When you choose to have a destination wedding in Hawaii, especially during the winter and spring seasons, it’s inevitable that you'll experience a little rain here and there throughout your wedding day. While many may think it is the end of the world once the rain hits, we definitely do not agree. We are committed to having a wonderful time despite the weather and as a seasoned event planners who specialize in outdoor events, we are here to share our tips and advice to make sure the party goes on! And in case you need a little extra encouragement, it is worth mentioning in Hawaiian culture, rain on your wedding day is considered to be a blessing ; )

Get the Tent

Our strong feelings about this may be controversial, but guys - it’s Murphy’s Law! If you have a tent the weather will be beautiful, but if you don’t it is sure to surprise you at the most inopportune time.

Think about investing in a tent rental this way… if it happens to rain, you’ll be prepared and if it doesn’t, at least you didn’t spend the entire week leading up to your wedding day obsessing over the weather. It’s a worthy investment!

These days there are several different types that you can rent to match your style and budget. Our favorite options include:

Sailcloth (pictured here)
Clear top track tents

Bring Rain Protection

There are a few things we always like to pack - even if it is just for peace of mind.

We are always prepared with some umbrellas! Having a handful of clear umbrellas is perfect for still being able to capture cute portraits without an ugly umbrella photo bombing. They are also great, when you need to hand a few out few during the ceremony and you don’t want them to block the photographer’s view. If the weather is looking especially daunting, we suggest you rent or buy enough for 50% of your guests (not a quantity most planners have in their wedding day emergency kit). Amazon is our go-to place to order them in bulk.

In addition to umbrellas, we also recommend bringing light weight tarps for temporary protection from the rain. Our team always has several rolls of plastic painter’s tarps on hand to protect things like the registration table, lounge cushions and any sound system equipment that may not be set up inside the tent.

Lastly, towels are also a great thing to have on hand. Many of the outdoor venues we work at have little to no infrastructure, let alone towels, so having some to dry off chairs and the dancefloor after passing showers is always wise.

Rain Plans

When it comes to the day of your wedding, the last thing you will want to stress about is coming up with a plan B due to rain - right when you have to implement it. If you have a wedding planner, chances are they’ve already discussed this with you. If you don’t, just know there are usually degrees of rain considerations depending on the situation.

The usual scenario would be passing showers. If this is happening around the time of your ceremony, pull out your favorite weather radar app to determine how quickly the rain will pass. If it will be less than 30 minutes, consider offering your guests a round of champagne in a covered area and then tasks someone with drying the ceremony chairs as soon as it passes.

Rain during dinner can be tricky if you don’t have a tent. At the very least, we recommend a covered option for dinner. Once the linens, chair cushions and paper goods get wet, there usually aren’t enough back ups available to reset everything. In our experience this is one of the most common times for rain because once the sun sets, there is typically a change in temperature which often triggers rain.

If the chance of rain is more than 60% throughout the day, you need to come up with an alternative location for any of the open air parts of your event. In the past, we’ve opted to move the ceremony under a large tree with a beautiful and full canopy. We’ve also moved the ceremony indoors to a location that still has a pretty backdrop for the photos.

The good news is that if the weather is anticipated to be terrible several days in advance, there is still a chance that your rental company may be able to accommodate you with additional tent rentals. Just remember, they typically need a minimum of 3 day to pack and staff the additional set up appropriately.

Embrace the Situation

Our last and probably most important piece of advice is to not let the weather ruin your mood! If your guests see that you are having a good time and remaining positive, they will too. Life, rain and all the usual things still happen, even on your wedding day. How you react with ultimately determine the success of your event.