Rain Rain Go Away... Today's My Effing Wedding Day! Tips for Getting Through Rainy Wedding Days.

Image: Charise Weber Photography

It’s like raaaiiiiinnnnn on your wedding day… We all know the song and dance, people telling you its good luck, making sure you are happy and content, but deep down, we know that you are upset and that is ok. I would say everyone wishes for 72 and sunny, or if you are a photographer, partly cloudy. But no one is like “Oh boy I hope it rains on Saturday!”

We get it, as wedding planners, bad weather is our nightmare because its the very one thing we have no control over. We live in Minnesota, where the wedding season is also storm season. (Also where we can basically see all 4 seasons in a single week.) So I always tell my couples, if you are getting married between May and September, always prepare for rain. We recently had a wedding where there was a 1% chance or rain, out of nowhere, it was a Tsunami outside! Today, we are going to give you some tips for surviving rain or any unexpected weather on your wedding day!

Image: cordelia photo

1. No matter what, remember what the day is all about. You are marrying your best friend!

   I can’t lie, I hate saying that because it sounds so dumb, but it is true, you have to remember why you are there. Your family and friends love you so much, and they will put up with a little rain to celebrate with you!

2. Have a plan B!

   This one might sound obvious, but seriously, having a plan b is crucial because in the chance of some serious weather, we want to know that things can easily be moved into another space. We will once in a while get couples that say they don’t have a plan b because its going to be amazing, and we will straight up tell them, it’s a non negotiable. To plan in advance, makes the day so much more relaxing.

   Your venue should always have some plan b in place for you, so make sure to ask them what works best in that space. In the past we have done some of the following:

Image: Charise Weber Photography

• Have a tent large enough to have everything covered. Most tents now a days can withstand 75 mile an hour winds!

• Have the ceremony in the same spot as the reception, create an aisle with the tables, have guests sit at their tables and create a focal point for you two to stand at.

• Push tables back and have the ceremony on the dance floor.

  3. Have faith in your vendors, and trust their advice.

  You hired professionals who have probably had to deal with weather changes quite often, make sure you are communicating your desires with them through out the day and they will work with you to make something happen.

• As your wedding planner, we are there to make you happy. So we will wait till the very last minute to move a ceremony. But if we do have to move it, we will make that plan B look spectacular and have you forgetting all about being outside!

• If the radar is spotty weather and you have a DJ setting up equipment outside, be mindful that their equipment is expensive and it is sometimes just not possible to throw them out there.

  4. Push back the ceremony start time.

• This is not ideal, but if your venue allows it and you can see that the weather is going to clear up soon, you can think about opening up the bar a bit early and having guests come get some drinks and mingle, giving the staff time to wipe chairs down and make sure things are ready to go!

  5. Always have umbrellas!

• We have had weddings where rain pops up out of no where and it has taught us to always have at least 1 umbrella (for the bride.) We have noticed that people always tend to keep a few umbrellas in their car so hopefully you will be prepared enough. If you see that the weather is going to be crap, ask relatives to bring any umbrellas they have.

• Buy some cute shawls or sweaters for you and your bridesmaids to wear through out the day so that everyone can keep a little warm!

Image: Cordelia Haugen Photography

Image: America Roe Photography

• 6. Remember, rain makes for some killer photos! Rainbows, crazy clouds, fog and more, can really make for some stunning photos.

  Sometimes its not only rain that can eff up an outdoor ceremony. Winds make it hard for people to hear, if it is insanely hot out, that can affect sound equipment. If it snows… Well, then it is just cold and crappy. Always keep in mind, the weather can change in an instant and that is no reason to let it ruin the most amazing day ever!

  So I would like to close this blog out by saying, rain & unforeseeable weather doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Keep a positive mindset and enjoy the greatest day ever!

  Nameste

Photo Jes Clewell

Getting Your Guy to be More Present During the Planning Process!

So, my wonderful girlfriend and I run a wedding planning business and as the male counterpart, it’s kind of funny that when I respond to e-mails, the client knows there are two of us and the signature is my name and the only one ever addressed is Christina, which I’m okay with and we joke about all the time! It’s always funny during our initial consultation, sometimes we get the comment of… oh you must “be along for the ride.” Again, this is so far from the truth, and they soon find that out when I’m throwing out design ideas and color pallets and logistical details that no one was thinking. We never take offence to this, living on a high vibe and educating them that guys can be wedding planners too.

Just writing this blog out, we realized that most guys are not looking at wedding blogs, so we are writing this in hopes that you brides out there are reading it and giving it to your guys to read.

When it comes to wedding planning, you always notice the bride is putting in more passion & effort than the groom, it is rare that the guys ever give too much input. We want to see guys get more involved which is why we created a list that men can read through showing them the awesome aspects there are to planning a wedding.

Planning is a GOD DAMN BLAST!!! The venue tours, all be it sometimes eat up your nights and weekends, can be a lot of fun, there’s something special about finding a place that you both feel a connection to instead of just her and the venue manager. Other planners can attest to this, when you show up the day of and the groom is all, oh I don’t remember that, or can we do this instead of that. All of these things were already covered and now that it’s the day of and your soon to be wife is about to rip your head off because you’re talking out of your ass since you don’t know what the plan is and now as planners we have to make sure you both make it to the alter and also the day. Men! Being present is so important in this process and you’ll be able to learn and make sure the budget is also somewhat intact at the end! If you want to see some awesome reasons to be present during planning, then just keep reading!

1. Venue tours!!! I know we kind of touched on this in the beginning, however this is very important. Don’t you want to have a say in where this special day will be going down?! I know that guys get left in the dust but do a little list of ones you find online just so you have an idea what’s out there. Guys unless you’re getting married every five years things have changed when it comes to where people are getting hitched and finding out what’s out there is so much fun!

2.  Holy shit man the desserts!!! Weddings today are getting creative with desserts and we are here for it! The game is changing, and it isn’t just cake anymore! There’s everything from donuts on walls to cookie carts, and even custom ice cream (we know a guy). Dessert tastings are some of the most fun parts of the planning process. Below, the wedding cake was one flavor but the groom really wanted cookies & cream, so the bride surprised him with his own cake!

Photo Vow House Studios | Cake Sugar Rose Bakeshop

3. Color Schemes – This is one where guys usually don’t pay attention, but think about this, the colors are going to dictate what you wear and what you will be looking at all day. If periwinkle isn’t your jam, you should make that known, being a part of the process will make the color choices and décor reflect both of your personalities instead of just hers. To be totally honest, you may not get exactly what you want but at least you’ll know that you did your job by being present and throwing input into the ring.

4. Food, food, food, don’t be sitting there at your wedding wondering why you’re eating what you’re eating and it not tasting good. Now guys are usually present for this being that food is involved and hey don’t get me wrong it’s my favorite thing too. And with catering if you want to ask a question about off menu things, you aren’t going to be able to have any input after the contract and menu have been finalized.

5. The Bar – This is a place where you can really

6. The music!!! Do you want a band or DJ? The music selection really can make or break a wedding. You will either be dancing the night away or everyone will be hanging outside or at the bar and all be it a great evening if people are exchanging war stories all night along the bar but ultimately you will want to be able to cut a rug and have fun with everyone at your party (wedding) but its really a party!

Photo By Life & Art Photography

7. Your clothing! Make sure you have a say in what you are wearing, we are huge fans of guys getting custom suits made for their wedding. You look more polished and you tend to be more comfortable. Ask us for some great vendors!  

8. Hire a Day of Coordinator! You’ve done all this planning, sacrificed hours and hours to make sure you have everything you want on your day, all the vendors are paid, her dress is fitted and the wedding party and guest list is finalized…now let me ask you…do you want someone from your family who may or may not be able to be responsible all day and don’t you want to have everyone enjoy your day with you??? Encourage hiring some form of wedding management! Be it a wedding planner to help you throughout the process, or a wedding manager to help you with the last few weeks leading up to the big day and the day of. Coordinators are so helpful to ensuring you both get to fully enjoy your big day. You’re dropping a down payment on what is ultimately a party so don’t you want to have it go off without a hitch?! Any one of your friends that has been through the process, you can ask them, and if they didn’t have one, would they have liked to have one? We always find the answer to be yes if they didn’t have one.

The list could go on, but we know attention spans are short. We want make wedding planning fun, sexy and something that you two can do together, we will continue to spread the love and hope to see some guys during the planning process soon!