They say that rain on your wedding day is a good luck omen. I don’t know who “they” are, but at Simple I Do’s, as an outdoor wedding venue event company, we have to deal with rain and weather and the anxiety it fosters in our couples all of the time. So what if rain is forecast for you wedding day? The good news is, since 2017, we’ve only had one of our destination elopements outright cancelled because of weather. That elopement was thwarted because of a freak ice storm in winter, and the couple could not reschedule their wedding ceremony due to travel plans and other issues that they could not alter.
We know that you you want your wedding day to be perfect. You’ve invested in a dress, hair and makeup artist, travel, bouquets and boutonnieres, dining accomodations, and more. You have chosen Asheville and our beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains for your destination wedding for the incredible scenery they provide. We understand the concerns that you may have about bad weather. Hopefully, the following will help allay some of your concerns.
FACT: Asheville, North Carolina, and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina are in one of the four temperate rain forests in the USA. Two of the other rain forests are in Alaska and the other is in the Pacific Northwest. Not going to sugar coat the fact, we do get a lot of rain.
The heaviest rainfall is always on the mountain peaks. Since it is much cooler at higher elevations combined with the wind flow patterns, this means that some mountain peaks get double the rain or more than we get in the valley here in Asheville. And why we have such an abundant and diverse flora and fauna. Many biological species exist only on certain mountains here and that is specifically due to our unique climate.
In the winter, we also get some snow. Most of the time it is of short duration except on the mountain ridges. Even so, our climate is typically mild enough to have brides in bare shoulder dresses in January!
Rain and the occassional snow rarely stops Simple I Do’s from succesfully hosting our elopements and micro weddings. Our weather is comparatively mild in all four seasons, and when we do get storm fronts through the mountains, we have contingency plans for our couples. So here’s what we do…
1. We watch the radar. Forecasts beyond about five days can change dozens of times before a specific day. And even though the forecast may be, for instance, an 80% chance of rain on any one day, that could mean a 20 minute shower or rain all day long. Watching to see how fast the storm system is moving, what direction, and whether the rain is in small patches like thunderstorms or blanketing the entire area, gives us clues about what we should do if anything to adjust our plans.
For a recent micro wedding, we saw that the rain was going to cover a significant area and start around 5:00 pm. The wedding was scheduled for 6:00 pm, so we all agreed to meet at 2:00 pm at the location and were able to get the ceremony and photo shoot in before the rain set in. Yes, we did get a couple of sprinkles, but not enough to bother us.
On another occasion, we saw that there would be a three hour window in between rain events, so we met during that short window of time. We got the elopement done, and then the couple had a wonderful time dancing in the rain!
2. We change our location. If the weather is going to be scetchy anywhere, it will be on the mountain tops first. The higher the elevations, the more likely to have weather issues. So, it may mean that go to a waterfall instead of a mountain top. Waterfalls are in valleys and at lower altitude, so less likely to be “in the clouds.” Sometimes, we change locations – on days that appear to be rainy all day – to the Botanical Gardens in Asheville. It has three rain shelters and many wonderful views and locations for photography. If the rain is a deluge, then we may go to a brewery or another location to be indoors. If at all possible, though, we will try to have the ceremony at the location that you have chosen.
3. We go for it – if the rain is mostly mist. Some days the rain is just misty and the weather is mild, so we just meet at the scheduled time and proceed as normal. On those days, we bring a clear umbrella for the couple. It makes for some very pretty photos.
Summer weather in the mountains is similar to south Florida weather. The humidity builds up during the day and small storm cells form in the late afternoon. The forecast may say 60% chance of rain, but often you get a quick shower or nothing at all. Day long forecasts are based on computer models and averages for large geographic areas. Your specific location is not considered at all, so it is best to take a wait and see attitude. And since the showers mostly come in the afternoon or early evening and soon dissipate, you can ride them out and still have great experiences like the couple popping champagne in their vehicle below.
4. We reschedule for another date. Asheville is located approximately 600 miles due north of Tampa, Florida. Hurricanes and Tropical Storms sometimes track directly through the mountains of North Carolina after they make landfall either on the Gulf Coast of Florida or somewhere on the Atlantic Coast. These events happen once or twice a year, and although we do not get much wind here in the mountains, we often get a lot of rain from these storms. We had one such hurricane come through on 10.10.2020. We typically don’t book multiple elopements on the same date, but it was such a popular date for people to get married (and everyone had to do elopements in 2020)! Yet even with the rain, we still were able to get four weddings done on that day!
The couple below had planned a sunset wedding, but tropical storm Alberto brought a full day of rain, so we rescheduled their ceremany for the next morning at sunrise and it was lovely.
When some weather systems come into the mountains, the clouds are lower than the mountain tops. In certain locations, this happens even when the skies are clear elsewhere. Being up on the mountains on one of these days, you are literally inside of a cloud. It’s misty and cool, but it’s not miserable. Long mountains views are obscured, but we can still take some nice photos, like this one.
Final thought… we know that you want your day to be perfect, but no one can control the weather. At Simple I Do’s, we will work with you and help you make the best decisions for your ceremony, location, and time. Our goal, whether the weather is good or bad, is to make your wedding day as stress free as possible! And with luck, you may also get a rainbow!
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