Blame it on the Rain

As I’m watching the weather report evolve and worsen this afternoon, I am thinking about rain. As a Chicago Wedding Planner, it’s fair to say I often think about rain. Specifically, I think about how to effectively plan a wedding day that is weather proof. Weather proofing a wedding day doesn’t mean avoiding outside elements altogether. Rather, it means if you are planning for outdoor elements during your wedding day, you also have a solid Plan B ready to be executed at a moment’s notice in case of inclement weather.

Last weekend, for Erin and Jeremy’s beautiful wedding at the Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca, IL, rain was a topic of conversation from the beginning of the weekend right up until the end of the reception Saturday night. We didn’t want it to be that way, of course, but rain is the hand we were dealt so we had to react appropriately.

Earlier in the week, I contacted Eaglewood to discuss what the back-up plan would be, in case of rain. Our catering coordinator, the gracious Maureen, was very accommodating and recommended indoor ballroom space for the ceremony, a balcony for the cocktail hour and our dinner reception area would not change – the dinner reception was always meant to be inside their Pavilion Tent, complete with A/C! After we decided on Plan B, I passed along the news of the back-up plan to all of the appropriate vendors so they would be prepared for either scenario. I was especially grateful to Casey at Elegant Petal and to Kristin from Toast and Jam DJs for never batting an eye at last minute adjustments due to the weather.

We waited as long as possible to make the call on the day of Erin and Jeremy’s wedding, but after studying the radar images and the hour by hour forecast on Weather.com, as well as a quick consultation with the bride and groom, we decided to move everything inside. It was the right decision – just as the bridal party was lining up for the processional, the skies opened up and Eaglewood was drenched in a late afternoon rain storm. The best part of the story is that by the time the wedding ceremony was complete, the storm clouds had passed and Erin and Jeremy were able to go outside to take their remaining photos. The photographer, Brian Cowen from George Street Photo and Video, assured me of the great shots he got ‘after the rain’ – I can’t wait to see the proofs!

Erin and Jeremy’s wedding day went completely smooth and glitch free due to our planning and attention to the weather detail. Had we not thought about it ahead of time and decided on an alternative course of action, they could’ve wound up like the OTHER couple getting married at Eaglewood last Saturday night. Though that couple's catering coordinator took them through the process, they were very stubborn and wouldn’t agree to move everything inside. As the bridal party lined up for their procession and the skies opened up, their guests got WET and everyone RAN inside to escape the weather. The beginning of the other bride and groom's celebration started 20 to 30 minutes later than it was supposed to start because they refused to plan ahead.

Be smart: have a back-up plan and don’t let the threat of rain threaten to ruin your day. Plus, it's supposedly good luck to have rain on your wedding day!

The Start of the Ideal Blog

Everybody's doing it. Everybody says I should do it, too. But in typical 'me' fashion, I have resisted. Why should I do it just because everybody else is doing it? I've never been a great follower of trends - why should now be any different?

I had to think about all of this for a long, long time and what I've realized is that I'm not doing it because everyone else is doing it and I'm not doing it because 'they' (who are THEY, anyway?) tell me I should be doing it. I'm starting a blog because I want to. I want to offer my spotlight to vendors I love, I want to offer useful wedding tips that will enhance any celebration and may just save you some $$$ in the process and I want to inspire my readers. Every now and again, I want to share personal things from my life. I've been told my stories are entertaining. Perhaps you will think so, too. Oh, yeah..and I understand that a blog will help my SEO and perhaps help me find new clients. I'm not gonna lie, that benefit is especially attractive to me. These days, who DOESN'T need more clients?

Enjoy ~ see you in a couple of days.
LP