Why The Rain Is Not A Disaster On Your Wedding Day

(And How Lydia and Jack Had The Best Wedding Despite The Rain On The Day)

You’ve buried a sausage, hired an Etsy Witch, hid a bottle of bourbon, and cut the ground with a knife - anything to prevent rain on your wedding day. And yet you’ve woken up on the day to showers (AKA typical British weather). 

Here’s the thing: one in four weddings in the UK will experience rain at some point during their day. So why, when this statistic is so high, are we all trying so hard to wish the rain away when it is so easy to embrace. 

Let’s shift the narrative. 

The Rain Symbolises Good Luck

In many cultures, rain is considered good luck. In many ancient agricultural societies, rain (obvs) meant crops would grow - meaning communities would be able to survive. Because of this, rain became associated with fertility, abundance, and new beginnings - all things people hope for in a marriage.

Many people exclaim the phrase - “we tied the knot!” upon marrying. So what if I told you that a wet knot is harder to untie? 

This idea is often linked to Celtic hand-fasting ceremonies, where couples’ hands were literally tied together during the wedding. The symbolism is simple: when fibres get wet, they swell slightly, which can make a knot tighten - meaning it becomes harder to undo.

How fun would it be to leave your wedding exclaiming, “We tied the knot,” knowing your knot was about as secure as it could possibly be? What a fun humble brag on your next pub trip.

It Adds To Your Story

Lydia and Jack got married on September 13th 2025 at Chelsea Physic Garden. In case you didn’t know, Chelsea Physic Garden is London’s oldest Botanical Garden. Four acres in the middle of Chelsea, it’s a secret haven with over 4,500 plants. 

I know what you’re thinking - Evie, why are you telling us all these very specific botanical facts?

Becauseeee it RAINED on Lydia and Jack’s wedding day. What they had envisioned was a beautiful sunny day in this beautiful garden where the guests would be able to walk around the garden with a Coupe of Champagne admiring the 4,500 plants.

Unfortunately as it was scheduled to rain on their wedding day, they very cleverly had a great plan B. They had hired a beautiful marquee (https://www.rajtentclub.com/) and if the downpour happened during the ceremony, they would have it in there. 

They also bought a bunch of clear umbrellas from Amazon to have on stand-by, which they did have to whip out during the ceremony. Luckily the rain wasn’t too heavy at this point, so everyone gathered under their clear umbrellas, which made the whole ceremony feel cosy and very cinematic - amazing for photos.

It stayed dry just long enough for family photos and a few couple portraits (phew), but then the rain really set in for the afternoon. So yes, there was no wandering around the gardens like originally planned, BUT… something else happened instead.

Everyone gathered in the marquee. People stayed close, chatted more, laughed more, and by the evening the dance floor was full. Lydia and Jack ended up speaking to nearly every guest properly - more than most couples manage on a wedding day.

The rain didn’t ruin their day. It assisted it. It made it feel cosy, intimate, memorable and completely their own story.

And that’s the thing about rain on a wedding day - it rarely ruins it. It just gives you a better story to tell.

The Light Is Softer

And now onto the photography part. You’ll be very happy to hear that rain will not, in fact, ruin your wedding photos. Although Lydia and Jack were lucky that the afternoon sun came out for their portraits, I was honestly (secretly) disappointed. I’d actually been quite excited to get some romantic, cinematic pictures of them running in the rain. And that’s not just because I enjoy a bit of drama - rain actually creates some of the best lighting conditions you can get on a wedding day.

When the sky is overcast, the clouds act like a giant soft-box, diffusing the light evenly. That means no harsh shadows, no squinting in bright sun, and flattering, soft skin tones for everyone.

Rain also adds to the atmosphere around you that you just can’t get on a sunny day. Reflections on paths, glistening leaves with tiny droplets - even umbrellas become props that look effortlessly romantic. The mood feels intimate, cinematic, a little whimsical and straight out of a Richard Curtis movie.

By the time the sun finally peeked out for Lydia and Jack’s couple portraits, we had the best of both worlds: a few golden-hour shots and the soft, dreamy atmosphere from earlier rain. 

Have I Convinced You?

So, would Lydia and Jack have had the same cosy, memorable, story-filled day if it had been sunny? Maybe. But would it have been as intimate, cinematic, and just a little bit magical? Probably not.

I hope I have convinced you that rain doesn’t ruin weddings - it just adds another layer to the story you’ll tell for years to come. It softens the light, makes photos beautiful, gives umbrellas a starring role, and even brings guests closer together.

And if you believe a few centuries of folklore, it might even bring good luck (and a really, really, really tight knot).