Make your wedding ready for April showers!

April showers bring May flowers, they say, but it does not have to be a bad thing! April brings with its arrival a whole lot of joys, from fragrant flowers, gorgeous landscapes, and the hide-and-seek warm weather which has the poetry of its own. April is when spring blooms in its best shades and the ground spring up with rainbow-colored hues, and the air has a magic to it unlike any other time of the year. Being known as a lover’s favorite season, spring is when love blooms too, just like the flowers in our gardens. So it is not surprising when we find our mailbox filled with so many spring wedding invitations this time of the year. With nature in its colorful best, it is only natural that lovers will like to tie the knot with spring as their backdrop. While there are so many things we love about a spring wedding (The pastel colors! The lovely outdoor venues! The decor!), it also needs some prior consideration for the weather.

Rain showers in April are fairly common, and while some might term it as “bad weather”, we say you don't have to worry about the rain if you plan well in advance. After all, being prepared is half the job done! Deciding on a spring wedding date and hoping and crossing your fingers for it to be a perfectly sunny day might be tempting fate and cause unnecessary stress, but it doesn't really have to. By having a good sense of humor, a streak of adventure, and planning certain things in advance, your April wedding can be just as dreamy as you imagined, rain or no rain! You might want to take notes!

Before the wedding day

Being prepared is the key: This has to be the first thing for us to tell you because it appears to be an obvious answer, and extremely critical at that too. If you've given yourself enough time to prepare for severe weather, it's up to you to weigh all of your alternatives, whether that means erecting a tent, moving to a more protected location, or relocating your party entirely indoors. Even if you've chosen to be indoors, consider the transition from automobile to the venue, not just for you and your bridal party, but also for your guests. Consult with your venue about your options: perhaps they can let guests pull up a little further to prevent stepping in mud, or give ushers with umbrellas to stand by. Your venue is likely to have dealt with rainy weddings before, and they may have the perfect answers.

Have a Plan B: Don't go into your wedding weekend without thinking about how you'll get out. Even if you're very certain the sun will shine for the duration of the festivities, having a backup plan never hurts. Determine the best course of action for completing the shift - would transporting chairs and décor inside be easier? Or maybe you've got a new set-up in the works? This is another point to bring up with your venue ahead of time.

Talk to your vendors: All your wedding vendors, like your venue, have most certainly dealt with rain at some point during their events. Make sure they're all aware of the danger and ask what safeguards they usually take to avoid catastrophes. Take their recommendations into account. It's critical that you and your vendors are on the same page, as they'll be performing all of the legwork on the big day. They're pros, so trust them and their advice.

Keep the supplies ready: If, against all hope, the rain does end up arriving on your wedding day, be prepared with all kinds of supplies. This means having enough wellies, rain boots, raincoats, and umbrellas handy and embracing the quirk with preparedness. This way, you and your guests will be able to keep themselves dry and safe from the rain. 

Protect your dress: Your dress is something that you have had so many months planning and saving up for, and the last thing you want is to have it spoiled by the downpour. You can still have a rainy wedding day, without necessarily spoiling your wedding dress. There are a couple of options that you might want to consider:

1. Purchase or rent a bridal petticoat. A vast array of petticoat styles are available, even for mermaid and trumpet-style wedding dresses and they are extremely helpful in protecting your dress. They lift the hem of the gown up to keep it from dragging on the ground.

2. You can also have the hem of your dress sprayed with something like Scotchguard, or have a dry cleaner or a professional do it for you. This will make your hem non-absorbent, keeping the water and grime away!

3. Ask for help from your bridal party so that they can hold your train as you walk to the different photo opportunity locations. You must also have an umbrella with you at all times!

4. Go for a dress with a shorter hemline and you will have nothing to worry about! Even if you go for a longer dress, you can avoid long trailing trains to make your day a lot easier! There are so many tea-length wedding dresses out there nowadays, you will have tons of options to choose from!

On the wedding day

Be cautious: Even though the forecast hasn't been consistent if the clouds look weighty and menacing in the morning, it's important to plan ahead: better safe than sorry! Don't dismiss that nagging feeling in the back of your mind; follow your instincts, even if others advise you not to think about it. Keep in mind that your safety and comfort, as well as the safety and comfort of your loved ones, come first. Just because it's your wedding day doesn't mean you can treat your guests like devils — don't let your closest friends and family stand or sit in the rain, umbrellas, or no umbrellas.

Take prompt decisions: Don't be frightened to make a snap decision. Decide on a timeframe far in advance of the event when you'll need to decide if it's safe to go ahead with the ceremony as planned or to adopt "Plan B." Don't spend too much time considering your options; you should have already done so. There's no going back once you've made your decision. Continue going forward if the backup plan is already in place and the rain begins to subside. Attempting to undo the already convoluted arrangements will simply add to the confusion and anxiety.

 Remember the positives: There are numerous advantages to having rain on your wedding day. For one thing, it's a good-luck sign for your marriage's future, so take it as a hint of great things to come, and for another, overcast and rainy days provide excellent lighting for your professional photographs. Consider the incredible pair images that have recently become accessible! With the amount of money and work that went into your outfit, it's understandable if you want to avoid the rain at all costs, but if you're feeling brave, images of brides and grooms in the rain are extremely gorgeous - you can even wait until the very end of the night to have some taken. Find out how to involve your family in the planning process, receive ideas for things to chuck during your grand departure, and learn about five ways to incorporate showers into your wedding.

Rainy day wedding tips:

Rent a clear tent: While you might have already thought of a tent for your rainy day wedding, how about a clear tent? We absolutely love the concept of renting a clear-top tent for a rainy outdoor wedding as it not only offers clear views of the sky, the raindrops give soothing white noise, and the romance aspect will be amplified by the see-through roof. It will also keep your original plans of outdoor plan still valid, and it will not clash much with your wedding colors and theme. To protect your guests from damp blasts of wind, make sure the tent has transparent sides. If it's an especially cold spring day, you might also want to rent portable heating towers to keep your guests warm and cozy.

Keep staying dry stylist: Hunter boots are in style right now, so why not mix them with your bridal gown? Sure, they'll keep your feet dry, but the variety of colors and patterns such as brilliant yellow, vivid blue, gingham, and tartan, ensures you'll be able to match your wedding style with ease. They will also make some amazing photography subjects! Similarly, choose your umbrellas with care so they don't clash with your look (or your bridesmaids too!) Clear umbrellas are the greatest choice for wedding photos because they don't block the view or create shadows on your face. Although photographers favor translucent umbrellas, there are many colorful alternatives out there for you to choose from too!

Dry-off stations: You can't really guarantee you will not get caught by the downpour or will avoid any muddy slushes, can you? Even with all of your rain gear, there's a risk you'll get a little muddy or damp. Just in case, have a few large towels packed and ready to absorb by your coordinator or MOH. It's also a good idea to have a hairdryer on hand. Think about your guests and put out wipes and towels for them so that your guests can dry off after they get wet! 

Dance in the rain: If that means you literally want to have a dance party out in the rain, why not? But there is another way of bringing the rain to the dance floor without anybody getting wet and messy! Let your DJ or band know that you will like rainy day songs played at your wedding dance session. Whether it is a slow and moody rainy-day song for your first dance or old classic favorites for hours of dancing away with loved ones.

Make it a part of your day: Embrace the daily day in all its splendor and make it a part of your wedding guest list. You can have signage with a rainy day quote perfect for your wedding, or you can decorate the aisle entryway with rainboots stuffed with flowers. You can also give out umbrellas or monogrammed rain jackets as a part of the wedding favors or your dessert table can feature tiny rain-themed cookies like umbrellas, clouds, or rain boots! All you are saying here is that don't forget to have fun with it!

Drink to stay warm: That might sound like some advice right there, but we don't really mean to drink more! In fact, you can plan some warming cocktails which will go phenomenally with the gorgeous moody weather, and we promise your guests will love it! Dark rum, ginger beer, and a slice of lime are used to make the signature cocktail "Dark and Stormy." You can also go for a coffee bar or warm beverages, and adding rainy day clever accessories to your drinks will only take your drink up several notches.

Get some epic photos: Rainy day wedding photographs alone should be enough to have your wedding in the rainy season! There is a timeless romance that lingers on a rainy day and the steady downpour, the close proximity, and the glistening umbrellas give you and your lover all the additional cuddling opportunities and our professional photographers will love to capture that in-stunning dramatic shots. Ask any wedding photographer and they will go on for hours about their love for rainy day wedding pictures. The romance, the old-time theatrical aspects of huddling up under the umbrella, and the unpredictable magic of the rain, are the kinds of things you can't plan and pose! 

Lean into the cozy: Sure it's raining outside, but it's still your special day and while you are all there, try to make everyone feel cozy. Little thoughtful gestures feel especially nice on a rainy day outside. Take advantage of the change in weather as an opportunity to cuddle up to each other, especially during your photoshoot. Set out some cozy woolen blankets or pashminas in a basket for you and your visitors in case it gets chilly. You can also arrange for cozy candles, fairy lights, and a fire pit in a covered area and we promise, your guests will love to warm up by the fire and laugh at the crazy day they just had. Cups of well-timed hot cocoa will seal the deal and make your rainy day wedding the best experience ever!

A rainy day at your wedding can only be stressful and a “total disaster” only if you let it be! Depending on your way of perceiving things, it can also end up being a memorable experience, a good story, and a fun time! It's all about how you let this day unfold, and your wedding guests will follow your cue! A little rain on the wedding day can make your wedding story something that you get to share with your future kids, friends, and family, as it's a lot different from the sea of weddings out there! So you stained your wedding dress a little, or your outdoor wedding ceremony had to be shifted under a tent at the last minute! You get a lifetime of endless interesting memories from it, and doesn't that matter the most? It makes your love story extra exciting and full of adventure, and we promise you will love it, nonetheless.