Rain on your Wedding Day😭

Pittsburgh may hold its own in the "Most Livable City" category for friendliness, cost of living and even foodie town these days! However, I am confident that those recommendations don't get made on the basis of weather. I'm pretty sure it rained every other day last year. I had a wet basement to prove it. I looked it up. We average 140 rainy days per year so I wasn't so far off in my estimation.

But what if it rains on your big day? Or in my case, what if I have to take rainy day wedding photos? First of all, nobody wants that. But this is Pittsburgh. We have to be realistic.

I made arrangements with Dylan and Eliana to take their pictures. I scouted the venue and nearby green spaces. I found a small bridge over a pond, stone walls, lots of green. That would have been a perfectly romantic setting. Then I checked the weather. The percentages fluctuated but by wedding day and scheduled picture time, the app said there was a 90% chance of thunder showers.

Days before, I scouted more locations in very close proximity to the venue and came up with some alternative locations which would piecemeal an interesting photo shoot. Awnings are your friend especially if there is detail like a textured wall, ivy, glass block. I thought about the local plant store with a green house and an empty restaurant with a covered patio. I thought I just have to get the happy couple to trust me. They've seen my work. They know what I can do. However, these places could be a hard sell.

I showed up extremely prepared on their wedding day. Requisite clear umbrella, white shower curtains in fabric and plastic to put down to prevent any moisture from even thinking about touching her gown, a huge patio umbrella because I promised nobody would get wet, blue rain boots for the bride if she was feeling adventurous and a second shooter which is always a good idea but especially on a rainy day.

It poured down rain, cats and dogs, Noah's Day style. And then it stopped. The skies were grey and ominous during the Spanish language wedding ceremony. I kept thinking just a little longer. Hold off a bit longer. Dylan and Eli said their vows and then it was picture time.

Bride and groom were understandably nervous about getting wet. We got outside and I made a command decision. There was a green, woodsy and stone wall along the parking lot in front of the venue. I thought if we only have 10 minutes without rain, I don't want to waste a second of it driving. The weather thankfully cooperated and we ended up using all of our scheduled time. Grey and overcast is not actually bad for pictures. The light is softly diffused and we don't have to worry about squinting or harsh shadows. We took the pictures in the parking lot and "borrowed" a bench we saw nearby. We don't have much variation of setting but these two are so in love, we didn't need it. I am happy with the results!

I find myself looking for rainy destinations as I am driving around town now. Do you know of any interesting, covered areas around the Burgh? I'm open to alternative spots.