(a London wedding photographer’s take on rain on a wedding day)

If you’re getting married in the UK – and especially if you’re planning a London wedding – you’ll know by now that the weather has a personality all of its own. A touch dramatic. Often sarcastic. Occasionally delightful. And absolutely not interested in your forecast app. So let’s talk honestly about rain on a wedding day.

Not as a crisis, not as a threat to your beautifully planned day – but simply as something that might happen naturally, sometimes when least expected.

After years of photographing London wedding days in drizzle, mist, soft showers, and the occasional “is this sideways?” situation, I’ve learned this:

Rain doesn’t ruin the wedding day. It changes the mood – often in a beautiful way.

With a tiny bit of preparation and a lot of openness, a city wedding on a rainy day can be wonderfully cinematic. Here are some of my top 10 tips, ideas and advice how to prepare for rain on your city / London wedding day.

Top 10 Rainy Wedding Day Tips

If you’re the kind of couple who likes the short version first, a quick guide to rainy wedding days:

1. Choose a venue with indoor or sheltered wet weather options
2. Use a spacious Airbnb or hotel suite to create indoor photo space.
3. Bring clear umbrellas – romantic, practical, beautiful in photos.
4. Let your hair & makeup artist know you want humidity-proof styling.
5. Accept the dress may get a little wet – it’s fixable and part of the story.
6. Wear practical shoes for travel; switch into the designer ones later.
7. Know that film photography becomes moodier, grainier, more atmospheric.
8. Stay flexible – we’ll adapt the timeline around the rain.
9. Don’t stalk the weather apps – UK forecasts aren’t reliable.
10. Attitude is everything. Rain doesn’t ruin a wedding unless you let it.

1. A backup plan for rain on your wedding day

Most venues in London and across the UK are completely accustomed to weather plot twists. You don’t need a complicated contingency plan (‘plan B’); you just need to know you won’t be left stranded if the sky decides to get emotional.

For anyone still looking for a venue, here are a few questions to make a plan B that can make a huge difference for rainy wedding photography (especially if you hope for an outdoor ceremony or reception):

• Is there a sheltered courtyard or covered outdoor spot?
• What is the official Plan B for outdoor ceremonies or receptions?
• Is there a room suitable for family photos if the outdoors isn’t possible? Pre or post-ceremony.
• Can we stay in the ceremony room for portraits if it’s pouring?
• Is indoor confetti allowed for a fun aisle exit?
• Can you show us real rainy wedding examples?

Seeing real weddings shot in wet weather is incredibly grounding.

And it’s not just a rain thing. These questions matter just as much for autumn and winter weddings, when the weather may be cold, unpredictable, or when daylight disappears before you’ve even finished saying hello to your guests. Indoor space becomes more than a convenience – it may be a must-have for your guests comfort as well as lovely wall-worthy family photos.

2. Creating a Beautiful Indoor Option for Rainy Wedding Photos

If your chosen venue is beautiful but just a little tight on space, there’s a very simple workaround.
Rent a spacious Airbnb for the morning preparations and invite your closest to come to see you both earlier. A light, roomy space gives you so much breathing room – literally and photographically. It lets you have:

• calm, uncluttered getting-ready photos
• space for family pictures before anyone gets cold or damp
• a naturally lit environment for portraits
• room for a first look that isn’t squeezed between suitcases

When you build your timeline so that portraits, family photos, and even a first look happen before the ceremony, the weather becomes less of a threat and more of a background character. If the rain later decides to join the party, most of your key photos are already done – and you’re free to enjoy the rest of the day without checking the sky every three minutes.

This is what Katie and Dan did for their London wedding. Explore this gallery here.

3. Umbrellas for a Rainy Wedding in London – Romantic, Practical, Photogenic

Clear umbrellas are basically the unsung heroes of London wedding photography. They glow with whatever light is around, they don’t block your face, and they turn drizzly moments into something you’ll later remember fondly – like the two of you tucked under your own tiny glasshouse while the city hums around you. Or go bold and pick a colour!

I always encourage having a couple just in case! If you know the forecast is likely to bring showers, get a bunch more for you guests.

And honestly? Umbrellas in photos are incredibly romantic. There’s something about being close, sharing that little circle of shelter, that feels very London-love-story.

4. Hair & Makeup That Survive a Rainy UK Wedding Day

Makeup artists in the UK know the drill. Damp air, sudden gusts, that strange mist that isn’t quite rain… They work daily miracles. Tell them you’d like something that will hold up in humidity, and they’ll guide you with waterproof mascara, long lasting lipstick, make up setting spray and maybe an extra mist of ultra strong hair spray.

5. The dress: yes, it might get a little wet (and that’s okay)

Let’s speak softly but clearly: the bottom of your dress might get damp. Possibly a bit muddy if we wander somewhere with grass. But this isn’t a tragedy – it’s part of the story.

Wedding dresses are for living in.
For walking, hugging, dancing, stepping into puddles if you want to.
And dry cleaners are absolute magicians!

6. On shoes, cobblestones, and muddy grass

A quick, gentle truth: London pavements are chaotic when wet. So are countryside paths…
If your wedding shoes are precious, it’s completely fine to swap into something more sensible as you move around – boots hidden under a long dress or feature as a fashion statement, flats tucked into a bag, whatever feels good. You can always slip the special shoes back on once you’re in place.

7. Film Photography on a Rainy Wedding Day in London – Honest, Atmospheric, and Weather-Dependent

If you’ve chosen to include film photography in your wedding coverage, it’s worth knowing how rain – and London’s grey sky – shapes the results. Film reacts very differently to weather than digital. Those light-and-airy, sun-kissed pastel tones you might see on Pinterest simply aren’t always possible on a dark, rainy day. Instead, film will often give you something more moody, grainy, and atmospheric – rich tones, strong contrast, and might need a bit of editorial flash to combat the lack of natural light.

And one small practical note: most vintage film cameras aren’t waterproof. They can tolerate a bit of mist, but prolonged exposure to rain can affect both the mechanics and the film itself. This simply means we shoot carefully, protect the gear, and sometimes work a little slower. The results can be incredible, but they’re also slightly more weather-dependent and less predictable than digital.

8. Trust Your London Wedding Photographer – Flexibility Is Everything in Wet Weather

One of the quiet superpowers of a good wedding photographer is adaptability. I am constantly watching the weather, the light, the mood of the day – and making gentle decisions in the background so you don’t have to.

This is why flexibility is absolutely vital for any UK or London wedding, especially when rain is in the mix. The schedule doesn’t need to be rigid; in fact, the most beautifully photographed days are the ones where we can shift things around with ease.

• If it’s pouring right after the ceremony? We might skip the outdoor portraits for the moment and focus on candid moments indoors, then pop out between courses when the rain softens for five minutes. We might have sunshine later, or even a rainbow!

• If your venue doesn’t have space for a full run of family group photos inside? We might gently trim the list to the essentials – parents, siblings, grandparents – and save the broader combinations for later if the weather allows. It keeps things calm, comfortable, and realistic.

• If the forecast looks less optimistic? I usually reach out before the wedding day to make a plan B and suggest some options like modifying the timeline, alternative photo locations, your thoughts on priorities on the day. I cannot change the weather, but I can offer some help to get the best out of the day.

I always look for covered entrances, archways, canopies, alcoves. Plus, I carry flash lighting for indoor portraits and – yes – a raincoat.
I’m not scared of getting a bit wet.

And sometimes? You get sunshine or a rainbow just minutes after a heavy downpour.
There’s always a way – it just might look a little different from planned.

You don’t need to make decisions ahead or apologise for the weather – it’s simply part of the day. What matters most is that you feel content, trust the process, and let me take care of what I can help with.

Confetti x 2? Why not! There was a strong shower post Sophie and Jimmy’s ceremony, but the couple braved the confetti exit anyway. When it started pouring badly, we were allowed back inside Islington Town Hall for a bit, and then a fabulous crazy moment of 15 min sunshine happened! So out we were again for confetti exit number 2! I also found a couple of wind sheltered spots around Islington Town Hall for photos.

9. Stop Checking the Forecast – London Wedding Weather Is Never Accurate Anyway

Do yourself a kindness and stop checking it weeks in advance.

UK weather isn’t predictable until the day before – sometimes not even then – and sometimes it changes fast. Often for the better!

See examples of how rain led to strong sunshine and even rainbows later, making for some of the most memorable wedding photography moments.

From a heavy sudden shower on a hot day in July to a rainbow later!

10. Your Attitude Shapes the Story: Rainy Wedding Photos With Heart

Here’s the truth that matters:
It’s not the weather that shapes the day – it’s your attitude.

I’ve seen rain on July weddings.
On destination weddings where it “never rains.”
On elopements and big London celebrations alike.

The weddings that shine brightest are the ones where the couple embraces the weather instead of resisting it.

Your wedding isn’t meant to be perfect.
It’s meant to be alive.

And rain has a beautiful way of reminding us of that.

The weddings that stay warm in my memory – and in the photos – are always the ones where the couple chose presence over perfection. Where they laughed under umbrellas, leaned into each other, and let the weather be just another character in the day, not the villain.

Your wedding isn’t meant to be flawless.
It’s meant to be alive.
And rain, in its odd, shimmering way, has a beautiful habit of reminding us of that.

Outdoor speeches in rain? It happened on an August London wedding! But you can also be rewarded with a rainbow and dramatic light later!

Looking for A Wedding Photographer in London? A Calm, Flexible Photographer Helps Everything Feel Easier

If you’re planning a London city wedding and want a photographer who’s flexible, calm and completely at home shooting in wet weather – someone who knows sheltered spots, carries flash gear and doesn’t flinch at drizzle – I’d love to hear from you.

Rain or shine, your photos will tell your story exactly as it felt.

Send me a message here.