Rain doesn’t ruin wedding photos or films. It changes where and when things happen, and if you, your venue and your photographer agreed a plan B weeks before, a wet day can give you some of your favourite pictures. This guide covers the odds of rain each month, a venue checklist, umbrellas, indoor portrait spots, rain and film, and keeping your timeline on track.
It sits alongside our UK wedding day timeline guide, which has full sample schedules for 11am, 1pm and 3pm ceremonies.
The short answer: In London and north-west Kent, about one day in four is wet even in summer, according to Met Office averages. Agree an indoor ceremony space, a covered spot for family photos and two or three sheltered portrait locations with your venue, buy a few clear umbrellas, and set a time on the morning to make the call.
How likely is rain on a UK wedding day?
More likely than most couples assume, and less dramatic than they fear. The Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages for London Heathrow, which are close to Beckenham and Bromley, show between about 8 and 12 days a month with at least 1 mm of rain. A “wet day” by that measure is often a single shower, not a washout.
| Month | Average rain | Days with 1 mm or more | Rough chance a given day is wet |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59 mm | 12 | 35% |
| February | 45 mm | 10 | 35% |
| March | 39 mm | 9 | 25% |
| April | 42 mm | 9 | 30% |
| May | 46 mm | 8 | 25% |
| June | 47 mm | 8 | 30% |
| July | 46 mm | 8 | 25% |
| August | 53 mm | 8 | 25% |
| September | 50 mm | 8 | 25% |
| October | 65 mm | 11 | 35% |
| November | 67 mm | 11 | 35% |
| December | 57 mm | 11 | 35% |
Rain and rain days: Met Office 1991–2020 averages for London Heathrow, rounded. The last column is our own rough calculation (wet days divided by days in the month), rounded to the nearest 5%.
What this means for planning:
- May, July and September have the fewest wet days, about 8 a month. July is also the sunniest month.
- October and November are the wettest by amount, at 65–67 mm, with about 11 wet days each.
- August, the most popular month for weddings in the Bridebook UK Wedding Report 2026, still averages about 8 wet days.
What should a wet weather wedding plan include?
Walk your venue with this list on your final visit, ideally with the coordinator who will be there on the day.
- [ ] The ceremony. Where does it go if it can’t be outside? If you are having an outdoor civil ceremony, it must be within the grounds of approved premises, at a spot agreed with the superintendent registrar, so GOV.UK’s guidance means agreeing the indoor alternative at the same time. Some councils, such as Surrey, have their own local policies on outdoor ceremonies, so check with your register office.
- [ ] The decision. Who makes the call, and how long do staff need to move chairs, flowers and sound?
- [ ] Drinks. Where do guests go after the ceremony, and is there room for everyone?
- [ ] Family photos. A covered space for 20 or 30 people: a wide staircase, a hall or a deep porch.
- [ ] Portraits. Two or three sheltered spots with good light (see below).
- [ ] Confetti. Can it happen in a covered doorway?
- [ ] Marquees. Ask how loud rain is on the roof. It matters for your vows and speeches.
Do clear umbrellas work for wedding photos?
Yes, and they are the one thing worth buying in advance. A clear dome umbrella lets light reach your faces and keeps the scene behind you visible. White is the next best choice, because it bounces soft light back onto your faces. Black umbrellas make faces darker, coloured ones cast their colour onto skin, and golf umbrellas with logos appear in every group photo. Two or three clear umbrellas cover the two of you and your parents.
Where can you take wedding portraits when it’s raining?
Most venues have better wet-weather spots than couples realise. These are the places we look for first:
- Doorways and porches. You stand just inside the shelter, facing out, and the open sky lights your faces. The most reliable rain portrait there is.
- Large windows. Soft side light and rain on the glass.
- Covered walkways, cloisters, orangeries and barns with open doors. Depth, daylight and the rain falling just beyond you.
- Staircases. Good for portraits, and the best indoor answer for big family groups.
- The wedding car. Rain on the windows and the two of you inside.
- City streets. In London, wet pavements and shopfront lights make reflections, especially after dark.
Avoid trees: they drip long after the shower has passed. And when a shower eases, five minutes outside under umbrellas can be enough, so tell your coordinator you may slip out at short notice.
How does rain affect the wedding film?
Rain matters more to the sound of a film than to the picture, which most rain guides leave out.
- Audio. Rain drumming on an umbrella sits right above a microphone clipped to clothing, and rain on a marquee roof competes with every speech. We place microphones with this in mind, and speakers should use the microphone rather than projecting over the noise. Our guide to filming wedding speeches explains why.
- Lenses. One drop on the front of a lens shows as a soft blur, so cameras need rain covers, cloths and, where possible, a longer lens used from under cover.
- Condensation. A cold, wet camera brought into a warm room can fog for several minutes. A filmmaker who knows this plans for it, so your entrance isn’t lost to a misty lens.
- Drones. Aerial shots are usually off the table in rain or strong wind.
- The upside. Backlit raindrops, slow-motion confetti in a doorway and the sound of rain under the opening music are things a sunny day can’t give your film.
How do you keep your timeline on track when it rains?
A wet day runs late when decisions are made in a hurry. Agree a decision time in advance and keep everything else close to the original plan. Here is a 1pm garden ceremony, dry and wet:
| Time | Dry plan | Wet plan |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 | Coordinator checks the forecast | Call made: ceremony moves to the indoor room, staff reset chairs |
| 13:00 | Ceremony in the garden | Ceremony in the indoor room |
| 13:30 | Confetti on the lawn | Confetti in a covered doorway |
| 13:40 | Drinks on the terrace, family photos on the lawn | Drinks inside, family photos on the main staircase |
| 14:40 | Couple portraits around the grounds | Ten minutes under umbrellas when the shower eases, then window portraits |
| 15:30 | Wedding breakfast | Wedding breakfast |
What helps:
- Trim the family list a little. Gathering 30 people indoors takes longer than on a lawn. A clear family photo list and a family helper to call names keep it quick.
- Allow 10–15 extra minutes whenever guests move between buildings.
- Split portraits into two short windows, one after drinks and one later if the sky clears. Our guide to golden hour wedding photos in the UK shows when that second window falls.
- Watch the clock in autumn and winter. London’s sun sets around 4.35pm on 1 November and around 3.50pm by mid-December, so rain and early dusk together leave little time. Our winter wedding photography guide plans for both.
Why rain photos can be lovely
Cloud is the largest, softest light there is. Nobody squints, there are no harsh shadows under eyes, and skin looks even. Greens look greener, stone looks richer, and wet pavements reflect everything. An umbrella gives you a reason to stand close, and guests huddled in a doorway with their drinks look exactly like what they are: people who came anyway.
Heavy, sideways rain and strong wind aren’t worth going out in, though, and we will never ask you to. That is what the doorway is for.
From behind the camera
On a wet morning, the first thing I do at a venue is walk it before anyone needs me: the biggest window, the deepest doorway, the staircase where the family will stand. For the film, we work out where rain will be loudest, whether a marquee roof, a glass ceiling or umbrellas over the ceremony, and place microphones away from it.
The weddings that go well in the rain are rarely the ones with the best weather. They are the ones where the couple decided early, told everyone the plan and stopped looking at the sky. Our wedding photography page explains how we plan your day around the light, and our frequently asked questions cover booking, timings and delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Will rain ruin our wedding photos?
No. Rain changes where and when photographs happen, not whether they are good. Cloud gives soft, even light with no squinting, colours look richer, and umbrellas give you a reason to stand close. What spoils a wet day is having no plan, so agree covered spots for family groups and portraits with your venue and photographer weeks before.
Can an outdoor civil ceremony move indoors at the last minute?
Usually, if it was planned. Outdoor civil ceremonies in England and Wales must take place within the grounds of approved premises, at a spot agreed with the superintendent registrar, so agree the indoor room at the same time as the outdoor one. Rules and local policies vary, so check with your register office and venue.
Does rain affect a wedding video?
It affects sound more than picture. Rain drumming on umbrellas or a marquee roof can compete with vows and speeches, so microphones need careful placing and speakers should use the microphone. Drops on a lens and condensation indoors need managing too. Drones are usually grounded. Rain itself looks lovely on film, especially backlit or in slow motion.
What is the driest month to get married in the UK?
By Met Office averages for London, May, July and September have the fewest wet days, about 8 a month, and July is the sunniest month. October and November are the wettest. Even in the driest months roughly one day in four brings at least 1 mm of rain, so every wedding needs a wet-weather plan.
Keep reading
- Golden hour wedding photos in the UK: when the evening light falls in each month, for when the sky clears.
- Winter weddings in the UK: short days, early sunsets and how to plan portraits around them.
- How to plan your family photo list: keeping group photos quick, especially when everyone has to move indoors.
Planning an outdoor ceremony?
Tell us your venue and your date, and we will talk through a wet-weather plan with you before you need it. Book a call at a time that suits you.
