Unfortunately this weekend the forecast didn’t let up for Laura and Sean’s wedding on Saturday 28th Nov and even Martinborough, known for having it’s own little micro climate, couldn’t quite turn it on for us. Never the less our bride Laura was not deterred by the miserable weather and was still convinced that her bridal photos would take place outside. Laura and Sean’s wedding was held at Brackenridge Country Retreat in Martinborough and luckily this venue is well set up to deal with both outdoor and indoor ceremonies. Being forced inside for their ceremony, the wedding was timed just right, so that when it came time for the bridal photos, the rain had eased and we could get outside and although we were well prepared with umbrellas, it turned out we didn’t even really need these. We stayed on site and had photos around the grounds of Brackenridge, which meant we had indoor options close by in case of a downpour, but we didn’t get caught out. Despite the cold wet weather we got some great shots and everyone really put in a great effort at sticking it out and braving the elements to get these shots.
Coming into summer here’s hoping we won’t have too many more wet weekends, but then you never know with the weather in Wellington, so just in case here’s a couple of things I’ve picked up over the years and thought it might be worth sharing my tips so your wedding can go off without a hitch rain or shine:
If your having a rehearsal and your venue caters for both indoor and outdoor options rehearse both. Sure it may take more time to do so, but it’s worth it to make sure you have all bases covered and so everyone knows what and where it’s all taking place on the day. Getting your positioning right and practicing little things like the exchange of rings and the kiss can make all the difference to your photos on the day.
Make sure you have thought out a back up option in case of rain. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, make sure there is also an indoor option, or if this is not possible look into the option of some kind of cover for you and your guests ie; a marquee or umbrellas.
Have a supply of umbrellas at the ready, enough for your whole bridal party. Between you and your Photographer someone should be in charge of providing umbrellas. Umbrellas can be a fun prop to add into your photos in addition to keeping you dry of course. My personal preference are the multi-coloured black and white paneled umbrellas as these will still allow some light to pass through. Black umbrellas are nice also but sometimes can reduce the amount of light making them potentially difficult to work with.
High heels and wet, muddy grass are a potentially lethal combination. Girl’s its a great idea to have a change of shoes to enable you to walk in the rain and through the mud, sand, grass or even water depending on where you are heading. Laura and her bridesmaid’s all had jandals on hand and changed into these for their bridal photos, so they could walk through the long wet grass and climb fences without any mishaps or twisted ankles. It is also about your safety and if we can prevent slips and falls then I am all for the jandals option.
Apart from the extra organisation that may come with rain, an overcast rainy day mean’s lovely soft even light for your photos outside and this would definitely be my preference to shooting at an unplanned indoor location. So if you can stick it out, I say get outside and go with your original plan, but just be ready to make adjustments due to the weather. This may mean allowing some extra time for your photos in case you need to shelter between showers and dry off or warm up. Remember that rainy days can make for some lovely dramatic moody shots outside and the weather is the one thing you cannot control on your wedding day, so why let it get the best of you. As your photographer I am always willing to get outside and brave the elements in attempt to get the shot, so long as I can protect my equipment in the process and I will come ready for this.
