“It’s like rain on your wedding day”

There is always this one panicked thought in the head of most of the couples that I speak with about their wedding day. “What if it rains?”

I’ll tell you now it’s actually not the end of the world, and actually I think that it’s a good thing.

It is traditionally said that rain on your wedding day is actually good luck. Despite what Alanis Morissette may tell you it is not ironic!

Which leads to the question of what happens if it does rain?  As you may have already gathered, I’m just a little OCD about covering off every eventuality. That’s why my car boot and garage are full of umbrellas.  Most people I meet look in my boot and think I’m slightly crazy.

Why do I have so many umbrellas you’re probably wondering? Well, it started as a quick reaction to the weather forecast, and it’s now become superstitious for me.  At one of the very first weddings that I was about to shoot, the forecast was for rain throughout the day.  Therefore, I spoke with the bride, and asked her from the two different colours of her wedding, what colour umbrellas would she would prefer?  I then ordered three umbrellas in that colour!

Now, call me superstitious if you like, but it seemed to scare the rain away. it certainly wasn’t a sunny day, but it wasn’t raining heavily either.  When it did start drizzling a little in the evening, it meant we could have some fun under the umbrellas with fun lighting.   It also gave a chance for the bridesmaids and a bridal party to do something a little bit fun.

And so the pattern and superstition began! If the weather forecast was for rain, then I would order an umbrella in the bridal colours. and on the whole this seemed to work! obviously I cannot control the British weather, nobody can. but on the whole it does seem to scare away more of the rain that is normally forecast.

If it does rain, then firstly I have plenty of colourful umbrellas that we can use to make some fun photographs.  As you will see below it also gives us a chance to play Singing in the Rain.  I’ll agree that these are not photographs of a gorgeous blue sky: if anything I think they’re probably a little bit better. They are certainly unique, it’s unlikely that you’ll see anything similar, and if these do not bring happy memories back then I don’t know what will!

Ultimately what does this mean to you as a couple looking for a photographer? Well, let me put it this way, if I’m willing to buy a boot full of umbrellas just to look after my couples, then you’ve probably gathered that I will go to the end of the world to make your day that little bit more fantastic.

That is me, that’s who I am, and that’s what I’m like. Of course everybody dreams of a perfectly gorgeous sunny wedding day.  But if it doesn’t work out that way then at least this way we have plenty of fun options, and the ability to have fun together making iconic beautiful photos which will trigger your memories in the years ahead.