What if it rains on my wedding day? (a pittsburgh tradition)

Weddingelopement

May 14

Written By

The weather in Pittsburgh is pretty unpredictable. I've photographed February weddings where it was warm and sunny, and June weddings where it was cold and rainy. So what do you do if it rains on your wedding day, aside from belting some Alanis Morissette? One option is to grab some umbrellas, lean into it, and take some rainy portraits.

A bride and groom stand in the rain, the groom is wearing a gray suit and the bride a strapless dress

Try to think of it as an adventure

Try to view this as a fun little adventure, instead of a huge inconvenience. It started out just sprinkling a bit, so we went without the umbrellas for a while and just kept shooting through it. If you know you're going to be panicking about what the rain is doing to your hair, or focused on how this situation isn't the ideal you'd hoped for, then leaning into it is not for you. This is the same tip I give folks for winter portraits, or really any kind of weather that doesn't feel like you're in Southern California. If you can have fun out in it, let's do it. If you're going to be miserable, we'll just end up with really pretty photos of you looking miserable.

Bride and groom smile while standing under an umbrella, it has rained on their wedding day and they do not care

A groom dips his bride and is almost kissing her in the rain on their wedding day in pittsburgh

Clear umbrellas are the best

Ideally, it would be best to have umbrellas that are clear or white, because the light will bounce off of your umbrella, and that color will reflect onto your skin. When it comes down to it, we work with what we have to keep everyone comfortable and get beautiful portraits. But if you think it's likely to rain on your wedding day, and you're planning ahead, that's what to look for.

a man in a dark suit jacket and khaki pants holds an umbrella over his head, not realizing he is leaving his bride in her long strapless gown out in the rain

A couple laugh while standing in the rain in their wedding attire

Couple smile at camera on their wedding day, they are holding a clear umbrella because it is raining, behind them are yellow flowers and greenery

Power rangers

The groomsmen were using their Power Rangers shirts to protect the bridesmaids' hairdos, which I contend is exactly what a Power Ranger would do in that situation. Investigate feasibility of hiring Power Rangers?

bride and groom standing in the rain beneath a large umbrella

bride and groom smiling at each other beneath a large umbrella

black and white photos of a bride and groom close up beneath an umbrella as it rains on their wedding day

Go for romance

Pretend you're in the Notebook (I've actually never seen it, but it seemed very romantic? Pretend you're on the movie poster for it, that was for sure romantic.)