Wedding Wednesday: Rain on your Big Day

There's an old superstition that says if it rains on your wedding day, it's suppose to bring good luck. The Italians even have a saying for it, "Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata", which means that a wet bride is a lucky bride. In the U.S., it is commonly repeated that rain is lucky, although most brides would prefer a dry day and a little less luck!

Rain is also considered to be a good wedding omen in Germany, Sweden, and France. This is possibly because rain is associated with a bountiful harvest, and thus, fertility. Some believe that the rainier the wedding day, the more children the marriage will produce. (So if you get married during a downpour, I guess that you can expects to have triplets!)

However, not everyone considers rain to be a lucky charm. 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, the best advice is to plan in advance for it! If you are planning an outdoor wedding, check the Farmer's Almanac for the driest times of year in your hometown. Also 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.

For an indoor wedding, the rain is more of an annoyance than a real problem. If there is rain in the forecast for your big day, arm yourself with plenty of golf umbrellas. The bride also may want to get dressed at the church if the weather is really nasty in order to avoid any muddy, wet mishaps with her dress.

If it does end up raining on your special day, the best thing to do is grin and bear it. I attended a wedding for two close friends of mine in Los Angeles a few years back. It was in the beginning of September and was being held at a garden venue with the reception inside. Rain came early that morning and the couple made the desecsion to not take any chances throughout the course of the day, and decided to hold the ceremony indoors. A few last minute tweeks here and there, combined with a couple that was so madly in love they didn't care where they exchanged their vow, and good times were had by all.

I was hired to do all the decorations for a wedding last October (which I blogged about here) and it rained all morning before the ceremony. We were as prepared as we could be with enough people on hand to work as hard as possible to dry everything off, keep water from getting inside the tent, and to help in case we did need to move the ceremony indoors. Luckily enough, just an hour before the ceremony the rain suddenly stopped and the sky cleared. The bride and groom exchanged their vows under a beautiful beam of sunshine, which seemed like a lucky omen, indeed.

No matter what the weather is on your wedding day keep this in mind: You have a lifetime of sunny and rainy days alike to spend with the one you love throughout your married life. So grab an umbrella and smile!

 via kissthegroom