A wet weather wedding can be a nightmare scenario for engaged couples. When it comes to elements of a wedding day that are out of their control, the weather is right up there for unpredictability. Even indoor wedding ceremonies can be hampered by rain to a degree. So, what do you do when the heavens open?

I wanted to show you a wet weather wedding case study of one of my lovely couples K&S. Have a read to see how I kept their day on track when the rain started…and did not stop!

My Couple

K&S are one of my international couples, living in the America. They planned two ceremonies – one Stateside and one here in Oxfordshire for the British groom’s family and friends to witness. They approached me to look after their Oxfordshire wedding so that I could help bridge the gap between time zones, and be their eyes on the ground. This is a really smart move for anyone planning a wedding overseas.

Matt Badenoch Photography
Haze Lea Floral Design

The Original Plan

The plan was for the Bride to get ready at a hotel near to the venue. She would then meet the Groom for a ‘First Look’ moment in the grounds of a historic abbey site. There would be a series of formal photographs outdoors and then the wedding party would make the five-minute walk to the venue.

Post-ceremony, and with all guests present, there would be further outdoor photography at the town’s museum, and sunset photography back at the venue on an open-air balcony.

This was all planned for late afternoon and evening, allowing for plenty of set-up time of the wedding breakfast room.

What happened…

At 9am on the morning of the wedding, it began to rain. Initially it was light rain but soon became torrential. With no breeze, the heavy rainclouds would not budge and despite the ceremony taking place much later in the day, the ground was soon completely sodden. By 1pm it became clear that outdoor photography was no longer an option. Even if there was a pause in the rain, K’s beautiful dress had a long train that would be ruined if it touched the ground.

When things like this happen, it is my job to keep everyone calm and positive. I am here to make sure the day stays on track. This means I need to make executive decisions for the entire wedding party to keep them all coordinated.

Adapting the Day

The First Look was really important to my couple – a moment of calm and quiet, in which he would see her in her gown for the first time. This intimate moment would be just the two of them, captured by their photographer.

Matt Badenoch Photography

I made the decision for this First Look to now take place in the ceremony room. The florist, Katherine, of Haze Lea Floral Design was already on site and on schedule to complete the floral designs. With the help of me and my Mrs T assistant, Lyndsey, we moved the schedule forwards, allowing Katherine to complete the flowers while we lit more than 50 candles in the ceremony room, creating a warm, glowing atmosphere for this special moment.

Matt Badenoch Photography

Guests

With the First Look sorted, my next task was to keep the guests dry. They should have been meeting in the open-air abbey well before the wedding ceremony. I made the executive decision to now bring them to the wedding breakfast room. Lyndsey and I had been dressing the room since 10am and had completed the majority of the set up. We set to work to pull together the last of the final touches ahead of time so that the room was complete for the guests to arrive 2 hours early and shelter from the rain prior to the ceremony.

Using a series of lights and glitter ball, we were able to lift the lighting of the room to combat the gloom of the conditions outside and aid the photographer who would now take all formal group photos in this space.

Bridal Party

With guests arriving, my attentions were now turned to transporting the bridal party to the venue. Despite the location for them getting ready being just five minutes on foot from the venue, the rain and wet ground was too much to risk the beautiful bride and her bridesmaids having their gowns soiled. I equally did not want to undo all the hard work by Ema Bridal on their gorgeous hair and make-up.

Unfortunately, the rain meant that every single taxi company in the local area was completely booked out. At this point my assistant Lyndsey stepped in to transport the bridesmaids and close family friend. The Best Man’s wife picked up the Bride, her parents and the wedding photographer while I remained at the venue coordinating the guests. Between them, they delivered the whole bridal party to the venue, safe and dry.

Mrs T Weddings Wet Weather Wedding Case Study
Matt Badenoch Photography

Ceremony

With everyone now on site, K&S had their emotional First Look in the ceremony room. This was followed by formal group photography in the wedding breakfast room. We then proceeded to the ceremony – I looked after filming proceedings for the stateside friends and family, while Lyndsey coordinated the music and getting the bridal party down the aisle.

Mrs T Weddings Wet Weather Wedding Case Study
Matt Badenoch Photography

After the ceremony the venue were able to serve guests canapes in the ceremony room in lieu of the museum photography. During this time, me, Lyndsey and Katherine from Haze Lea Floral Design moved all of the flowers and candles to the wedding breakfast room. This provided a little extra ‘wow’ moment for guests to see the room have additional elegant touches and more candlelight.

Mrs T Weddings - Haze Lea Floral Design
Haze Lea Floral Design
Mrs T Weddings Wet Weather Wedding Case Study
Matt Badenoch Photography
Haze Lea Floral Design

Sunset photography

Given the weather, there was no sunset photography available, but a short pause in the rain allowed K&S some rooftop photography. With the bespoke wedding bar open serving tailormade Bride and Groom cocktails, the weather was soon a distant memory!

Matt Badenoch Photography

Mrs T’s Wet Weather Wedding Plans

It goes without saying that all Mrs T Weddings are completely unique. No two set of circumstances will be the same for any of my couples. However, the level of service you can expect from me and the Mrs T Team will always be above and beyond. I will do everything I can to rescue your day from the clutches of bad weather.

If you are planning an outdoor ceremony or have key parts of your day taking place outdoors, I highly recommend looking at wet weather wedding contingency plans. If you think you need to weather-proof your wedding and would like help with this, do get in touch.