I wrote this post several years ago, but the advice is as good today as it was back then, particularly for those of you planning weddings in Williamsburg. Enjoy!
A hot summer day makes me think of...RAIN?
Specifically, it makes me think of the very important "RCP" or Rain Contigency Plan. Yes folks. It rains in Williamsburg. A lot. And unpredictably. Even on Saturdays.
We have the most beautiful outdoor weddings in Williamsburg. Whether you come for the dogwoods in bloom or the fall foliage, we are certainly a scenic destination full of lush green trees and beautiful lawns. Unfortunately, our high rain fall totals in a normal year are responsible for all that green.
No couple should plan a Williamsburg wedding any time of year without a solid, enforceable rain plan. Most locations, caterers and this planner require them, in fact.
What should your rain plan include?
Make sure the following are in order:
1. Rain Site: something covered and secure from high winds. This costs money - that money should be included in your budget. In some cases you may be able to make a last-minute change that will save you the rain contingency location fee, but you should never count on it.
2. An ABSOLUTE Decision Time: You need to set a day and hour when you will make the all-important inside vs. outside call. If you doubt your ability to stick to it - set a padding of time.
How do you determine this? Not based on your optimism that "everything will be okay". Nope. Talk to all of your affected vendors and find out what their outside time is and why - musicians with expensive equipment aren't going to wait until 1 hour or 2 hours before the wedding and change their set up at the last minute, especially if there is a risk to their equipment. It's not polite to expect your guests to move their chairs 30 minutes prior to the ceremony.
Realistically, and depending on your venue particulars, you should set your rain plan 4 - 6 hours prior to your set up time, if not the night before. If you have to make a tent or no tent decision, it will have to be made at least 48 - 72 hours prior to the event, depending on the date of setup.
3. A list of changes that have to be made to accommodate the shift - do your flowers need to sit on a different surface? Are your lighting needs different? You should have rain contingency plans with precise instructions to your florist or decorator - if there will be an increase (or decrease) in the overall cost, get that in writing, and give your authorization in writing as well.
Does it have to be devastating? Absolutely not. When weather runs afoul of an outdoor ceremony, guests tend to pull together and support the couple. As long as you are clearly taking care of them as best you can, they will rally around you and you can have a jovial day.
As brides (and grooms) it can be hard to let go of a picture of perfection - no wedding day is perfect. But yours can seem like it is if you do your homework and have a good attitude. An RCP is the best insurance policy you can possibly take out when planning an outdoor wedding.
Shayna Walker owns Williamsburg Wedding Design. She publishes the annual Where to Wed bridal guide for Williamsburg, Yorktown, Providence Forge and Newport News. She is also a passionate speaker and educator for the wedding industry. She writes about business development for the wedding industry at Life in Weddings. Follow Shayna on Twitter at www.twitter.com/weddlady.
