Did you know that most couples spend 10 to 18 months planning their wedding? And, if they're not using a wedding planner, couples spend between 200 and 300 hours on wedding plans. After spending so much time and money on your wedding, the last thing you want is bad weather, right? Unfortunately, while you can control a lot of things about your big day, the weather isn't one of them. Since you can't control your wedding day weather, the next best option is to figure out how to roll with it. Contingency plans and some preparations will help you keep your cool if the rain falls or the snow flies on your wedding day. Read on for our tips on how to make the most of the weather if it's not what you're expecting.

Have Contingency Plans

If your wedding ceremony and reception are inside, the rain will be a nuisance, but won't drastically hamper your plans. If you have locations for outdoor photos, however, the weather could pose a problem. Backup plans are a necessity for an outdoor wedding. It's wise to rent a tent even if you're not expecting rain. This gives guests a place to get out of the elements, whatever they may be. You can also check if your venue has indoor space to move your event to if the weather requires it. Work with your wedding planner or venue coordinator to ensure that they can accommodate last-minute changes due to poor weather. Taking pictures in the rain or snow can actually make for some amazing photos. Even clouds provide good lighting for your photos. Embrace the weather and have some backup locations for photos if your original plans have to be scrapped due to weather. Planning ahead will allow you to go with the flow on your wedding day and avoid freaking out.

Prepare Your Guests

If you are planning for outdoor events, include an "in case of rain" note with your invitations so guests will know the plans if the weather forces things to change. You can also take steps to make sure guests are comfortable, include renting heaters for an outdoor tent or patio, providing umbrellas, providing blankets or towels, or consider having golf carts or other transportation to transport your guests outdoors if they need to travel between venue locations. You can also embrace the rain with cool photos, matching rain boots and umbrellas, or rain jackets. Instead of fighting the weather, use it to your advantage.

Do Your Research

While you can't control the weather, you can do research ahead of time and choose a time of year that has weather ideal to what you are looking for. Each year, the Farmer's Almanac publishes weather predictions for the year based on historical weather trends. It's not 100% correct but is pretty darn accurate when it comes to predicting the weather, so if you are certain you don't want to deal with rain, snow, or any other adverse weather on your wedding day, do a little research before choosing your date.

Don't Let Wedding Day Weather Ruin Your Plans

Instead of stressing yourself out about your wedding day weather, plan for it, embrace it, and let it go. You can't control it so there's no sense in letting it ruin your day! At the end of the day, you're going to get to marry the love of your life, and a little rain, snow, or wind can't take that away.If you're in the process of planning your wedding and are looking for a photography team that can take adverse weather in stride, look no further. Get in touch with us today to learn more about what we can offer you.