What if it rains?
So here’s the scenario - it’s 4:45. The ceremony is outdoors and the DJ has already showed up and is testing his mics. The ceremony is set to begin at 5:30 and guests are arriving. I’m getting some final shots in the bridal suite and am about to begin setting up my tripods and mics for the ceremony. There is tension in the room as bridesmaids nervously look out the window and study the looming dark clouds. One checks her phone and proudly announces that the storm is “going to miss us.” The bride’s eyes are wide with panic, and everyone is doing whatever they can to calm her nerves - some sliding alcohol into her fidgeting hands, some rubbing her back, and some showering her with constant reassurances that it most certainly will not rain.
I’ve been in that position more than a handful of times, and it is nerve wracking. Even mentioning rain is scary. I’ve learned in my consultations with couples not to even bring it up. Even saying the word “rain” can evoke immediate anxiety and knocks on the nearest wooden items. It’s just not worth it. So, I tend to avoid the topic entirely, since, after all, even if it does rain, there’s nothing I can do about it. So why add stress to an already stressful time?
But rain is always a possibility, especially in the south where summer storms always seem to be lurking on the horizon and even the most beautiful of days can end gross and soggy. I’ll never forget when my sister was going through the planning process for her destination outdoor wedding and my dad kept saying to her over and over “it’s gonna rain.” She would roll her eyes and thank him for the reminder. Was he being unnecessarily pessimistic? After all, shouldn’t there only be good vibes when planning a wedding? What good was it to dwell so much on the negative?
Spoiler alert - it rained. For most of the day. The ceremony had to be moved inside, and it for sure changed the dynamic of what would have otherwise been a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony. But, here’s the thing - even with that drastic shift, it really didn’t change the overall wedding day experience for her or the guests. While the auditorium wasn’t as pretty, we still sat patiently for the ceremony and enjoyed every moment. And I know it’s cliche to say, but they were still married once it was over. And the reception was a blast.
The point is that sometimes the worst case scenario isn’t actually all that bad. And mentally bracing yourself for the worst can actually be far healthier than anxiously clinging to false reassurances. Because your brain knows the reality that no matter how much you tell yourself that it won’t rain, it might. And that “maybe” will haunt you if you run from it. But if you face it head on, that terrifying word “rain” loses its power.
So will it rain on your wedding day? Maybe. That glass isn’t half full or half empty. The glass simply contains and equal amount of liquid and empty space. It’s realistic, and sometimes reality is the most reassuring. So realistically, I can’t tell you whether or not it will rain on your wedding day. But I can tell you this, if it does rain, everything will be ok. I’ve seen rain so many times, but I’ve never seen rain ruin a wedding. Rain can and often does change things, but change is not necessarily bad, and within that change lies both the creation of timeless memories and the call to focus even more on that which truly matters 🤍
