Wednesday Wedding Tips: You Can’t Control the Weather!

Continuing with the Wednesday Wedding Tips…. Let’s talk weather. Lessons number one, no matter how much you beg and plead and try to argue with God, you cannot control the weather. Accept this.

Okay, now… what the hell can you do about the weather? Have contingency plans, and if you are IN the wedding, do your best to hide any issues from the bride. Trust me on this. The best example I have to highlight this scenario is TT and Mattie’s wedding this past January. TT had visions of getting married in January, and just kept thinking about how adorable all of the bridesmaids would look as we posed outside with her with bright pink cheeks. Seriously, bright pink cheeks in winter are one of her fave things. Thank goodness, I don’t know if it was her thought or someone else’s, but she realized five girls standing outside the Yankee-land in January wearing only a few layers of chiffon may not have been the best idea. I am thankful for this. So, outdoor pictures in January are something to consider when planning a wedding.

The other thing to consider in a January wedding above the Mason-Dixon line… SNOW. As in a freaking snowstorm. Now, the weather forecast had been calling for sprinkles all week… none of us were really worried, we thought it would be just enough to make it pretty as the guests walked in… I mean, these people know how to drive in snow. But no. The weather changed the day of and pretty quickly. It started sleeting as we were all getting ready. That froze on the roads, then the snow started. By the time the ceremony had started at 7pm, they were shutting down the freeways because the traffic was such a disaster and people couldn’t get anywhere. And being the awesome bridesmaids that we were… we managed to keep this from the Bride. Yes, she sipped her champagne and had her hair done and got all those lovely and relaxing moments that a bride deserves…. And didn’t even notice us slipping away to call other friends to see where they were and how the roads were coming. She didn’t know the ongoing conversations with the DJ who was in traffic, or with the catering crew who were scrambling for staff. She didn’t bat an eye when we told her we were going to start a little late because there was a hold up with the grandparents. Had the damn DJ not called her cell phone instead of one of the bridesmaid when returning a call… that’s when she found out. And she took it pretty well considering. We told her all of our game plans, let her make some remaining decisions, but it all worked out perfectly in the end… and TT and Mattie have a funny story to tell about their wedding day. As I reminded her, it is good luck to have rain on a wedding day… and after all, snow is just a different form of rain!

The sleet hitting the ground before the snow came later that day

Other weather concerns…. Heat. When the Bestie got married in June, it was ninety something degrees (in the North) by 1pm when we were heading to grab some Subway for lunch. Outdoor pictures had to be canceled, because no one wants to see a bridal party in pictures with their makeup sweating off of them! She made a good call there…. And had the backup plan of a pretty mantel and lovely mirror inside for pictures. I had the back of plan to fan her as the day went on with whatever fan I could make… wedding programs double nicely for fans as an FYI.

Note the temp on the far right... this was the last part of May!

As for the big one in the South… hurricanes. All I can tell you is be smart… don’t plan a wedding on the coast between August and mid-September, or a honeymoon on a cruise ship, you are just asking for trouble.

And remember… you can’t control the weather. But you can control the back up plans and how you react to it! Plan ahead and be prepared folks!