What do you do about photos on your wedding day when it's raining? Rain is rarely a welcomed guest on your special day, but Emily and Lucas were true Positive Patties to make the best of it and still earned themselves beautiful wedding images.
As their photographer, I was checking my weather app in the week leading up to their wedding day and then checking the hourly forecast as well as live radar the morning of. Usually, we get lucky and there's a break in the rain that allows us to take photos outside with at least the bride and groom, but the rain didn't break that day until well into the reception celebrations that evening.
I personally don't mind a recent rain right before taking photos because think it gives colors an extra "pop" that you don't see in full daylight. Additionally, overcast days are great for photos because the sunlight is naturally and perfectly diffused, which can open more options for photos, and I love the look a right umbrella can add to the portrait collection. Not every couple will have these kinds of portraits in their wedding galleries!
Knowing the relentless rain was a possibility, when I arrived to the Calvary Chapel Morgantown, I was scouting locations for Emily and Lucas's portrait time that would ideally keep them out of the rain. I knew that one pose would include the clear umbrella I had brought and allow us at least one set of images to be in a green space outside. The second and third locations I scouted were right next to the church exterior, but still gave them a variety in looks.
The Chapel luckily had a glass entryway that allowed Emily and Lucas to stand under while maximizing the available natural light. The Chapel's gorgeous wooden doors provided a beautiful backdrop for them. Less than ten feet beside the doors was a small space kept semi-dry by a small roof overhang, which provided juuust enough space for Emily and Lucas to stand under for some additional portraits. All of this was also made possible by the fact that it was a gentle rain and not a torrential downpour with high winds!
Capturing wedding day portraits when it rains can be a challenge and may not be what you had envisioned, but with the right photographer (and a clear umbrella), you will still get stunning wedding day photos of your perfectly rainy day.
Emily and Lucas, thank you for trusting me with the wedding portrait rain plan and for being your perfectly married selves. Your evident love for one another and excitement for becoming wife and husband are what makes your portraits shine.
Here to help,
Kimber
