Rainy Day Wedding Photography Guide

The overcast sky that comes with rain is actually better for photography than harsh midday sun. No more squinting. No more raccoon-eye shadows from overhead light. No more impossible exposure situations where the bride is in shade and the groom is in blinding sun. Rain clouds act like a giant softbox, wrapping soft, even light around everyone's face. Skin looks smoother. Colors look richer. Everything has a cinematic quality that bright sun can't match.

Rain also creates visual elements you can't get any other way. Reflections in puddles. Water droplets on flowers and bouquets. The couple backlit with rain visible between them. An umbrella creating an intimate canopy. Wet pavement reflecting string lights at the reception. These are images that stop people mid-scroll. They're different from every other wedding gallery because most wedding galleries are shot in predictable good weather.

And here's something I've noticed over the years. Rain brings out something genuine in couples. When you take away the perfect conditions they planned for, you're left with the actual couple. How they handle adversity together. Whether they choose to laugh or stress. The couple who says "screw it, let's go dance in the rain" always produces images that feel more alive than any planned portrait session. That spontaneity is hard to manufacture on a sunny day when everything goes according to plan.

Planning for rain doesn't mean expecting the worst. It means having options so that if it happens, the day flows smoothly rather than grinding to a panicked halt. This starts months before the wedding during your backup planning conversations with your photographer and coordinator.

This section is for photographers, but couples should read it too. A photographer who shows up without rain gear is a photographer who's going to tell you "we can't go outside" the moment it starts drizzling. You want a photographer who's prepared, and knowing what preparedness looks like helps you evaluate who to hire.

Weather sealing on camera bodies matters, but it's not waterproofing. Let me be clear about this. Canon's R5 and R6 bodies are weather-sealed. Nikon's Z8 has excellent weather sealing. Sony's A7IV and A1 are sealed at key points. This means they'll handle light rain and occasional splashes without dying. It does not mean you can shoot in a torrential downpour for an hour with no protection. Weather sealing protects against incidental moisture. Sustained rain requires additional protection.

My rain kit includes: two Peak Design rain covers (one for each body), a pack of microfiber cloths, lens hoods on every lens (these are your first line of defense against water hitting the front element), a large ziplock bag as an emergency camera cover, and silica gel packets to throw in the bag between indoor/outdoor transitions. The silica gel prevents condensation when you bring a cold, wet camera into a warm reception space. Condensation on the front element or the sensor will ruin images faster than rain on the body.

For flash units shooting in rain, I use a simple ziplock bag with a hole cut for the flash head. It's ugly. It works. Profoto and Godox off-camera strobes aren't weather-sealed at all, so they need protection whenever they're used outdoors in rain. A cheap $5 shower cap from a hotel room fits over a flash head perfectly.

Backup gear is non-negotiable. If a body dies in the rain, the wedding doesn't stop. I carry three camera bodies to every wedding: two active and one in reserve. On a rainy day, that reserve body stays in a dry, sealed bag until needed. Lenses get a similar treatment: I carry more than I'll use, with the extras staying dry. This redundancy is part of what you're paying for when you hire a professional. Check what gear your photographer carries by reviewing our equipment guide.

The number one rain photography technique is backlighting with off-camera flash. Without flash, rain is almost invisible in photos. The camera sees it as a slight haze at best. But put a strobe or speedlight behind the couple, aimed toward the camera, and suddenly every raindrop becomes a streak of light. The couple is illuminated from behind with a rim of light, rain becomes visible and dramatic, and you get something that looks like a movie poster.

The technical settings for this shot: camera in manual mode, 1/200th shutter speed (or your flash sync speed), f/4 to f/5.6, ISO 400-800. The flash goes behind the couple, 10-15 feet back, angled slightly downward. I use a bare speedlight at about 1/2 power or a Profoto B10 at medium power. The higher shutter speed freezes each raindrop as a streak rather than a blur. The narrower aperture (f/4-5.6 instead of f/1.4) keeps the rain in focus rather than turning it into bokeh. You want to see the rain. That's the whole point.

Umbrella portraits are another staple. A clear umbrella is the best option because it lets light through and doesn't cast harsh shadows. Position the couple close together under one umbrella, which creates natural intimacy. Shoot from slightly below so the umbrella frames them with a canopy of water droplets. At f/2.8 on an 85mm, the water drops on the umbrella surface become soft, sparkly bokeh. It's beautiful, and it's easy to achieve.

Reflections in puddles are free art. Find a flat, still puddle and position yourself low, shooting across the water's surface toward the couple. The reflection creates a mirror image that adds depth and visual interest. This works especially well at night when venue lighting reflects in the water. After a rain, a parking lot becomes a field of reflections. Even a boring asphalt surface transforms into something cinematic.

Window shots work beautifully during rain. Rain streaking down a window, with the couple visible through the glass, creates a layered composition that feels intimate and atmospheric. Position the couple about 3 feet behind the window. Focus on either the rain drops on the glass (couple goes soft) or the couple (rain becomes foreground bokeh). Both versions are effective. Shoot at f/2.0 with an 85mm, focusing manually to choose your plane of focus precisely.

One technique that's less known: the rain-and-light-leak approach. During a pause in heavy rain, when the sun breaks through storm clouds, you get the most dramatic natural light possible. Shafts of golden sunlight through dark clouds with rain still visible in the air. This lasts about 5-10 minutes and you can't predict it, but when it happens, drop everything else and get the couple outside immediately. It's the best natural lighting you'll ever work with.

Sometimes the rain is too heavy, the couple doesn't want to get wet, or the dress absolutely can't handle water. That's fine. A good photographer has a mental library of indoor and covered locations that work in any weather.

Hotel lobbies are my go-to rain backup. Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt properties almost always have lobbies with high ceilings, interesting architecture, and good ambient light. Grand staircases photograph beautifully. Lounge areas with moody lighting work for intimate portraits. Most hotel staff are happy to let a wedding couple take a few photos in the lobby, especially if the couple is staying there. Just ask at the front desk.

Covered porches and gazebos give you the best of both worlds. You're dry, but the rain is visible behind you. This creates depth in the image and maintains the atmospheric quality without anyone getting soaked. The overhanging roof blocks overhead light, so the couple is lit by directional light coming from the open sides. It's essentially a covered outdoor studio. I shot an entire portrait session under a covered bridge in Vermont during a thunderstorm, and it's one of my favorite galleries.

Parking garages have an unexpectedly editorial quality. The concrete textures, the geometric lines, and the open sides that let rain-light pour in create an urban, modern backdrop. I've shot parking garage portraits that look like they belong in Vogue. Position the couple near the open edge of an upper floor where they get natural light and the rainy landscape behind them provides depth. It sounds strange until you see the results.

The venue itself almost always has backup spots your venue coordinator knows about. Hallways with interesting wallpaper or architectural details. A grand entrance with double doors. A ballroom before it's set for dinner. Wine cellars. Libraries. Any room with a large window and minimal clutter becomes a portrait location. I always do a venue walkthrough before the wedding, and during that walkthrough, I specifically identify 3-4 indoor backup portrait locations so I'm never scrambling on a rainy day.

A couple's reaction to rain determines the quality of the photos more than any technical factor. If they're devastated and stressed, even the best photographer in the world can't fix those expressions. If they're laughing and leaning into the adventure, every frame has energy. Your job as a photographer is to set the emotional tone.

I address rain proactively. If there's rain in the forecast three days before the wedding, I send the couple a message. Not "don't worry about the rain" because that makes them worry about the rain. Instead, I send them 5-6 of my best rainy wedding photos and say "I've been checking the forecast and I'm genuinely excited. Some of my best work happens on days like this. Here's what we're going to do." Then I lay out the adjusted plan: backup locations, the backlit rain portrait technique, umbrella options. By the time the wedding day arrives, they've shifted from dreading rain to being curious about what we'll create.

On the wedding day itself, confidence is contagious. If the photographer is nervous and uncertain, the couple absorbs that energy. If the photographer is calm, prepared, and visibly enthusiastic, the couple trusts that everything is handled. I've had couples tell me months later that my attitude about the rain completely changed their experience of the day. That's not about photography. That's about leadership.

The actual rain portrait session should be brief and exciting, not prolonged and miserable. I tell the couple: "We're going to go outside for exactly five minutes. You're going to stand under this umbrella and look at each other like the world doesn't exist. I'm going to make these incredible. Then we're coming back inside for champagne." Five minutes is enough. The shots happen fast when you know what you're doing, and the couple comes back inside feeling like they did something bold and romantic.

Rain photos can go one of two directions in post-processing: moody and dramatic, or bright and romantic. Both work. The choice depends on the couple's overall gallery aesthetic and their personal preference. I always edit a few samples both ways and let the couple choose the direction.

For the moody approach: drop the highlights to bring back sky detail, push shadows slightly for depth, desaturate oranges and yellows while keeping blues and greens rich. Add a touch of clarity to enhance rain streaks in the backlit flash shots. Convert selectively to black and white, which often looks stunning in rain. A rainy B&W image with strong contrast has a timeless, editorial quality.

For the bright romantic approach: lift the exposure slightly, warm the white balance toward 6000K, and keep the tones open and soft. This fights against the natural grayness of a rainy day and gives the images a dreamy, warm quality. It works especially well for umbrella portraits and covered porch shots where you want the rain to feel cozy rather than dreary.

One specific post-processing tip: in backlit rain shots, the rain streaks can be enhanced by increasing the whites slider and adding a subtle radial filter around the flash source. This brightens the light streaks without affecting the couple's exposure. It takes a 30-second adjustment in Lightroom and makes the rain dramatically more visible in the final image. The editing style you choose should complement the rain rather than trying to hide it.

A couple in Charlottesville planned a vineyard ceremony on a hillside with mountain views. It rained all day. Not a drizzle. Steady, soaking rain from 8 AM to midnight. They held the ceremony under the vineyard's covered crush pad, surrounded by wine barrels and the sound of rain on the metal roof. It was intimate and moody in a way an open hillside ceremony never would have been. For portraits, we spent seven minutes in the vineyard rows with a clear umbrella while my assistant held a speedlight behind them. The rain streaking through the vineyard with the blue-gray mountains behind them produced images that the couple said were the reason they hired a photographer.

Another couple at a barn venue outside Nashville had a complete monsoon arrive during their cocktail hour. Instead of hiding, they kicked off their shoes, grabbed two of my clear umbrellas, and ran out into the field behind the barn. I followed at a dead sprint, covering my camera with my body. They danced in a puddle. She was laughing so hard she could barely stand. He picked her up and spun her while rain poured off the umbrella onto both of them. The dress got soaked and muddy at the hem. Her makeup ran. None of that mattered. Those eight minutes in the rain produced the images they printed, framed, and hung on their wall. Not the portraits under the oak tree we'd planned. The rain images.

Rain also produces unexpected beauty in reception settings. I photographed a tented reception in the Hudson Valley where it rained through dinner. The rain hitting the tent ceiling created a constant, gentle percussion. The string lights reflected off wet grass around the tent perimeter. When the couple stepped out for a private moment between courses, the rain had softened to a mist, and the venue's landscape lighting created halos in the moisture. It looked like something from a film set. No amount of sunny weather planning could have created that atmosphere.

The common thread in all of these stories: the couples trusted their photographer, embraced the unexpected, and got something better than what they originally planned. Rain removes the predictable and replaces it with something raw. That's not comfortable for everyone, and that's okay. But for couples willing to lean into it, rain produces galleries that other people wish they had.