The other day I was chatting with a bride about her upcoming wedding at Castle Hill and she asked the inevitable question, “What if it rains?!” It’s hard to imagine that your wedding photographs would not be completely destroyed by rain at a venue like Castle Hill. It’s gorgeous there, and there are endless possibilities for photos. All of the pictures you’ve seen online show happy couples sipping signature cocktails on the lawn bathed in a golden sunset. Honestly,  it really is just like that at Castle Hill…most of the time. Then there are the other times, when it rains. Sometimes it rains so hard that it borders on scary. Windswept is a nice name for a summer home, or a boat…. but not for describing your wedding. Soaked… that’s not a good one either. So how did I answer the question about rain? With the truth. The truth is it sucks, it’s disappointing and it’s nobody’s first choice for weather BUT we’ve photographed amazing weddings in the worst of conditions. Foul weather forces us to rise to the occasion, to see things with a fresh set of eyes, to be inspired to do something different and something fabulous. I promised my caller a blog post about a rainy day wedding at Castle Hill, so here it goes: 8 Reasons why rain is awesome it’s okay if it rains on your wedding day, this particular venue is Castle Hill but the reasons apply to all venues really. This is the wedding of Lauren and Jonathan. It didn’t just rain on Lauren’s wedding it poured, of course starting just as they were having their first look…

1. EMOTION  The best photos from your wedding day are the photos filled with emotion, not the photos of the scenery and the details. Sure, a dramatic vista is nice to look at and a pretty shot of your bouquet is nice to have, but those won’t be your FAVORITE pictures. They’re style not substance. Substance pulls at your heartstrings. Substance and emotion are what make you able to relive the day over and over each time you look at the photographs. It’s why your favorite photo might be a blurry shot with random guests in the background and compositionally challenged. It’s your favorite because it was a natural moment and your groom is looking at you lovingly with his  hand on the small of your back. There are definitely technically better photos, but still that one speaks to you. Only one reason for that, emotion.

 2. COZY NOOKS AND ARTSY ANGLES As photographers, rainy weddings force us to look at a property from a different perspective, i.e. where are the cozy nooks?! Castle Hill has quite a few. All we really need is a cozy nook to place our couple in. Inevitably they cuddle up and canoodling ensues. Everyone knows canoodling makes for great photos. Another benefit of rain {when you aren’t standing in it}? Wind! Wind makes for some sweet veil action. If you can find a cozy nook, take it to the next level and throw in an artsy angle. Guaranteed it’s a shot that the bride and groom never would have had if it was a sunny day. Sunny is so boring.

3. Family and Friends  You are surrounded by the people you love most! Rainy weddings force us into small spaces. Forced togetherness, it’s great for families. Everyone will rally around you and your family photos and bridal party photos will feel very intimate.

4. Photography Trickery Your photographer might have some unexpected tricks up their sleeve. In the case of Lauren and Jonathan, we brought along a gorgeous vintage velvet backdrop to take some classic formals with a modern twist. Lauren’s color scheme was peacock teal and gold. We happened to have a peacock and gold backdrop so we set it up and voila, instant glamour!

5. Natural Light  Rainy day photos taken inside DO NOT EQUAL dark photos take with flash. Seriously, this is a pet peeve. Turn of the $#@! flash people! Today’s cameras are so light sensitive that dreamy photos like these can be achieved with very little light, in fact it’s preferred. When your day is grey, the light is even and soft. Even + soft = dreamy. All you need is some natural light from a window! Unless you are getting married in a basement, your venue should have windows- open those shades! Added bonus… the rain on the windows adds to the romance factor.

6. YOU CAME TO GET MARRIED AND THAT’S STILL GOING TO HAPPEN. This is the tricky part for most couples. They just REALLY want that outside ceremony. I don’t blame them! Here’s where emotion becomes our friend again. I promise you, once you walk down the aisle your sadness about the weather takes a backseat to your joy about getting married. We’ll get in nice and close to capture all that emotion. This is the real reason you are here, to marry your best friend. The backdrop becomes irrelevant when you are looking into each others eyes.

 7. SOMETIMES THE RAIN STOPS long enough to get a few photos outside. When this happens, GO FOR IT! Do not worry about your shoes or the hem of your dress. Splash through those puddles, laugh in the mist, and throw caution to the wind {literally}.

8. THE SHOW MUST GO ON Everyone came for a good time, including you…so have one! Enjoy ever last soggy moment of your day because it all goes by so fast. Good news though, you’ll have beautiful pictures to remember it all by!

Convinced? No? Wow! Skeptic!

Okay then, read on… here’s a description of the day and some advice from my guest blogger… THE BRIDE HERSELF! THE INCOMPARABLE LAUREN!