Rain. A four letter word that when mentioned in the event space packs a big punch.

The truth is when you think of a wedding planner you may not think about rain, but over the past 15 years I have noticed that it has been the one thing that has the ability to cripple any event if not taken into consideration.

Today we are jumping way back in to the archives. To the first wedding I was a part of that the rain plan mattered. We weren’t moving from a church to an indoor venue where the transportation plan is key, we were outside. Not just on any beautiful lawn, the lawn was the brides childhood home at the lake. In a beautiful cove filled with trees, lush greenery and hilly, rocky, uneven landscape.

When designing it was important for guests to feel at home and for the tent not to feel out of place. The beautiful details were intentional and mattered, but it was equally important to have a rain plan. Being in the cove in the spring rain showers were known to pop up unexpectedly.

We planned for tents to cover everyone, if needed, but situated the tables overflowing from the tent to give the space a beautiful organic feel. Needless to say the ceremony was perfect, but as the night went on the chance of rain shifted, and there it was. Lighting. Not just a small, single bolt, sprawling lighting wrapping around the cove. We knew the rain was coming and that it was time to get to work.

The obvious thing might be to move the tables under the tents, which we did, but there were other things to consider. It was important to touch base with catering and entertainment. To check in with transportation and key guests that may need additional assistance.

One might not think of things like the feet of the giant harvest tables on their wedding night. The base of the legs weren’t sealed and had to be covered to avoid water soaking up the legs and cracking the tables. We bagged all of the legs so that the bride wouldn’t have an unexpected bill from the rental company.

Once the guests were taken care of we took inventory and pre-packed as many things as we could before the rain hit. It’s not often a good wedding planner starts picking up the reception before you’re done, but in moments a planner needs to make a call this one can help significantly.

The creative teams at pickup were grateful they didn’t have votives full of water or heavy linens that had been sitting out in the rain. In addition, the mother of the bride was thrilled to know her patio furniture and cushions were put away before the storm hit.

There were so many more things that happened that night, but while we were taking care of the event from the logistics side the rain made the guests even closer (physically) and in return created a much more intimate atmosphere than planned. It was the perfect night for the couple dancing the night away with friends and family.

It is our greatest joy when our brides and couples trust us with their days. We make it the highest priority to know about preferences and to make plans so that we can do the heavy lifting when needed.

Not related to the couple that night, I also learned the importance of footwear and now carry a minimum of three pairs of shoes on any given event day!

Brides, we know you don’t want to think about the rain, but would encourage you to ask your potential creative teams how they manage the rain on an event day. It might just give you insight in to their process, or how they work, more than you might know.

Next time remind me to tell you about the time my rain boots were filled with rain so the guests could stay dry inside the tent. 🙂

Cheers, Christina