
Weather app consult
Bad weather can be a real joy killer for the long awaited outdoor wedding. That’s why one month before the ceremony, I bet 95% of all couples begin to check their weather app every hour. Because “Let’s move the ceremony inside” due to bad weather is the last thing any couple wants to say, especially if you’re paying a hefty fee for your venue’s outdoor view.
One of my personal favorite locations has a chairlift and requires two mechanics at the bottom and the top of the lift. Getting to the site is a unique experience that is nothing short of fun. That’s a big plus in the good memories category. However, if the weather is bad i.e. high winds, rain or snow, they won’t run the lift let alone allow the wedding to take place. And guess what? You still have to pay the cost of the good view whether guests get to see it, or not.
Let’s not ignore how resilient the bride is in her strapless gown in bitter cold, and how stoic the groom is in a full suit and tie in 90-degree sun.
Broiling heat, high winds, freezing cold
Come hell or high water, there are couples who aren’t phased by a ceremony held in broiling heat, persistent
rain, or freezing cold. That venue with the chair lift? They no longer allow brides to make the final call when there’s bad weather because several years ago some wives-to-be insisted on going forward even when a tornado was visible across the choppy waters at the site.
Which leads many professionals to plug into “the customer is always right” playbook, and will overshadow concerns for safety and comfort. We know the plans made for the magical “I do” moment and the party that follows may have been hatched decades before their life partner even showed up. These dreams are very difficult to hand over to not-so-great weather.
Helping the dream come true by sitting through
Could it be that everyone wants to be a fairy godmother who is committed to saying, “Your wish for an outdoor wedding is my command”?
Gracious Plan B
Are you one of these couples? If so, please know that graciousness is a high value quality. “We’ve decided to move our ceremony inside so everyone can be as comfortable as possible, and doesn’t have to think about clothes or shoes being ruined.” This decision showcases a gracious Plan B.
Bad weather weddings and the frail
But you may believe everyone sharing your day must buck up regardless of the weather, and not mind shivering for a half hour or so when the rest of the day can be clothed in warmth.

Photo by Todd Cravens on Unsplash
Yet your elderly guests, ones like your uncle or grandmother who barely made it to the wedding because s/he is so fragile. It’s an act of great graciousness to protect the bald people, the restless, and the frail. Doing so says that people matter to you, and dreams can change without the world ending.
Questions to Weather the Bad Weather Wedding
Here’s six questions to ask yourself when you make a Plan B, the one we all hope you don’t have to implement but is wonderful to have at the ready.
- Is the love you’re committing to the reason for your ceremony or is it the dream?
- Can the beauty of your venue still be accessed if the weather gets better?
- Will people be uncomfortable to the extent of sunburned skin or shaking in the cold?
- What will make you feel better, knowing you put others’ comfort first or your own?
- Will people remember the venue, or the words spoken on your behalf more?
- What other ways can you make your ceremony special no matter where you get married? Shameless promotion, check out my book on Special Ceremonies on Amazon, A Treasury of Special Wedding Ceremonies, Love Stories and the Power of Ritual.
May the weather apps be with you. May a bad weather wedding not be in your future but having a plan in place just in case will help you enjoy the people and places that are present on your wedding day.

Rev Crystal
Contact us for more information. We’ll be with you come rain or shine but we reserve the right to come dressed like Nanuk of the North when appropriate.
Namasté,