7 Tips to Prepare for a Rainy Elopement
We’ve all heard the saying, “Rain on your wedding day is good luck!” While this is usually said as a way to keep a bride from stressing and trying to ward off “bad” weather with good will, my personal belief is that rain can make a wedding day all the more magical.
I think the best elopement experiences are made by being flexible and embracing what comes your way, rain or shine. So, what do you do if it rains on your elopement day? Here are my 7 best tips to make it an enjoyable experience!
What to Do to Prepare for Rain on Your Elopement Day
First off, let’s acknowledge that rainfall in some locations and in certain amounts can be unsafe. This type of rain isn’t what we’re talking about here; I’ll never put you or your guests in a position that’s clearly a risk. But a bit of rain can be perfectly safe, and it can bring a moody, otherworldly vibe to your day.
Spring and fall are the most likely seasons to bring rain (though it depends on location), so if you’re thinking of eloping in either of those seasons it’s best to prepare for the possibility of rain.
1. Keep an eye on the forecast
Check the weather forecast in the days leading up to your elopement, particularly the doppler radar for the 24 hours ahead. Weather forecasts change often, and it seems like rain is one that goes back and forth constantly. If the percent chance of precipitation keeps going back and forth, planning as if it’s going to rain is probably your safest bet.
I always like to be too prepared instead of not prepared enough, so bringing rain-appropriate items even if the forecast doesn’t call for it can bring you peace of mind in case the weather changes out of nowhere. If you’re traveling for your elopement and are limited on what you can bring, prioritize good socks, shoes, and base layers.
2. Bring the right gear for rainy weather
Another common saying is, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only wrong clothing,” and I agree! One of my favorite hikes my husband and I ever did was on a March morning at Rocky Mountain National Park. It was 8 degrees with 30 mph wind gusts as we hiked around a frozen lake, traversing at least a foot of crunchy snow. Had we been unprepared with the wrong gear and improper clothing for a blustery winter hike, we would’ve been cold and miserable. But because we knew what to bring with us and how to dress to handle the weather, to this day it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had hiking.
Knowing what to wear for a rainy elopement outdoors is crucial for the two of you to have an enjoyable day. If you’re cold and wet one hour into a twelve hour day, you’re just not going to have a good time. The right gear and clothing can be the difference in an unpleasant experience and a completely extraordinary one.
Gear I recommend bringing for a rainy elopement:
Waterproof hiking boots with good tread
Sturdy trekking poles (for hiking or walking anywhere that could be slippery or muddy)
Air-activated hand warmers (HotHands are my favorite)
Waterproof rain jackets or ponchos with brimmed hoods
Extra towels
Headlamps
Dry sacks/bags for things you want to keep from getting wet (phones, keys, wallets, etc)
First aid kit with moleskin (in case of blisters) and a SAM splint (in case of a fall on slippery ground)
Don’t worry, we can ditch the ponchos for things like your ceremony and portraits and trade them for clear umbrellas. With a light sprinkle, the umbrellas will do the trick and look really romantic.
3. Wear the proper clothing for a rainy day
The most important rule when it comes to outdoor recreation in wet (and cold) weather is no cotton. When cotton gets wet, it absorbs the moisture and the fabric will cling to your skin. It takes no time at all for that wet material to make you cold and, in more extreme weather situations, can be dangerous, as wet feet loose heat 25 times faster. Cotton is a wonderful material for breathability, making it great for a warm and sunny summer elopement. However, wet conditions call for a moisture wicking material like wool.
Wool pulls the moisture away from your body but doesn’t store it, keeping you dry, warm, and completely comfortable. In fact, it can hold up to 30% of its weight in moisture without you even feeling it. If you’re not dry and attempt to do outdoor activities such as hiking, you run the risk of blisters, trench foot, and even hypothermia.
For what to wear to a rainy elopement, this is what I recommend be made of wool:
Socks
Base layers
Leggings under your dress
The button down shirt under your suit
Suit
Coat or jacket
Hats
You won’t necessarily always need all of this gear depending on the temperature, but rain can make a relatively average air temperature feel a heck of a lot colder with wet skin (especially if your head and hair get wet, and even more so if it’s windy). It’s best to be over-prepared instead of under-prepared!
A common belief with wool is that it’s itchy and hot, but that’s not the case if you wear the right kind! The right brands make all the difference, and it’s important to note that you’ll want to avoid wool blends whenever possible. Wool blends are made of a combination of wool and other fabrics such as cotton, polyester, nylon, silk, and some others. (A small amount of spandex for stretch is fine.) 100% wool will be the most effective in keeping you dry and toasty. Wool is also temperature regulating, so it will keep you warm in cold weather and cool in warm weather.
I recommend trying on your wool items before your elopement to make sure you’re comfortable with the material. Try out a few different brands as needed and go with the one you feel most comfortable in and can spend a whole day wearing.
4. Educate and inform your guests on how to best prepare for rainy weather
Odds are, unless all your friends and family are avid outdoors-people, someone is going to show up unprepared for rainy weather. If it’s not your aunt showing up in open toed heels, it’ll be your nephew wearing mesh tennis shoes and cotton everything. It’s understandable—most people haven’t been to an elopement ceremony before and have preconceived notions on what to expect based on their experiences with traditional weddings. But unless it’s a torrential downpour, you shouldn’t have to move your ceremony to an indoor location just because someone showed up with the wrong shoes.
I’ll provide copy and paste email templates for you to share with your guests that will kindly but firmly remind them that in order for you all to have an enjoyable experience, everyone needs to prepare for the possibility of rain. I’ll include links for where they can purchase proper gear, a list of recommended items to bring and where to find it, including clear or neutral colored umbrellas.
5. Remember to Leave No Trace
Something many people don’t realize is that when ground conditions are muddy, hiking around the edges of those muddy spots is actually worse for the land than walking straight through. It’s the opposite of what you’d think, as you’d imagine that walking through the mud makes the pit deeper and therefore damages the trail. That can happen, however many people walking around the muddy spots will cause soil erosion and widen the trail over time. This can destroy wildflower and vegetation growth.
Best practice is to avoid hiking altogether when it’s muddy, but that’s probably not realistic when planning an elopement. You never know what trail conditions will be until the day of, and you can’t control the weather. I’m not going to suggest rescheduling your entire elopement so the trail has time to dry out, but in order to leave as little impact as possible on muddy trails, we can step lightly and walk straight through the mud.
The White Mountains National Forest Service has a great article on how to hike in mud season. Here’s what they suggest for a “low impact outing” when recreating in muddy areas:
6. Be flexible and willing to change your plans
Sometimes weather can simply be unpredictable, and that’s okay. Eloping is about embracing the imperfect and being willing to pivot when necessary. I once photographed an intimate wedding where a pop-up rain storm showed up on the radar about 20 minutes before the outdoor reception dinner. The couple and all 20+ guests enthusiastically helped run tables, decor, plates, silverware, glasses, florals, and chairs inside in a matter of less than 10 minutes, and while the rental was packed, the atmosphere was warm, connected, and lively.
You may also have to wait out the rain from time to time. If the rain is just too heavy outside to do anything and the next thing on your timeline is a hike out to your ceremony spot, we’ll take a look at the radar and see how it’s looking over the next 20-30 minutes. I’ve waited in the car with couples before to let the heavier rain pass, and honestly? It’s a lot of fun. It may sound like the opposite when imagining it, but my couples are always so pumped to just be experiencing their elopement day that the little delay does nothing to their excitement.
A rainy elopement day can create some amazing weather conditions for truly epic photos, such as:
Rainbows
Moody, hazy fog
Cloud inversions
Intensely colorful sunsets
Textured, cloudy skies
Lush, enhanced colors in the forest
Powerful waterfalls
But, if it’s not feasible or safe to wait for the rain to pass, if the weather shifts out of nowhere, or if you’re just really not feeling it, we can absolutely pivot in a more drastic way if needed. Let’s say it’s 5pm and there’s nothing but rain on the radar for the next four hours and the only activity left on your timeline is your portraits. The two of you planed on photos in a particular outdoor location but the rain is making it impossible to access. One option would be to call it a day and meet back up the next morning for sunrise portraits in that location, so long as the rain has subsided, or we could nix that spot altogether and head back to your rental for some unconventional, creative, cozy portraits inside.
What matters is that the two of you feel like you got as much out of your day as possible, so don’t be afraid to change up your plans at the last minute if needed.
7. Take safety precautions when necessary
Some rainfall can be dangerous, depending on the amount, how quickly it falls, and where you are in the midst of it. It’s always safest to wait for intense rainfall to pass before driving, be aware of areas prone to flash flooding, and never try to cross a flooded road when driving to different locations for your elopement.
Throughout the planning process of your elopement, we’ll chat through several contingency plans in case weather makes locations inaccessible. We’ll never walk into your day with just one plan.
Cozy Rainy Elopement Day Activity Ideas
If you’re not feeling up to an entire elopement day in the rain, that’s perfectly okay! There’s no wrong way to elope, and your elopement day should leave the two of you feeling good about the way you chose to spend it. If the idea of a whole day out in the rain isn’t your cup of tea, here are some ways to enjoy a cozy vibe indoors:
Snuggle up by a fire in a wood stove or fireplace
Make some warm drinks like tea, coffee, or hot chocolate
Play card games or board games
Put together a puzzle
Soak in a hot tub or hot spring
Relax in a sauna
Move your ceremony indoors
Have an indoor celebration with your friends and family complete with dinner and dancing
Brave the weather for just a little bit to take photos with clear umbrellas
Rainy Elopement Day Activity Ideas to Embrace the Weather
If you are willing to go all out for a rainy elopement day (given that you’ve prepared accordingly with proper socks, footwear, gear, etc), there are several fun activities we can do!
Go for a rainy hike (you can hike in your elopement attire or change into it later. Just know your dress will get dirty, and that’s part of what makes eloping so much fun)
Take portraits with clear umbrellas
Dance in the rain
Hunt for rainbows
Visit a waterfall (rain usually makes waterfalls even more powerful and beautiful)
Go all in with water activities (as long as there’s no lightning and the temperature is warm enough) like canoeing, kayaking, or paddle boarding
Remember rain is just rain, and you can always dry off and fix your hair and makeup later! Bring extra towels to dry off and sit on for the drive back to your rental, change into an extra set of clothes (you can even have a second set of elopement attire!), and make plans to go back out later if the weather lets up. Remember rain often leads to rainbows, and that’s a moment worth capturing.
I believe the best way to have a fulfilling elopement is to embrace whatever comes your way, whether that’s rain, mud, or stormy skies. The most important thing is that the two of you walk away from your elopement married with a day full of fun memories, and being able to receive whatever your elopement day brings you will be a testament to your own resiliency as a couple.
Bonus: 12 Hour Rainy Elopement Timeline Example
Because I love a good example to bring an idea like this full circle, here’s a rainy elopement timeline just for you. Picture a moody, rocky beach cove surrounded by cliffs with evergreen trees, thick mist and low clouds hanging in the air, and the whole spot all to yourselves:
8:00am — Meet at cabin for details and getting ready photos
9:00am — Get dressed into elopement attire separately
9:45am — Write vows sitting back to back in front of rainy cabin window
10:15am — First look on covered porch
10:30am — Head out to beach ceremony location
11:00am — Arrive at ceremony location, walk down to beach
11:45am — Rainy elopement ceremony with clear umbrellas
12:00pm — Ceremony wraps up, take moody portraits
1:00pm — Lunch break
2:00pm — Take a few photos dancing in the rain
2:30pm — Head back to cabin to dry off and fix hair and makeup
3:00pm — Arrive at cabin, fix hair and makeup, change into second elopement outfits
5:00pm — Enjoy hot chocolate together while waiting for family and friends to arrive
5:30pm — Friends and family arrive at cabin for reception dinner
6:00pm — Reception dinner begins
8:00pm — Wrap up the day
See more example elopement timelines here
Convinced a rainy elopement day can be just as magical as it sounds? If you’re ready to start planning yours, get in touch with me and let’s get started!
Hey friend! I’m Andrea, a New Hampshire Elopement Photographer, and I’m so glad you’re here. I love helping couples plan elopements in the beautiful region of New England, and this blog is just one of the many ways I enjoy providing information that will help my couples enjoy a beautiful, fulfilling elopement experience.
Ready to begin planning your own elopement? Reach out and let’s get started!
