Rain On Your Wedding Day
Are you planning your wedding and already stressing about weather?
I did it before mine- anxiously tracking the long range forecast for weeks- so I get it. But I’m here to tell you how to reduce the stress load.
We live in a state that is unpredictable for weather unfortunately. Freezing in November, raining in Spring etc. It’s frustrating but maybe that’s the price we pay for being at the front of the pack for everything else- coffee, food, culture..
Firstly, never choose a venue that doesn’t have an indoor option. Just don’t. And be sure that you’re happy with it too, because there is every possibility you may need it. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. In my opinion- even if you’re having a wedding in March in a paddock at your folks farm- you need to factor in a marquee. Just do it. And take away the months of worrying and having to pull marquee hire out of your arse at the last minute, when you can bet the hire companies put a hefty panic surcharge on it.
Non negotiable- indoor option. And check it out. Because I’ve had couples the week of their wedding when they suddenly accept that the weather is set in- freak out because they hate the plan b that the venue has available. Just don’t do it. If the wet weather option is just not something you’ll be happy with- it’s not the right venue for you.
Secondly- let it go. Really. Just stop wasting brain capacity and stoking the fires of your anxious gut. What will be, will be. And I’ll tell you something that may surprise you.
Some of the best weddings I’ve ever done have been in the worst weather. Deadset. I think the crowd just lifts that little bit more because they feel sorry for you. Haha! They do! And you cannot purchase vibe.
These photos here are of a wedding I did at Collingwood Children’s Farm with my mate Tess Follett. In my years of marrying people- I have never, ever seen weather like we copped that day. I’m talking apocalyptic, torrential downpours, rivers forming on the ground, the creek rising and threatening to overspill its banks and wild winds. Flipping mental.
We tried for an outdoor ceremony on the edge of Merri Creek. All the velvet couches were arranged beautifully on the grass in front of The Arborists amazing LED arbour. The rug was rolled out. But I could smell it. The rain I mean. Everyone kept looking at the sky but I could smell it was coming. Like some sort of mad urban wolfhound, I’m there sniffing the air, shaking my head. ‘Get everything inside the marquee’ I shout and juuuust as we dragged the heaviest couch inside DOWN. IT. CAME.
There’s some terms that come to mind when we describe the volume of rain- pissing down, bucketing down, chucking it down, f#cking POURING. It did all of that. We’re thankful for the marquee of course but Jo is stranded up at the house and guests are arriving and running down the hill into the marquee with inside out umbrellas, laughing incredulously.
There was only one thing for it: embrace it. What else could we do? I spoke to the bar staff and arranged them to start pouring cocktails and jumped on the mike. An impassioned plea was made to the crowd to let it go, get on board and pretend they were at Glastonbury. And they did. We cranked some tunes and really lifted that vibe, then brought Jo down in the car and ushered her in under about ten inside out umbrellas.
That wedding WENT OFF. And you know what? It got worse. The rain started coming up through the grass under the marquee. Shoes were abandoned. Eventually the party was moved up into the stables. My initial thought when I heard was ‘Jo wouldn’t have loved that’ but the following morning Tess sent me video of the stable party. It was absolutely on its ear. Total ruckus. People literally hanging from the rafters singing, the d-floor rammed and everyone clearly having an absolute ball.
Not what was planned but it ended well. The moral of the story: control what you can. Let go of what you can’t.
Sign with a quality venue and get experienced vendors on board. Your ride will be so much smoother. Amelia of CCF was all over it- despite being soaked to the skin and stomping about in gumboots, she and her team worked tirelessly to ensure the wedding was a winner still. We all lugged furniture together, ruined our nice shoes, and shared a ‘holy shit this is nuts’ drink. Big shout out to Tess, Oli and Matt, and the CCF team.
Would do it again despite EVERYTHING!
All images courtesy of little legend Tess Follett, whom you will always find listed in my Band Mates section because she’s awesome (and not afraid to get her boots wet).
