Hey, this is Pittsburgh. You know how it is. If you’re getting married – especially in the spring and fall – you might just have to do some wedding photos in the rain.
Weather Can Change Quickly
We went down the street for some portraits after Stacey and EJ‘s ceremony at St. Mary of the Mount on Mt. Washington. Once the photos were finished we hurried back to the limo because there was a storm coming our way through downtown Pittsburgh.
Weather apps are great because you can see when the rain is going to start and (hopefully) stop. We kept an eye on this storm but unfortunately it decided that it wasn’t going anywhere. So what do you do? Well, the first rule of dealing with rainy weather on your wedding day is to remain flexible. EJ and I cleared out some furniture in their suite and made a little photo studio so that we could continue doing couple’s portraits.
Wedding Party Photos in the Rain
Photographing wedding parties – especially big ones like Jalyn and Chris had – can be a bit of a challenge when the weather turns sour. Which brings us to the second rule of rainy day weddings: Have a plan! With 17 people we needed a bigger space. Their reception was at The Fairmont, so in order to stay close we chose the walk under the convention center. Another good option would have been the lobby of the hotel, but the couple wanted to be outside and this worked out pretty well!
Storms can mean that there’s not much available light. It helps to be prepared with a portable lighting kit.
Stay Happy
Susie and Guido originally planned to have their ceremony in the Sculpture Garden at Mellon Park in Shadyside. Mother Nature had other ideas. So they moved the ceremony into the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. If they were disappointed it didn’t show. Because they were following the most important rule: Stay Happy! Hey, you’re getting married to your love so turn those frowns upside down! Or something like that 😊🙃
Wait it Out if You Can
Yegi and Reza planned a fabulous wedding at Oheka Castle in New York. It’s a super fancy mansion on Long Island Sound. Think Great Gatsby! Anyway, just as the ceremony was about to begin a single storm cell crossed directly overhead and dumped a bunch of rain on the outdoor ceremony site. What did they do? Well, they had a glass of nice champagne and waited. Which is the fourth rule: Be patient. This rule is very closely related to the first rule. It just depends on the situation. Yegi made the call that she’d rather adjust her timeline than move the ceremony indoors.
The staff were joined by a bunch of guests as they dried off the seats and set out the programs. With everyone pitching in the prep took just a few minutes.
Move it if You Have To
Alex and Rich had planned their ceremony to be under an arbor near a pond at Armstrong Farms. It wasn’t to be. The weather was just too terrible and moved it inside. The staff at Armstrong Farms know their venue and they advised that things be moved inside the barn.
That proved to be the correct decision. It kept raining through dinner which was in a tent outside of the barn.
The skies cleared up just around the time the sun set. Alex and Rich were willing to leave dinner for a few minutes and we were rewarded with a beautiful photo.