How to Navigate Rain on Your Wedding Day

Wedding Photography

March 29, 2025

bridal party walking in the rain with clear umbrellas for bridal party portraits

We all dream of a wedding day bathed in golden sunlight, with clear skies and a gentle breeze. But in Oklahoma, we know that weather can be unpredictable, changing in an instant. That’s why having a solid rainy-day plan should be a non-negotiable part of your wedding planning process. The thought of poor weather impacting your carefully planned details can feel devastating—but what if I told you that rain doesn’t have to ruin everything?

Planning for the Possibility of Rain

The key to handling unexpected weather is preparation. Here are a few things to consider when putting together your rainy-day game plan:

Choose a Venue with a Backup Plan – If you’re planning an outdoor ceremony, make sure your venue has a covered or indoor option that you love just as much as your original plan.
Invest in the Right Accessories – Clear umbrellas (which I have a few for you!), stylish rain boots, and cozy wraps can add charm to your photos while keeping you comfortable.
Discuss a Flexible Timeline – If possible, work with your vendors to have some flexibility in your ceremony timing. A short delay might allow you to keep your dream outdoor ceremony if there’s a break in the weather.
Protect Your Dress and Shoes – Some brides opt for special outdoor shoes and change into their elegant heels once inside. If you’re open to it, a damp hemline can be a small trade-off for stunning, romantic rain-kissed photos.

Rain Doesn’t Have to Ruin the Magic

In the past, I’ve had brides who avoided the rain at all costs, wanting to preserve their look throughout the day. I completely understand! After months of preparation, you want to look and feel your best. But I also had one bride who fully embraced the rain—and it was breathtaking.

I still remember the moment I fluffed her wedding dress on a soaked patio, watching the water rise up the back of her train. My heart tensed for a moment, but she didn’t flinch. Her only request was to keep her hair and face dry until after the ceremony. Once that was done, she let go of the worry, and the joy she radiated in those misty, rain-drenched portraits was truly unforgettable.

Carly’s experience was so memorable that she later shared this glowing review:

“Amanda was an absolute dream to work with! Her light and airy style was just what we were looking for. On my wedding day, it was pouring rain, yet that did not stop her from capturing amazing moments. She was willing to work with my crazy idea of rainy day pictures which turned out to be some of my favorite pictures! Amanda made my wedding timeline, engagement pictures, and wedding day pictures. She was very easy to talk to and made sure everything went smoothly during the day. I highly recommend Amanda!”

Communication is Key

Everyone will be different and there’s no right or wrong in which approach you take, clear communication to your venue, planner, photographer, and your ladies will be key so we know what’s most important to you as things shift because of rain throughout your wedding day. No matter what the weather brings, your wedding day will be incredible because it’s yours. So plan, prepare, and then let go—and I promise, your love will shine through, rain or shine.

If you’re searching for a wedding photographer who can capture your wedding day story—rain or shine—I’d love to chat! Let’s create beautiful, timeless memories together. Click here to view my wedding day website page and read more about what a wedding day with me is like. When you’re ready to book, simply complete my inquiry form! I can’t wait to hear from you.

Enjoy a few highlights as well as some thoughts and ideas from Carly and Andrew’s rainy wedding day!

Vendor Team Who Made it Happen

Venue | Horse Head Lake Lodge Event Center

Photographer | Amanda Hitchen Photography

Bride’s Ring | Brilliant Earth

Wedding Dress | Ellis Bridal

Bridesmaids Dress | Park and Fifth

Hair and Makeup | Hayley Goodfellow

Groom’s Ring | Kay Jewelers

Mens Attire | Alyssa’s Bridal and Tuxedo

DJ and Bartender | East Side Sound Works

Florist, Caterer, Baker | Dover Market Catering

Invitations and Stationary | Copy Scans and More

first look with clear umbrellas, the bride tapping the groom on his shoulder — Carly was 100% sure, she wanted to do her first look on the rain soaked patio. This was the spot she was supposed to say “I do” and she still wanted portraits with this view!

groom gets to see his bride for the first time, you can see tears in his eyes

bride wiping tears from her grooms face and fixing his hair

bride and groom walk on their rainy wedding day with clear umbrellas to protect them — You can see the rain drops against Andrew’s grey suit, it rained pretty heavily throughout the entire day! I had my assistant standing right next to me with an umbrella over my camera to avoid water getting on the lens or getting my camera wet.

We did a few couples portraits under one of the covered walkways that the venue had. Creating a framing around Carly and Andrew that is beautiful. Carly has always wanted closer portraits of her an Andrew but because of their height difference, she’s never had them. For her wedding day, I came armed with a stool for her to stand on and it was perfect. She loves these close photos of them face-to-face and snuggly!

close up bridal portrait — At an angle, shooting through the covered walkway, I was able to create portraits with the background that she dreamed of – something that honored the natural landscape of the venue.

snuggly portrait of the bride and groom with noses and foreheads touching

Here’s a better look of me shooting through the walkway. I was standing in the rain, with my assistant covering my camera with a clear umbrella. But this angle gave Carly and Andrew more of what they envisioned for their wedding portraits instead of being stuck with something less. I also took some bridal party portraits here as well as on the patio.

bridesmaids carrying the brides train, keeping ti out of the rain — Carly’s ladies helping her from one spot to the next, protecting the dress as much as possible prior to the ceremony.

This was a special shoe moment with her dad, Marty. Carly walked in and said, “Dad, look at my shoes!” He replied by showing her his shoe and sock combo. Then without any notice, they clicked their shoes together like it was something between them that only mom might have seen before. I love capturing moments like these!

indoor ceremony back up location — With the doors open, Carly and Andrew were almost able to have the backdrop they wanted for their ceremony. Allowing in the natural light and for guests to enjoy the lake view. I used flash because it was pretty dark according to the camera but this allowed their ceremony portraits to have the consistent bright and light feeling.

sunset portraits, groom twirling his bride — One flexible moment came when I needed to pull them from the reception time for husband and wife/ sunset portraits a little earlier than scheduled. Carly was all about it. The clouds block the sunlight, especially thicker rain clouds like these, and so we needed to move up sunset portraits to get a few final photos of them.

traditional bridal portrait with the couple smiling at the camera

quiet moment between the bride and groom

groom kissing his bride with the lake view in the background

bride and groom walking away from camera while the groom holds her dress

Visit another blog!

Kelsey and Robert choose to have their first look at an indoor location for an entirely different Oklahoma weather-related reason… it was SO HOT on their wedding day! View the blog post that highlights their first look inside the Colcord Hotel lobby in Oklahoma City. It was so sweet, romantic, and timeless!

One of the many reasons why I suggest most weddings have a package with 10 hours of photography coverage is to allow for pad time. Carly and Andrew’s day had a wonderful amount of flexible buffer time between events which worked out so well. Dealing with the rain made things a little tricky and time consuming but Carly was dealing with one less thing by having a timeline that allowed flexibility and extra time. So while everything was wet, at least she wasn’t rushing around and late. Click here to read my blog post about wedding hours coverage to learn more!

If you’re ready to dream about your wedding day and chat about photography coverage, please complete my inquiry form! I’m a Tulsa based photographer who serves all of Oklahoma and loves to travel!

Amanda Hitchen

Tulsa, Oklahoma Photographer