Here’s how to be prepared
Whenever we talk to Indian couples who want to get married in Italy, they emphasize that the choice of our beautiful country is dictated, among other things, by the amazing weather that allows for outdoor weddings. Italian landscapes are famous all over the world: sea, beaches, hills, vineyards, lakes and mountains – you are spoilt for choice, and every couple dreams of their wedding in an idyllic setting with a postcard background.
It is a pity that this pleasant picture can suddenly vanish, and the nightmare of bad weather can erase the rosy dreams of couples. And the question “what is the best time to get married in Italy” inevitably arises at every appointment we make. It would be great to have the right answer and assure the couples that it will not rain that day. Unfortunately, it’s out of my hands. Especially in recent years, due to climate change, it has become impossible to predict the weather. Therefore, the only solution to have a magical wedding is being prepared for unexpected weather, especially rain, if you plan an outdoor Indian wedding against picturesque settings of Italy. Let’s see together how to be well-prepared for unpredictable weather situations.
1. The importance of a Backup Plan
It seems obvious but it is not. Having an alternative plan in case the weather upsets your plans is not only advisable, but absolutely essential, whatever season you choose for the wedding. It can rain even in August, there is no safe month anymore. You need to evaluate your plan B with the same attention you dedicate to plan A. Only in this way can you sleep soundly knowing that you have a backup plan, if necessary.
How do you make sure to have the right plan B? The most important aspect concerns the choice of the wedding venue. Therefore plan B goes hand in hand with the choice of the place that will host your celebrations. There are many beautiful venues in Italy, with wonderful views, with large gardens or terraces, but the internal spaces are not always equally large. Furthermore, with various events that follow one another during the days of the celebrations, it is necessary to have more than one space available. This applies to both indoor and outdoor spaces, as the events are usually divided into function itself and the following meal. Therefore two different spaces are necessary basically for each event. This is extremely important, especially for the wedding ceremony, considering that the food function can’t be set up in the same space as the ceremony.
My advice is always choosing venues that offer a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces, providing flexibility and peace of mind. In fact, when we search for venues for our couples during our Venues Scouting, we always pay a lot of attention to the indoor spaces just to be sure they can still have a beautiful wedding even in case of rain. It happened to us at a previous wedding we planned for a couple, that it rained almost all the time during the 3 days of their events, and we managed to do only one event out of 5 outdoors. But thanks to the variety of spaces in the chosen venue we were able to hold the various events in different places by adapting the setup and creating a dynamic and successful event despite the bad weather.
2. Tents and Coverings
If the venue does not have internal spaces that meet your needs and suggests that you consider a marquis if necessary, pay attention to some important aspects that this decision involves. First of all, the cost: depending on the type of marquis there are very different prices that can greatly affect the total budget of the wedding, and in some cases can even compromise it. The price of the marquis depends first of all on the type of structure you choose, starting from simple modular structures with plastic on the sides up to elegant and luxurious glass marquises. And the prices vary from 2-3 thousand euros up to 50 thousand euros and more. Therefore I recommend that you first do some calculations and see if and what type of covering can fit into your budget. Only after you can evaluate whether that venue is really worth investing in extra money.
If you then decide to proceed with the marquis – either because you have fallen in love with the villa, or because you have extra budget available – you must consider additional aspects that come into play. Building a marquis takes time, it doesn’t appear with the wave of a wand, and so you have to consider the time needed for its setup. It will almost always take a day for setup and a day for dismantling. If you are renting the venue just for the day of the wedding, you will have to pay extra for the extra days. If you are choosing a venue with accommodation on site where you and your guests are staying and where you’re hosting all of your events, having workers building the structure at the same time as the events is not ideal, as in addition to the noise and the passage of people, they are taking up spaces that perhaps you have considered for some pre-wedding events. So keep in mind that a marquis often involves significant costs and quite complicated logistics, and then evaluate your options.
3. Logistics and Communication
Proper management of adverse weather during the wedding is extremely important for the success of the event. For this reason, I recommend creating an action plan based on the weather forecast and sharing it with all suppliers. Coordination of suppliers is essential as each of them has their own needs and timing that must be considered. It is not always possible to change the original plan in a short time. Sometimes the decision to move indoors must be made the day before. Sometimes, however, a few hours’ notice is enough, and to ensure that the plan can be changed quickly, all parties involved must already know what they have to do.
This means that if you do not have a wedding planner and are organizing the wedding on your own, you must consult your suppliers in advance. You must decide together what to do in case of rain at your Indian wedding in Italy. It is no coincidence that we talk about “plan” B: you need a real plan where everyone already knows everything and is ready. Sometimes unstable and conflicting forecasts between the various apps confuse the couples who decide to risk and opt for the original plan even in the event of possible rain. In this case, it is important to think about the comfort of the guests and perhaps buy umbrellas regardless, to have them ready. Obviously, managing the schedules is also crucial, as sometimes, by anticipating or postponing an event for one or two hours, you can avoid the rain.
During our last Indian wedding in Tuscany we had at the end of October, even with the risk of rain, the couple did not want to give up the wonderful view for which they came to Italy. We brought forward the ceremony by an hour hoping to avoid the rain. Even though some suppliers came from far away, we managed to start earlier. So, the entire Baraat and Milni were rain-free, with the groom arriving on his Vespa in a cloud of colored smoke bombs. Unfortunately, as soon as the ceremony began, it started to rain. However, we were ready with umbrellas and a cover over the Mandap that allowed us to celebrate the ceremony outdoors, with the backdrop of a beautiful Tuscan countryside and the towers of Siena.
4. Embrace the Weather
It is clear that almost all couples want not only to get married outdoors, perhaps enjoying a beautiful view, but also want the other events set up outdoors. And when the weather ruins their plans, it is always annoying. Months of planning, money invested, great expectations and then – for an unforeseeable and non influenceable cause – all the plans are turned upside down.
It happened to us once that despite the weather forecast didn’t predict any rain, a storm came down before the final reception. We had already started the setup outside, and the rain caught us by surprise. Due to the intensity of water, it was not possible to move everything inside. Dance platform, lights, long tables – everything was left outside under the pouring rain. Luckily, we had not yet put flowers and the mise-en-place on the tables. So we were able to opt for plan B, reusing the furniture from the lunch but with the evening set up. Unfortunately, the bride was very upset that she could no longer have the original setup. She did not enjoy the evening even though the setup was still beautiful. We were sorry to see her not having fun and not appreciating the efforts of the entire team to create a beautiful reception for her.
My advice to all the couples who may find themselves in a situation like this, is to take it lightly and enjoy the adventure. Embrace the weather and enjoy the wedding with your dearest ones who came all the way to Italy to celebrate with you. Despair and getting angry will certainly not save the situation. Moreover, your guests do not know about the original setup that was planned, and therefore they will appreciate in any case the setup they will see at your event. A close-knit team of vendors, florists and caterers led by a professional wedding planner with great experience, will certainly be able to adapt the original plan to the spaces available and create magic for your Indian wedding in Italy despite the rain.
And then think about the beautiful photos you can take in the rain, where a fairytale atmosphere is created thanks to that light fog that seems to come out of fairy tales. Truly, a photo opportunity not to be missed. Or even right after the rain, perhaps with a rainbow that lights up the sky. After all, in Italy there is a saying “wet bride – lucky bride”. And even in Indian weddings rain is considered a blessing for the couple!
5. Conclusion:
As you can see, with adequate preparation, your wedding day will be beautiful regardless of the weather. Stay positive and flexible and be reassured that your vendors will do their best to make sure you have your perfect Indian wedding in Italy even with rain.
To help you deal with unexpected weather on the wedding day, we created a downloadable checklist. It’s an invaluable resource for couples planning an outdoor celebration. This checklist helps ensure that you are prepared for any weather-related surprises, providing peace of mind and a smooth transition to an alternative plan, if necessary. It ensures you stay organized and ready for any situation, reducing stress. Inside you will also find reliable weather apps to keep track of forecasts. You can download this tool here >>
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