Without an effective Plan B, your wedding arrangements could be thrown into chaos, so organising a workable alternative is a must-have insurance against a ruined day.
The most critical decision is an alternative to an outdoor venue. Most reception venues offer an outdoor ceremony space for the ceremony. When making the arrangements, ensure that a suitable indoor space is available if it rains on the day.
Questions to ask when booking a reception venue with ceremony space:
- Will the indoor space be available for the ceremony to start at the time booked for the outdoor ceremony space?
- Can the indoor space accommodate all of your guests with a good view of the ceremony while still leaving adequate space to allow your photographer to move around and the bridal party to be attractively positioned?
- Will the bridal party need umbrellas between the cars and the entrance?
Questions to ask when booking a venue for the reception only, for example, when you’re having the ceremony in a park:
- Will it be possible to have the ceremony at the reception venue should it rain?
- What time will the venue be available for the ceremony? (If the venue is willing to allow you to hold the ceremony there, they may require that the ceremony start at the time booked for your reception to start)
- Will your celebrant be available for the ceremony if you need to change the time to the reception start time?
Things to check if your plan B is in a private home:
- Can the indoor space accommodate all of your guests with a good view of the ceremony while still leaving adequate space to allow your photographer to move around and the bridal party to be attractively positioned?
- Are the toilets adequate? (The rule of thumb is one toilet per 35 people).
- Will the guests be able to park reasonably close to the ceremony area?
While you may not actually have these arrangements in place, you need to do the research early, have the information at your fingertips, and have helpers geared up to get on the phone on your behalf:
- Alternative routes to the venue (some roads may be cut by heavy rain)
- Alternative supplier for flowers (heavy rain can compromise commercial availability of fresh flowers) OR alternatives for bouquets and boutonnieres, e.g. fans, silk flowers etc
- Alternative modes of transport (if horse-drawn carriage or convertibles have been booked) – in this case, you would need the contact details of limousine hire services, friends or family members with suitable cars, and the numbers for the business service section of cab companies.
- And don’t forget; you need a communication plan – how to quickly and efficiently contact all your guests (and your celebrant, photographer, musicians, etc.) to let them know that the venue and/or the start time for the ceremony has changed if they need to go to a different place from that on the invitation.
About Author Jennifer Cram
Jennifer Cram, a high-credentialed Brisbane marriage celebrant and author of the Romantic Wedding Rituals series of books, is known in the wedding industry for her creative approach to the development of unique, personal, and creative wedding and commitment ceremonies.
Appreciated by couples for the meaningful simplicity of the ceremony and by photographers for their attention to the visual aspects, Jennifer devotes many hours to ensuring that each ceremony reflects the love and the values of the couple and the warmth of their relationship with family and friends.
In 2009, 2010, and 2011, she was voted one of Queensland’s top celebrants at the Australian Bridal Industry Academy Awards with a rating of 99.53% and 99.62% by those in the know, the couples she has united.