Eric and Charene were beautifully married on a Sunday morning last month and Photographer Paul Dudley exquisitely captured this gorgeous photo of this family immediately after “I Do!”

What you don’t see here is a what happened after I arrived on-site.  Eric and Charene planned an outdoor ceremony at a family home however Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating.  When I arrived, it was lightly raining and the couple, family and wedding party were gathered under a rented tent (smart move!)

After consulting with the couple, family and Paul, we all decided that the smart move would be to re-set the tent for the ceremony. Sure, we could have taken the chance of going on as planned for outside and the smart move was to flip things quickly to insure comfort and peace.

Here are tips if you get to a wedding day and need to get to Plan B:

1)  Just Do It.  If you are at a venue, chances are you’ll have to make a decision 2-4 hours before your ceremony.  At a private home, you can do anything you wish.  Be pro-active and go for the conservative decision.  The key?  You want to insure that your family and friends are comfortable – rain and wind don’t create a warm and romantic atmosphere to enjoy a ceremony.

2)  Appointment A Spokesperson.  If the weather looks challenging, appoint a spokesperson who will be the “air traffic controller” around last minute changes and decisions.  This person is the intermediary between a venue/home host and the couple.  Oftentimes on a wedding day, a couple is taking photos and otherwise engaged and needs someone to make decisions on their behalf – and to run interference!

3)  “People Won’t Remember What You Say – They Will Remember How You Made Them Feel.”  Nothing rings more true that this statement when it comes to a wedding ceremony.  If you and your guests are comfortable and peaceful, you’ll remember more of your wedding moments.  A wedding is all about creating a legacy of “feeling.”  So knowing this, make your difficult decisions as soon as you can on an inclement weather day and get on with it!

Photographer Paul Dudley – www.pauldudleyphotography.com