If I had a dollar for every weather forecast I’ve watched with a couple during their wedding week, I’d have a house on Lake Como by now. The text usually arrives five to seven days before the wedding reading something like this:
“Hi Haley! I’m sure you’ve seen the weather forecast…”
It’s almost always followed by a screenshot of a weather app announcing a 72% chance of rain, and then a group chat between the couple, the wedding coordinator, and me. By Thursday, we’ve collectively checked the weather roughly 483 times. And you know what? Half the time, it amounts to nothing.
But the other half (or, in the case of every single outdoor wedding I photographed in 2025)… it rains. And yet, somehow, those rainy wedding days end up becoming some of my favorites.
Here’s the thing:
The key to having a stress-free wedding day is recognizing that neither you nor I control very much—least of all the weather. We both know negotiating with the elements is ridiculous. That’s simply not where our energy belongs.
But here’s what we can control: our response.
Will you laugh?
Will you cry?
Will you dance anyway?
Will you choose each other?
Will I photograph all of it?
The rain doesn’t get to decide how your wedding day feels.
You do.
Now, as a documentary photographer who grew up in Oregon, I thrive on rainy wedding days. I adore the way people respond to unexpected weather. It’s in the way rain drips off umbrellas, the way your dress billows in the wind, how your parents instinctively move closer together while dodging raindrops, the blur of your bridal party’s colors as they sprint across the lawn.
All of that? That’s the good stuff.
Some of my favorite photographs have happened because of the rain. Like the bride who waited patiently beneath her umbrella until it was finally time to walk down the aisle. Or the couple who ducked into a giant igloo to escape the weather and ended up having the funniest little dance party. Or the groom who quietly shared an umbrella with his dad during a downpour. None of those moments would have existed without the rain.
Should we make a backup plan?
Absolutely.
Your venue and coordinator can work together to secure umbrellas, towels, a backup ceremony space, and everything else needed to keep the day moving smoothly.
But then? We roll with it. We stop checking the forecast every six minutes. We take notes from Elsa and we “let it go”.
The Rainy Day Manifesto
We will not measure our wedding by sunshine.
Or by rain.
We will not confuse perfect weather with a perfect wedding day.
We will laugh when plans change…
Because plans always change.
We will dance anyway.
We will hug tighter.
We will kiss longer.
We will remember how this day felt because we chose to fully experience it.
We will carry that same spirit of chosen joy and flexibility into our marriage.
Not what the forecast predicted.
Not what life predicts.
We will choose each other.
Every single time.
Twenty years from now, you won’t remember that it rained at 3:17 p.m.
You’ll remember running barefoot through puddles.
You’ll remember the rain hitting your lips as you tipped your face toward the sky and laughed.
You’ll remember holding your partner’s rain-soaked hand.
You’ll remember the tiny patterns raindrops left across your dress.
You’ll remember everyone squeezing together beneath the only shelter around.
You’ll remember that you got married.
Everything else was just weather.
You’re right. You DO need more rainy day resources…
- How to Prioritize Togetherness on Your Wedding Day
- How to Create a Wedding Timeline That Actually Lets You Experience Your Wedding Day
- Why You Don’t Need to Pose on Your Wedding Day
- Why Your Wedding Shouldn’t Revolve Around Your Photos (And Why Your Photos Will Be Better Because of It)
- What I’ve Noticed About Couples Who Deeply Enjoyed Their Wedding Day
- National Weather Service
- How To Properly Care for Your Wedding Gown at Every Stage by Allure Bridals
