Top Tips For Tackling Severe Weather Conditions On The Day Of Your Event

Clare Cherry

Posted on November 25 2019

Red flowers in a stone vase within a courtyard and extreme weather conditions making it look grey and misty

When you have spent months, or even years, planning your special event, whether it be your wedding day or a corporate event, you will more than likely hope for there to be great weather on the day. One of the most common questions that event planners, photographers and caterers get asked is “how do I handle severe weather conditions on the day?”, but, as they will likely tell you, the weather is one of the things you have no control over. 


Tackling severe weather conditions on the day of your event, from rain and hail to wind and snow, will cause you stress and worry, but there are some tips which can help you visualise and de-stress should severe weather conditions affect your big day. 

Talk With Your Venue

If your event is planned to be held outdoors, then you should chat with your venue and check whether they have options which may save the day should severe weather conditions occur. The chances are that your venue will likely have a space inside where you can relocate to should the weather take hold, or they may have marquees which are able to be put up at short notice to keep you and your guests dry. 


As well as talking with your venue, you should also check in with your vendors on the morning of the events. If they need to travel or have plans for the outdoor area, then you must see if they need any further support. You may be able to switch some things around or ask vendors to stay for longer, for example, if you’ve arranged for hair and makeup at your wedding but it’s raining heavily, ask if they’d be able to stay for when guests arrive and top up their makeup or check their hair. Of course, it will always be disappointing if your day doesn’t go as planned, but you’ll still have a great day and your guests will be dry and happy!


Plan Ahead

As well as checking in with your venue and their weather plans, you should also take it upon yourself to prepare as much as possible for any severe weather conditions. You could consider organising some covered areas where you can still enjoy being outdoors, provide hot drinks and blankets to keep your guests cosy and you could even buy some large, coloured umbrellas which tie in with your colour scheme for guests to use if they want to be outside. 


Keep Your Timings Flexible

The chances are that you’ll have your timings down to perfection for your special event, however, if there are severe weather conditions forecast for the event, then you may need to consider being a little more flexible. If it’s raining, but the weather is predicted to clear up later on in the day, switch some things around so that you can make the most of the dry weather for photographs or entertainment and have your canapés earlier on inside. 


Your guests may also want to set off later or take longer to arrive than they would if you had good weather, so keep this in mind. Remember, with severe weather conditions the most important thing is that everyone is safe, so if guests are a little behind schedule when they arrive, bear this in mind and offer them a warm drink if needed!



At first, severe weather conditions may threaten to ruin your whole day, but by preparing for the worst-case scenario in advance, you’ll be much more relaxed and enjoy the day better. Not sticking to a planned schedule won’t completely throw the day off course and it means that things will work much more smoothly if you work with the weather, rather than against it.

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