A wet bride is a lucky bride

What should you do when the rain decides to pour on your wedding day? THORN MULI has the answers

It is morning. Nerves bite as the nervous groom makes adjustments to his tie and the excited bride is drowned in white ready for her day.

Months of planning promise an eventful and smooth ceremony. The flower-crested vehicle pulls in ready to drive the bride to the venue. Then, an uninvited guest makes an entrance as everyone shuffles uncomfortably in their seats.

 The skies have sent their representative to witness this grand occasion and the other guests seem concerned that their seating space on the well manicured gardens is jeopardised.

Remember the food enhancer commercial where the bride recalls her mother’s advice that implied eating from the cooking pot on the day preceding the wedding is formula for a wet wedding day?

My also wise mother taught me that there are dry and wet seasons on the Kenyan calendar.

Garden wedding

Everyone would love to have sunny, beautiful weather on their big day. However, it doesn’t always go that way, as John and Irene Mwangi discovered.

For their love for the outdoors, a garden wedding was their chosen theme. Everything seemed in place for the wedding except for one problem. For the three weeks preceding their wedding day, rain abounded. It would have been folly to assume the skies would ease on their account and a solution had to be found.

Pushing the wedding forward was out of the question. The next option was forfeiting their dream garden wedding and settling for an indoor ceremony. That meant losing deposits paid for the venue and an alternative venue would prove hard to find at such short notice. They, therefore, settled for the last option — braving the uncertain weather.

A brainstorming session with their planner bore fruit. The garden wedding would proceed as planned but time keeping was essential. Knowing that it mostly poured in the afternoons, the presiding priest and MC would ensure a quick ceremony.

For a more practical solution, a clear tent was placed over the walkway and this proved effective as the couple carried on without fear of getting drenched should it rain.

Rain does not have to be a dampener for your wedding. As Susan Muthoni of Trendy Weddings and DÈcor says, the key step is in being prepared.

"The sooner you realise there is nothing you can do about the weather, the better. It’s rain, not acid. Do not panic. Act only on the things you can control," says Susan.

One of the things that are easily controllable is the accessories.

"Arrange for umbrellas for the bridal party that match your colour scheme. Boots and clear rain coats also come in handy," Susan counsels.

Accompanying rain is cold and it is advisable that the bride customises a bolero or wrap, just in case. Also, be sensitive to the bridal party especially if there are young children.

To prevent hair mishaps, the hairdresser should advise on hair care products that work well with rain.

With most brides opting for white wedding gowns, keeping the gown close to the original colour is another headache.

Caroline Wambui had a rainy November wedding last year and by the end of her day, half of her brilliant white gown had turned to brown. She, however, advises brides to relax and enjoy their day, regardless.

"There is nothing you can do about rain. And anyway, you are so engrossed with what is happening, your soiled gown will be the last thing on your mind," Caroline says.

Soiled gowns

Apart from that, a short gown preferably with no train is recommended. If one insists on a train, then have a way to hitch it with a loop or have a bridesmaid who will constantly attend to it.

Ultimately, remember that the gown can be drycleaned so let it flow except, of course, in extreme conditions. Just don’t let it spoil your mood or pictures.

When it comes to the venue, accessibility should be considered to avoid unnecessary delays and mishaps. Most of us have witnessed those rural weddings where cars get stuck and the bride has to be carried on someone’s back.

While it makes for good memories years later, no bride wants to go through this and neither do the guests.

"Opt for an indoor venue and look out for interesting indoor backdrops. If tents are your preference, space is crucial so a big tent is practical. Event flooring will save you from having a muddy wedding dress or your bridesmaid’s heels sinking into the ground. A stand-by generator is another safety net just in case the power goes," advises Susan.

Ensure your chosen photographer is a professional capable of taking shots in the rain and not afraid of getting wet.

It can be quite romantic taking pictures in the rain and some photographers claim that the soft lighting creates better images. Clouds, too, can add a lot of drama and punch as opposed to the normal boring blue sky. Just make sure to get some beautiful shots as you kiss under an umbrella with the rain as background. If all else fails, the photo shoot could be done the next day.

And it is not only the pictures that benefit from the rain. Your fresh flowers will remain fresh and vibrant and once the skies have cleared, everything looks sparkly and fresh too.

Finally, key to surviving a rainy wedding is having a sense of humour.

"The audience lays to your tune so set a happy mood. Your dress will get muddy, it might be unbearably cold and guests may opt to stay home rather than venture out in the rain. Take it all in good grace," Susan says.

So if the weatherman predicts stormy weather for your wedding day, just remember the French saying, ‘Mariage pluvieux, mariage heureux’, which promises a happy marriage as a result of a wet wedding; or the Italian belief that rain is a blessing, ‘Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata’, which loosely translates to ‘a wet bride is a lucky bride’.