Your wedding is coming up, so naturally, you’re stalking your weather app to check out the 10-day forecast.  We all wish and hope and pray for sunny skies, but Lehigh Valley weather sometimes isn’t so cooperative…am I right!?

Even with the best laid plans, there is always that wild card: Mother Nature.  With portrait sessions, we can reschedule as needed, but when it comes to the actual wedding day, we have to take each moment we have and make it work.

I’ve compiled some tips for how to make the BEST out of the WORST wedding day weather:

CLOUDS

So, you see that you’re due for some cloudy skies or an overcast day on your wedding day.  Fear not! Cloudy days can actually be GREAT for portraits!  Why? Because clouds act as a natural diffuser for the sun’s light!  This means we won’t have to contend with harsh highlights and heavy shadows. Because of this, we’ll have even lighting scenarios for our outdoor portraits, which is a wedding day WIN!

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WIND

If you’re wedding day forecast is calling for excessive winds or gusts, consider having your hair styled in an updo that is windy-weather friendly.  Make sure you don’t have any “pieces” that can blow across your face or into the air during portraits.

Also, consider ditching the veil during portraits and instead, replace it with a beautiful headpiece or hair comb! We can always put your veil back in for your walk down the aisle during your ceremony.

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COLD/FREEZING TEMPERATURES

Any bride planning an early spring, late fall or winter wedding should absolutely be prepared for this situation!  Shawls are cute, but will they REALLY keep you and your gals warm during 30+ minutes of portrait time outside?  NOPE.   If you’re cold, the camera will see it—TRUST ME.  (Did you see my blog post that dives deeper into this topic?  If not, check it out here!)

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RAIN

So, the silver lining is that rain on your wedding day is supposed to be good luck, right? I completely understand when my brides get bummed when rain is in the forecast, but rain doesn’t mean your special day has be a wash!

If it’s just misting or a light drizzle, we can definitely still take some portraits outside! My posing system can have us in and out very quickly. We’ll also utilize clear bubble umbrellas to keep you and your bridal party dry and as comfortable as possible. Have a pair of rain boots handy to slip on for portrait time so your heels don’t sink into wet grass or get ruined by mud.

If it’s really coming down or you’re just not comfortable being outside, we’ll look for great indoor spaces or covered areas at your venue for portraits.  

(Planning tip: Couples, this is definitely something to consider when looking for your wedding day venue.  As you’re touring the property, ask your coordinator/sales person whether or not the venue has a solid indoor spaces for portraits that can accommodate the size of your bridal party and family for portraits, if needed.)

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IN CONCLUSION

The most important takeaway from this is that while we cannot control the weather, there are a few things we can do to be prepared.  No matter what Mother Nature has in store for your big day, nothing, especially a little weather, should be allowed to steal your joy!

Alyssa is a wedding & portrait photographer who serves the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania, & New Jersey. If you’re planning your own wedding, I’d love to hear from you!