Outdoor weddings and what to do if it rains

You have tents or an indoor backup plan. We did that! Our venue, which was an outdoor space, had an indoor option and we needed to decide by 9am (ceremony was at 11) if rains or winds were too strong for the ceremony. We were good to go!

Many venues provide their own backup for rain although it sometimes involves using the same space for the ceremony and the reception. I suggest you find a venue with their own backup plan if you are this anxious now.

Ask your dream venue for their back-up locations.

It DID rain on our wedding day (we chose a winter/spring wedding so knew this might happen) and the venue's back-up patio with a lake view worked out even better for the ceremony (the reception was in a wine cave so it didn't matter)! Soooo happy it rained. Our back-up ceremony spot:

A tent works too. Just get rates now because if it'll cost too much for a tent, you probably should not make that your rain plan.

Most venues have a plan B in case of bad weather. If you're using an exclusively outdoor venue, that plan may just be to use a tent. We are using a barn venue, but plan to have an outdoor ceremony. If we have bad weather, we can move the ceremony inside, but the setup will be less than ideal.

Hi Maggie! Welcome to WeddingWire and congrats on your engagement!

I would start by talking to all of the venues that you're visiting & interested in. Seeing if they have options or what they do in case of bad weather is important if you're worried about this potentially being a problem.

If you have any other questions throughout your wedding planning process, please don't hesitate to connect or post another discussion in our Community!

If the reception is under a tent, you could plan on having the ceremony there too if it rains?