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An outdoor wedding was something I always envisioned for our wedding day. We spend a lot of our free time outdoors, and my inspiration folders were filled with photos like this:
Image via Elizabeth Anne Designs / Photography by Millie Holloman Photography
Deciding to get married outdoors for our September wedding meant that we had to be prepared for possible weather complications.
If you aren’t tied to any specific time of the year to get married but know you want to have it outdoors, research weather patterns in your area and see which months have less chance of rain, more average temperatures, etc.
Image via Idcide.com
While August had lower overall rainfall averages, it was obviously going to be way too hot to subject our guests to an outdoor ceremony and tented reception—even if part of the event is in the shade.
Image via Idcide
Moving into October meant that it might start getting chilly. I am extremely sensitive to the cold, so I don’t want to feel freezing on my wedding day. September it was!
Make sure your venue has a backup in case of rain that you can live with. One venue we looked at was absolutely breathtaking, but their “indoor option” was too small for our expected guest list. I wasn’t willing to take the chance that some people would be left out in the rain (literally!!), so we kept looking.
Our chosen venue, Clark Gardens, had a backup rain plan that we were very comfortable with. The grounds are quite large and can easily host multiple events in the same day. Additionally, they have two permanent tented structures on the property that are available for use for the wedding and/or as a rain backup. They only book a maximum of two weddings on any day so that every single person is covered in the event of inclement weather. Woohoo!
Our reception is taking place inside one of those tents anyway, and doing the ceremony underneath the tent won’t be complicated at all. Some brides just cross their fingers and pray for good weather without a good backup, but I wasn’t willing to have the day be completely different (or in a totally different indoor location) if it were to rain.
When researching venues for an outdoor wedding, always remember to discuss their inclement-weather policy with the event coordinator and make sure it is something you and your SO are comfortable with.
Are you getting married outside? What is your backup plan in case of bad weather?
I’m still keeping my fingers crossed for good weather, but I do have an excellent back up plan if it does rain. Like you, there was no way I could just roll the dice with the weather and the only way I could plan an outdoor wedding (which I really, really, really want) was to have an indoor alternative. It’s how we decided on our venue actually. Yay for back up plans, but here’s to hoping we both get great sunny weather for our days!!!
We do have a backup plan at our venue, but it’s definitely not as scenic as our (fingers-crossed) lake front ceremony will be. Also, if the weather cooperates, we’ll be able to have an outdoor cocktail hour with bar and food stations. There is an indoor alternative for that as well, again - not as scenic. Luckily, the venue has great views of the lake from inside.
So true! The first day we went to visit our venue it was literally raining so hard that the roads were nearly flooded and we couldn’t walk the 1/4 mile from the main house down to the reception pavilion. Even though we’re getting married in a completely different season, we made sure there was a rain backup (tent/move to the reception location) and the option of an alternate rain date if heaven forbid the weather is as bad as it was that first day.
Despite my name, nature and I don’t get along. The place we’re getting married had a backup rain plan but we just chose said plan from the get-go. We’re having our ceremony on a covered balcony that still shows the mountains and gets fresh air but allows shade and is immediately connected to the reception space. I’m always impressed by people who are successful at outdoor weddings (at least in Colorado where it rains nearly every afternoon in the mountains). Good luck!
We don’t get much rain in September in the bay area but I am more worried about the heat. I am getting married outside at a winery in Livermore and it can get near 100 in August so I am praying for a little relief from the heat in September. Although with the crazy weather we are having this year who knows how it will be. I should at least research tent vendors!
Our back up plan is a glorified storage shed. Let’s just say I’m praying it does not rain.
We don’t have much of a backup plan… call and try to find a tent on one day’s notice. Yeah, pretty nonexistent. But average rainfall for that time of year and location is about 0. In the past 30 years, I think there was .01 inches of rain once or something like that, so as long as we don’t get some sort of super ridiculous weather anomaly, we should be fine. Now I just have to worry about forest fires.
We have an early August date but its Washington so unlikely that it’ll be a scorcher for our guests.
We will have things available to our guests prior to the ceremony to help keep them comfortable in the heat and heaven forbid, if it rains there is a darling rustic barn on the property that we can use.
We had a back up plan, but I still hoped for good weather (and just barely got it).
We are getting married in the garden outside and then we will move inside for the reception if it rains it will be inside… I’m hoping it doesn’t rain.
Great advice! We were so close to getting married in the botanical gardens nearby, but neither of us were comfortable with their bad weather alternative.
Ugh, the weather is the one thing making me really nervous! We’re meant to get married outdoors on a golf course/lakefront with the reception inside the clubhouse. If it rains, we can have the ceremony inside the clubhouse but it will lose a lot of the aesthetic value. This is one thing we have absolutely no control over and I figure as long as we have a solid back up plan (we do), well, then there’s no point in worrying about it (easier said than done!)
I purposely ruled out any inklings of an outdoor wedding because I couldn’t stomach the uncertainty that goes with it. Sounds like you’re prepared with an awesome plan b, though!
Our wedding was this past weekend. I wasn’t going to begin looking at the forecast 10 days out, but unfortunately the mister let me in on the bad news. The exact words said “Strong storms, hot”….great, just great. But I stuck to my guns and we went on with plans for our outside wedding and reception. We made it through both of them but just when everyone had finished dinner, big drops began to fall. People began grabbing anything and everything from tables and ran inside (we had it at a B&B so there was a backup plan, it just wasn’t set up.) So we did our cake cutting inside and played the waiting game. The rain quit after about 30 minutes, and we moved the party back outdoors. Many people left during the rain, and there were only about 40 of my closest family and friends remaining. It felt like a backyard party, and I absolutely loved it! Even with the rain, I managed to have a dream wedding day!
I planned for my ceremony and cocktail hour to be outside, but we had to move it indoors due to the rain. It was not what I envisioned, but it still worked out great, the indoor spaces were fine. I would not have picked a venue that did not have decent indoor space/back-up plan. Oh, we picked October too because it usually rains less. Oh well, what are you gonna do?
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Mrs. High Wire, Dallas Age and Occupation: 23, Legal Assistant Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of Communications Engagement Date: October 9, 2010 Wedding Date: September 2011 Venue: Clark Gardens About Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
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