And even with all the best plans, know that something will probably still go awry at your wedding, and that’s ok! 

What matters at the end of the day is that you’re standing in front of loved ones who showed up for you, with the person you love the most, making a commitment. Everything else is noise. Plan thoughtfully, prepare where you can, and then let go and enjoy the magic. 

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BIG LOVE,

Beeh & Mars