Rainy Day Wedding Survival Guide

 You may picture a perfect day of beautiful blue skies and sunshine, but what if it rains on your wedding day?

 There is an old saying that rain on your wedding day is a lucky omen. The Italians even have a saying for it, “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata”, which means that a wet bride is a lucky bride. For an indoor wedding, the rain is more of an annoyance than a real problem, with a little planning ahead you can be prepared for virtually any wedding day splashes that might come your way.

Whether you consider rain to be a lucky sign or not, there is always a chance that it will fall on your wedding day. To make wet weather less of an issue, plan in advance for inclement weather. If you are planning to host your wedding outdoors, you need to have a solid Plan B.  You certainly don’t want to be in a situation where you are scrambling to come up with options for a second location an hour before your ceremony. Be prepared with shelter for guests and the couple, or a backup location if the weather forces you to move the ceremony inside. For weddings in tents, order a floor to avoid having your reception in a mud pit. You should always discuss Plan B with your family, wedding party, venue, wedding planner and other vendors. It’s important that your florist and decorator, for example, know what Plan B is in case there are changes to be made to the arrangements and decorations if you do move sites.

Here is a list of must-have rainy day emergency items:

• If there is rain in the forecast for your big day, arm yourself with plenty of umbrellas. The basic umbrella is ok for pictures but think ahead and rent or purchase some beautiful waterproof parasols like ones offered by Bella Umbrella for the bride and her bridesmaids. Nice umbrellas like these can also be fabulous bridesmaids gifts that will be used over and over and they come in many beautiful colors and patterns to coordinate with any theme. (www.bellaumbrella.com)
• To protect the bride’s hair, make-up and dress from getting wet RainyDay BridalWear has designed a raincoat that will keep a bride looking her best on a soggy day. The WetKnot is a sophisticated bridal gown raincoat that was designed to protect the bride and her dress from nature’s unpredictable elements. With this essential by her side, a bride can be prepared for virtually any wet weather emergency on her wedding day. The WetKnot’s patented design wraps gracefully under and gathers up the gown - the perfect solution to wet grass and walkways on the way to ceremony and reception sites.  Brides will appreciate the quality and detail of satin cording and rhinestone snaps that give each raincoat simplicity and elegance while showing every detail of the brides dress through the crystal clear coat. (www.rainydaybridalwear.com) 
•   You don’t want to squish your way down the aisle in soggy footwear, so make sure you have a fun pair of wellies to slip on. Dav by StyleWest has some fun and stylish cowgirl rain boots that are sure to be loved before and after your big day. (www.davrain.com)