Loading Forever Farrah…
By Forever Farrah Published 2026-10-20.
A planner's wedding rain plan checklist: a wet version of every outdoor moment, tent holds, one decision time, lightning and wind rules, and who tells guests what.
A wedding rain plan is a second version of every outdoor moment, agreed before the day: where the ceremony, cocktail hour and photos move to, what has to be rented or held (a tent, flooring, sidewalls, umbrellas), who makes the call and by what time, the rule that stops everything for lightning, and how vendors and guests hear about it. Write it into the run of show with the dry plan, so switching is a decision, not a redesign.
Most rain plans fail because they cover the ceremony and nothing else. Go down the run of show and mark every line that happens outside, then give each one a wet location and a note on what changes. The run of show template has a Notes column for exactly this, and the client questionnaire asks the couple for their wet weather plan in its day-of logistics section.
| Moment | Dry plan | Wet plan | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Lawn | Tent on the lawn, or an indoor room | Chairs, aisle, sound, the officiant's spot |
| Cocktail hour | Terrace | Covered veranda or a second room | Bar position, heaters, standing room |
| Portraits | Gardens | Indoor spot chosen at the walkthrough, plus a few umbrella shots | Photographer's timing and lighting |
| Arrivals | Path from the car park | Covered walkway or umbrellas at the door | Staff to hand out umbrellas, mats at the entrance |
| Send-off | Front steps | Under the porch or inside the doors | Sparklers or petals may not work in rain |
If the wet plan for the ceremony is the reception room, you also have a room flip to plan; the room flip guide covers how to turn ceremony rows into dinner tables during cocktail hour.
A tent is the most common rain plan for an outdoor venue, and it has to be arranged weeks ahead. A Martha Stewart guide to rain plans notes that many rental companies let clients hold a tent with its weather accessories for a small percentage of the cost, and that the decision to use it is usually made about 48 hours before the wedding. Holds and deadlines are each company's own terms, so read the rental contract for:
In much of the US, a tent of any real size also needs a fire department permit. Salt Lake City's tent permit page, for example, requires a permit for tents over 400 square feet, says tents must comply with Chapter 31 of the International Fire Code and must be secured against wind. Other cities set their own rules and lead times, so ask the rental company or the local fire department, and make sure someone owns the permit.
Agree with the couple, in writing, when the call is made and who makes it. A common pattern is two decisions: the tent or rentals around the rental company's deadline, often two days out, and the ceremony location on the morning of the wedding. Those are planning habits, not rules; the rental contract and the venue set the real deadlines.
Name one decision maker. Usually it is the couple, on your recommendation, with the venue coordinator consulted. Then name who tells everyone else, so the florist does not hear about the move from a guest.
Rain is an inconvenience. Lightning and high wind are safety calls, and they are not the couple's to overrule.
Know where everyone goes if a storm arrives: which building, which door, and who tells the guests. Put it at the top of the vendor contact sheet with the venue address.
Check the national weather service for the venue's country in the week before: the National Weather Service in the US, the Met Office in the UK, Environment and Climate Change Canada's weather alerts, and the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia. Each issues official warnings for severe weather. Send the couple a short forecast note at your decision points, so the call does not come as a surprise.
Add these to your emergency kit for any wedding with an outdoor moment:
An indoor backup that holds 120 at a cocktail party may not seat 120 for a ceremony and then dinner. Check the wet plan's room with the venue's posted capacity for each layout, then draw it. The floor plan tool shows how many guests a room fits with tables, a dance floor and a bar, and the venue capacity guide explains why one room can have two legal limits.
If the reception moves, so does the seating chart. Draw the wet layout before the day, keep the same table numbers where you can, and decide which tables move if the room is smaller.
Once the call is made:
The run-of-show builder and the floor plan tool are free and need no signup, so you can lay out both the dry day and the wet one. Neither is saved to a client wedding inside the planner dashboard yet, so keep the PDFs with your files.
In the planner dashboard, each client wedding's seating chart lives in one place you and the couple both see. If the reception moves indoors, rearrange the tables and drag guests in the seating studio, and guests who scan the QR code at the door see their new table straight away, with nothing to reprint. Your first 2 client weddings are free.
Commonly about 48 hours out for a tent, because rental companies set a confirmation deadline, and on the morning of the wedding for the ceremony location. The rental and venue contracts set the real deadlines.
No. The US National Weather Service says no place outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area, and safe shelter is a substantial building or an enclosed metal-topped vehicle. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back out.
Often, in the US. Salt Lake City, for example, requires a fire department permit for tents over 400 square feet under the International Fire Code. Rules vary by city and country, so ask the rental company or the local fire department.
Loading Forever Farrah…