OMG IT IS RAINING – A guide for Wedding Photographers

I feel like one of the only things that we can’t control on a wedding day is the weather. It’s that one thing we must chance, and 9 times out of 10, it will all be fine! But over the past week, I’ve seen sooooo many photographers post about being terrified to photograph in the rain. It’s one thing to just not be excited about it because many couples and bridal party members will downright refuse to step out of shelter, but it’s another to be scared. We shouldn’t be scared! The couple relies on our expertise to ensure their day is captured beautifully. So here are my best tips for photographing a wedding in the rain.

1) Find a sheltered spot. Example being a covered porch! Below is an example from Brandi and Ty’s wedding day from a year and a half ago. It was raining cats and dogs, even flooding, but this tiny little porch was our spot! We did ALL bridal party shots there as well as all bride and groom photos. It was literally the ONLY covered spot at the church. I had gotten there a bit early to search out the best spots, and realized that this was it. Although I’m sure couples may wish they had more than one spot photographed, you have to work with the best option of what you have.

2) Find some beautiful light by the window! For Reagan’s bridals, it was raining (theme of the day). She had reserved a venue for these photos, and I’d driven over 3 hours to photograph her. They WERE happening. I searched around inside the venue, and found this spot that had a huge Christmas tree placed right where she was. I knew it was the spot though, and with the help of her best friend and now sister-in-law, we hauled the tree out, and had Reagan come upstairs. It was late afternoon, but because of the location, this room had the light coming in. I still stuck with natural light to get some decent Rembrandt lighting on her, and I absolutely adore these. So classic! 3) SUCK IT UP. But really. Sometimes, your couples are super cool with the idea of going in the rain, so you do it! I promise you that they will laugh and have a good time if they are willing. Just go with the flow, and do your usual thing. Below are two examples. The first being a wedding where it rained heavily nonstop, and the bride had checked the weather that morning. It said no rain, just clouds. It was wrong. Her family had already set everything up, so we just did it. Yes, they were soaked, but they had a good time!

And for the second example, here’s a recent engagement we did when it started raining on us even though it wasn’t even calling for it. They laughed, said they were fine with it, and we quickly ran through some poses.

Are you convinced that it will all be okay? Not quite? Here are some tips on what to keep handy! Everyone jokes that my car is a hot mess, but it’s only because I’m prepared for basically anything Mother Nature throws my way!

– Keep a rain jacket and/or poncho handy
– Have an umbrella that’s large enough for you, your gear, and possibly an assistant to hide under, plus a cute one for the couple!
– Keep spare shoes and a change of clothes in the car. This has saved me SO many times! Nothing is worse than having soaked feet in soggy shoes. Nothing. At the wedding just above this, I was able to switch to actual rain boots that were in my car to wear for the rest of the wedding, and my feet stayed totally dry!
– Have a white sheet or clear plastic sheet on hand to place under the bride so she can place her dress down. Some brides are very concerned (and rightfully so!) about their dress getting muddy during portraits when it has rained outside. This will help shield the dress from the ground, and you can simply tuck the sheet under.

And there you have it! Hopefully this can help alleviate any stress you may have about shooting while it’s raining. Best of luck, and remember to stay calm and trust yourself! You got this 🙂