First, know that this blog isn’t to steer you away from having an outdoor wedding. However, it is here to tell you one thing… YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN B, and be prepared to have to use it.
The truth of the matter is this, no matter how much you think Mother nature is on your side, she’s not. No matter how many prayers you send up, chances are God is busy with other things. And sunny day dances don’t work!
YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN B.
We completely understand the mental pictures of outdoor weddings bring. Who wouldn’t love them! You can’t have a better backdrop than nature.
However, just thinking it’s going to stop raining, or it’s going to clear up, it is just going to be a disservice to you, your vendors, and your guests.
Here’s a true story: One beautiful Saturday morning, we were setting up for a outdoor wedding reception. Now truthfully, it was under a tent, however there were no sidewalls to the tent, and there were tons of areas outside the tent with tables, chairs, sofas, game tables, cigar lounges, etc. The weather man had called for not only rain, but gusting rains for that evening 7 days out. When we asked about a Plan B, we were told, “Plan B is the same as A”. The day of, it was clear that for ONCE the weather man was ‘right’ a week out, and we were going to get pounded with a storm approx 2 hours before the ceremony. We finished the reception site, and then went on to the actual ceremony spot, which was also outside. Because there was no Plan B, and there had been no thought of where to move the ceremony if this happened, no one had an option prepared. So we had to do the area outside in the case they were able to use it. While working on that area, it started raining, and then pouring, and then pouring even harder. We finished, and then left to come back to our office, soaking wet. But no worries, even in the rain, the flowers were gorgeous! :) I then had this horrific gut wrenching feeling to swing back by the tent. So I did. Upon arriving, I found that 80% of the tables had been blown over, arrangements ruined, table cloths soaked….we’ll just say a complete disaster. The caterer was having their guys bring in everything from the outside that had been ruined under the tent, hoping it would clear up. So what had been done, Mother Nature had completely undone. If the weather didn’t clear up, we didn’t know what would happen. If it cleared up, we would have to REDO everything we had already done. We were waiting on the call from the bride to tell us what to do. Approx an hour before the reception was to start, we received the phone call that we were moving forward whether it cleared up or not. Fortunately, the weather did clear up, and we were all able to redo everything again. Shorthanded, and soaked. We left just as the first guests were ordering their first drinks.
Had there been a Plan B in all of this, we could have taken it, and everyone involved would have had a much more dry and pleasant day. The Bride wouldn’t have cried and stressed out over the day. The parents wouldn’t have been as distraught as they were that day. And guests and vendors wouldn’t have been as confused as what to do that day. (Guests weren’t sure where to go for ceremony, or reception!) We all understand that your wedding day should be perfect! That’s all of our goals! However, weather is the one thing we can’t control. The one thing you CAN control is having Plan B, and being able to use it. So save yourself some stress and worry and take our advice, and be prepared.
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