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Wedding Weather Woes

There are many things a bride can control on her wedding day; the colour scheme, the ceremony time, but there is one thing that you can never control and most certainly cannot rely on and that is the British weather. So, instead of worrying that the day of your wedding will not dawn bright and warm read on for a few handy tips to ensure your day runs smoothly what ever the weather.

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'It's raining!'

o The loyal umbrella! Make sure you have enough for each member of the bridal party. Most importantly the bride! How about colour coordinating them to your wedding theme? Umbrellas are available in plenty of colours and can make for some fab photos as you approach your ceremony venue. As a special touch - why not ask one of your ushers to escort guests from their cars to the venue holding an umbrella for them to walk beneath?
o How about considering wearing wellies to your venue? No we don't mean army green coloured ones! Wellies come in all different sizes and colours and can even be bought from charities so you will be supporting a good cause on your wedding day too.
o Do not leave the house without a pack of baby wipes! An essential bit of equipment on your wedding day for all sorts of reasons, but fantastic at rubbing off small mud splashes on the hem of wedding dresses! Also marks on light coloured bridal shoes.
o You may have dreamt of your venues amazing gardens as you photo back drop, but make sure you have a planned space where you will be able to take photos inside if the weather is not how you expected it to be. Your photographer should be able to advise you, but take a look yourself and choose what you would like in the background.
o If your wedding venue is a marquee, remember that if it rains, you will hear it! Ensure that all speakers have a microphone or move to a different room for your speeches so they can be heard above the noise.
o Think multi coloured spots, think white dress, think wet confetti shot! Check your venues rules on the use of confetti inside as it may not be possible to do this popular shot outside in the rain. Ask if you are allowed an area where confetti can be thrown and make sure you get plenty of guests to join you there!
o To save the bottom of your dress from the wet ground and mud, consider taking an old sheet to lie on the floor and stand on! That way the sheet can get dirty and be thrown away and you keep a lovely clean dress and shoes.

'It's Boiling!'

o Ensure you venue lays out plenty of bottles of water on every table and keeps replenishing them throughout the day. Also think about putting one inside your wedding car for before and after the ceremony. You will be surprised how thirsty you are after saying those vows!
o Small fans - These can be bought in shops and are battery powered so will be a god send to your hot guests as they sit for your speeches or are waiting for their photo call. Why not provide one as your favour to each of your guests?
o It's hot work for guests as they watch you and your friends and families pose for photos. Make sure they have somewhere to sit or stand in the shade and ask for cool welcome drinks to be served to them there.
o Remember that cakes melt in heat! Ask someone to check that your venue or caterers keep the cake refrigerated until you are ready to cut it.
o Simple but essential! Make sure your venues windows all open properly and are actually opened on the day. Also enquire about hiring air conditioning units for your day or check their system works properly.
o Do not dress too early! The sooner you put your dress on the longer you will be in it and wedding dresses are not known for their cooling qualities!
o Don't forget to take some sun cream! Whilst you are standing about in the sun, you could quite easily get burnt. Also ensure your face cream contains sunscreen of at least SPF15.

'It's Freezing!'

o Remember snow is slippery. Make sure your shoes have some type of grip on them or ask someone who does have gripped shoes to help you to your car and to your venue entrance. Use sandpaper and rub the bottom of your shoes soles to create a light grip.
o Ask someone to ensure that your venue have cleared any snow away from the parking areas and entrance to your venue and spread grit to ensure a safe entrance for your guests.
o Heating - Make sure your venue has theirs on! If you are having a marquee reception, enquire about hiring heaters to ensure your guests are kept comfortable throughout the day. If they have fireplaces, ask for fires to be lit.
o Guests will not wait around in the cold to be called for photos. Assign someone in your bridal party to go and fetch the required guests from inside to save people from standing around and getting cold as you pose for photos.
o Give yourself extra time to get to your venue. If you wake up and it's snowed over night, ask someone to call your transport company and ask them to come a little earlier so you can leave earlier. Make allowances for traffic disruptions and get yourself to the church/venue on time!

With Many Thanks To Beverly Pearce for the above article.

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