We Created a Rain Plan for Your Outdoor Wedding So You Don't Have To Worry
If you are from East Tennessee, you know that the weather can be absolutely divine, especially spring and fall. You also have likely noticed that Mother Nature can be a bit persnickety. If you are NOT from East Tennessee but are planning your wedding here, you need to know that the weather can change within a matter of hours. It only takes a small amount of imagination to visualize the panic of a bride who has not come up with a good rain plan.
You’re envisioning the perfect outdoor wedding in an immaculate setting. You close your eyes and can almost viscerally feel the warm (not too hot) sun casting a luscious glow upon every guest present, especially you and your beloved. The breeze is just enough to take the edge off the heat. The forest foliage emanates an earthy, heady scent, thanks, in part, to a recent shower. Then you wake up on the morning of your wedding day and realize it was all a dream because now it’s raining. Never mind the idiom that it’s good luck to have rain on your wedding day, it isn’t what you planned and it isn’t really what you wanted.
So, how does someone contend with the temper tantrums of Mother Nature?
More often than not, couples booking a wedding are looking for one thing: A gorgeous outdoor space for their ceremony and endless backdrops for photos. But we should add a second item to the perfect wedding venue checklist: A great Plan B in case of inclement weather. Many of the venues in East Tennessee tout their outdoor ceremony settings as the end all… But they neglect to mention that their indoor reception space does not double as a ceremony space. Here is the situation with most venues— The outdoor ceremony site is ideal, and the indoor reception space is fine once it’s decorated and set up for the reception. But the reception space is normally set up the day of the wedding specifically for the reception with tables, linens, centerpieces, chargers, etc. Most venues do not have a way to accommodate an inside ceremony AND reception unless guests end up sitting at the already set tables. The other case is nearly impossible unless you have an army of helpers on standby to convert the indoor space from rows of chairs for the ceremony, to fully dressed tables for the reception.
so how do you go from this indoor ceremony setup
to this indoor reception setup
Believe it or not, the above photos are from the same wedding. The more miraculous thing to note is that the photos were taken within roughly 45 minutes of each other! If you had to wrangle your friends and family into the arduous task of space conversion, it would take them quite a long time. Not to mention, it would place so much physical and mental stress on them because they’d want to make things perfect for you! It takes a team of wedding ninjas to pull off a flip of any size.
A rainy wedding day does not have to ruin anything or cause you to cash in on that wedding day insurance policy. At Ramble Creek, we have the best “Plan B” around. You can plan to your heart’s content knowing that IF the need arises to host both the ceremony and reception inside, it is not only doable, but also just as lovely. Most people that visit Ramble Creek remark that the photos online do not do justice to our Grand Hall. And it’s probably not surprising that many of our couples choose our venue because of the versatile inside. They understand the value of a beautiful space as well as a seamless backup plan for inclement weather. The same “Plan B” can be implemented whether the weather is too hot, too cold, too windy, too muggy, or just plain rainy. Our staff can swoop in heroically and flip the space in an hour or less, even when there’s a large crowd of guests waiting. Even if it’s dreary outside, there are still tons of photo opportunities within the Ramble itself. A peek at our Instagram page will show off some of the many spots inside the venue where couples have taken advantage of our interior spaces for photos.
singin’ in the rain…
These two darlings made the most of their rainy December wedding day. Thanks to adventurous photographers Tyler and Kendall, Hank and Isabel had the BEST time galivanting in the rain making memories. So, you see, the rain doesn’t have to slow the fun or detract from outdoor photograph opportunities. It is a good idea to go ahead and search Pinterest for rainy day wedding photo ideas, just in case. Also, make sure you have photographers that are ready to seize the day and get a little wet! Check out this review from Laura that specifically mentions the rain plan…
how to make the very best rain plan…
Feel free to go ahead and buy those cute rain boots, matching rain coats, clear umbrellas, and whatever else helps you feel better about the potential for rain. BUT, rest assured that if you book a wedding with Ramble Creek, we have every possible scenario covered. With hundreds of events under our belt, you can bet we’ve handled it all. Whether the weather suits you or not, you will still have the absolute best day ever!
blog cover photo by Tonya Damron