7 Tips for Coping With Bad Weather at Your Wedding

Plan for all kinds of weather. Most couples are afraid that it will rain on their wedding day. However, rain isn't the only kind of weather that might spoil your wedding ceremony. Really hot or extremely windy weather can make things pretty uncomfortable as well, not to mention hail. You should be prepared for anything that might happen in a certain location at a certain time of the year.

Secure a tent, blankets, umbrellas, etc. Ask your chosen venue whether they can provide you with tents, heaters, or cooling units in case the weather doesn't cooperate. If the answer is negative, you will have to take care of it yourself. Make sure your guests will be protected from rain, sun, unexpected hot or cold spell.

Offer your guests something to drink. If the weather is hot, your guests should have access to water. If it is cold outside, you can offer them hot drinks such as tea, hot chocolate, hot cider, mulled wine, Irish coffee, or eggnog.

Don't forget about yourself. While it is important to make sure that your guests are comfortable, first of all you should take care of yourself. Prepare a bad weather emergency kit: an umbrella, a spare pair of shoes, something warm to wear (a wrap, pashmina, jacket, or cardigan), and anything else you might need in case the weather turns bad.

Think of alternative venue options. Even if you've opted for an outdoor ceremony, you should make sure that your venue has alternative indoor options available for the worst case scenario (like a storm or zombie apocalypse). Sometimes tents, umbrellas, and blankets simply aren't enough. You should also make sure that your venue is prepared for power outages.

Discuss the backup plan with your vendors. It is very important that you ask your vendors (especially the makeup artist, hair artist and photographer) to contribute to your bad weather backup plan. They might have some great suggestions, especially if they've been in the wedding business for a long time and have plenty of hands-on experience.

Stay positive. However hard you try, you cannot control the weather, so you have to embrace it. All those things you use to protect yourself from bad weather, like bright umbrellas and cozy wraps, will make your wedding photos more unique. Don't get freaked out because of rain or some other weather mishap. Even if your wedding day is not perfect, it is still one of the happiest days in your life.