I’ve seen a rainy wedding day or two in my day.
I’ve held my fair share of umbrellas over brides and their trains as they make their way to the ceremony. I’ve slipped ring bearer pillows under my jacket to keep it dry. I’ve ruined plenty of good shoes along the way and can also tell you the exact moment my hair crosses over the line of professionalism.
I used to work at an outdoor venue and we always asked the brides on their contract about their rain back up plan. Most common response?
Have it anyway. I wish I were kidding.
So the plan was up to us- from alternative locations to how to break it to the bride gently that she was marrying her husband to be among her reception tables and chairs. When I later moved to a full service hotel, I still found myself subject to Plan B’s- which came in particularly handy when we lost power due to a hurricane just moments before my very first wedding rehearsal (glow sticks for all! I fondly remember shouting).
Perhaps it was my training. Or the fact that I was forced to think of back up plans simply because I worked at an outdoor venue. Perhaps it’s because on the day of my college graduation, the ceremony was canceled midway through because of the rain (we were indoors mind you) and I’ve fallen prey to the non-plan b event. Regardless, I always had a plan in case it rains. Or hailed. Or snowed in August. Or we ran out of champagne grapes for the cake (trust me, my friend, it’s not pretty when that happens).
This weekend, we here in Virginia were faced with torrential downpours, hail and tornadoes. I had my own moments of deja vu as I found myself once again soaked to the core, hiding a pillow and cursing the hair gods for turning me into a poodle. The good news? Everything was fine. The better news? I got home later that evening only to find a myriad of wedding pros friends on Facebook telling tales of their own triumphant- of fabulous and sturdy tents and amazing shots in the rain.
The lesson? Well as the Scouts would say, be prepared. If you don’t have standard plans for inclement weather, then make one. Take your experience and leverage it to your advantage. The competition down the street may have a brand new logo and fancy site, but if they lack the experience, then they too will be check marking the “have it any way” box.
So mark it on your “off season to do list” folks- create a rain plan. Learn to say calmly “well I guess we’re moving this inside.” And if anything, find good hair product.
Then, of course, send some to me.
Until next time,
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding marketing and wedding pr firm OFD Consulting. She is the exclusive wedding pr columnist to wedding marketing journal WedLock magazine and is a highly sought after speaker in the wedding industry. She loves ruffle table runners and Royal Wedding Tchotchkes. To learn how OFD Consulting can assist you with your wedding marketing and wedding pr, please contact us today.
