Rainy Wedding Day?

Bring some umbrellas. I keep a trunk full of them for rainy day weddings. They have come in handy from keeping wedding guests dry to fun poses in the rain with the bridal party.

And one more

It rains in AZ? :)

I just did one the other day, but I only had one umbrella. Still, it was a great prop. I had all the girls (5) huddle under it together for probably the best shot of the day.

Jim,

I was waiting for that comment.I know it's hard to believe but during the summer we have Monsoon rains and Arizona turns green. I am in Northern Az which is even more green right now.The last 3 weddings I did it has rained.Today on my drive home there were 3 separate rainbows in the sky. It was amazing.

Elaine

BTW- it is considered GOOD LUCK if it rains on your wedding day. It poured down on ours ;-) been married 35 years last month.....

Elaine, I have a son in Phoenix that has commented on the recent monsoons, so I know it's true. Actually, I was in Flagstaff a couple years ago and I think it rained an inch during the time I was eating lunch. Then the sun came out and all was right with the world again. The only thing I've done in Prescott was buy gas, but it is a beautiful area. I was expecting Arizona to be an ugly desert, but there is nothing ugly about it. BTW, I love the pics.

Jack, I was married 35 years ago last April, but I think it snowed. Does that count? Seems to have worked.

Here's another umbrella pic.

The rain can become fun if you've prepared for it: prepare technically and mentally...

If it looks like rain you can determine how to deal with it in a way that can make it "an opportunity for wonderful photos"!

It's good to have some of these "in the rain" photos to show a bridal couple when you interview them as it seems to set them at ease well before the wedding day that you can handle any situation and actually make a great memory for them.

I've been encouraging brides to re-frame the bumps, rips and rain as a opportunity to tell a story ... of course it doesn't always calm the moment but it does set the ground work for future smiles when they see the photos.

I also encourage the bride to not worry about it and in fact to get into the spirit of the day and just have fun with it; some will and some will avoid it and that's ok too ... create using the rain in short fun spurts that are safe. (Oh, and have an umbrella for yourself to protect the camera too!)

The top photo is actually two image files merged into one to create a huge panoramic photo on a rainy day overlooking a lake at the reception location. With a bit of encouragement they were willing and they ended up laughing and having fun even though the bottom of the dress was soaked ... the families and bridal party had fun with the fact that they not only dealt with rain on the wedding day but made a few unscheduled ventures out Into the Rain! What Fun...

One of my faves is the splash page on my site, Zofia Photography. It barely drizzled but I was glad they brought umbrellas. They were green and matched their dresses, and to my delight, also matched my logo! Here's another shot in color, on my blog.

Besides using covered areas that allow you to show the outdoor backgrounds behind, and emphasizing the rain and other aspects of the weather in photos, be prepared to make good photos indoors if you just can't go outside. Use telephotos and wide apertures to blur out or cut out backgrounds if necessary and possibly review your indoor options in advance so you can plan. Obviously if you are stuck shooting in a fluorescently lit cinder block reception hall devoid of nice furnishings and decor, you're going to have to be a lot more creative.

Greetings from rainy Vancouver :) I always have a bunch of umbrellas in my trunk, black ones, and a handful of those funky clear ones. They make a neat accessory to the photos, and your bride will love you for having them! I also know a photographer who has a couple pairs of big clunky rain boots... and who gets great shots of the bride wearing these as she walks around... of course they are hidden by the dress when needed... but no worries about heels sinking into muddy grass! Enjoy it... it makes the colours of flowers or whatever look great!

Love your images, Zofia...