Outdoor weddings beautiful, but risky

Many engaged couples opt for outdoor weddings for a variety of reasons. Maybe they don’t belong to a

church. Or maybe they are simply outdoor lovers and want to celebrate their union in a place they love.

Regardless of the reasons, outdoor weddings can be very beautiful and memorable. As I’m sure any

couple knows, however, outdoor weddings are risky and warrant having a backup plan in the back

pocket.

Just this weekend, for example, I was hired to photograph a wedding at Sunken Gardens, one of

Lincoln’s outdoor treasures. This time of the year the place is gorgeous. Full of lush plants and vivid

colors.

It was a Friday night wedding and the rehearsal was Thursday evening. I decided to attend the rehearsal

so I had an idea of where and how this wedding would take place. It was a hot Thursday evening but the

rehearsal came off just great and told me everything I needed to know for the next night.

Everything that is, except the weather report for Friday. A potential for rain had been in the forecast the

entire week. It wasn’t one of those measly 20 percent chances. This forecast called for a whopping 70

percent chance of rain. It was enough to cause the bride worries all week.

I had met with the bride earlier in the week and she indicated some concern about the weather. She

said I might want to bring an umbrella Friday evening just in case.

Friday morning, the weather was just as forecast. Heavy rain fell, and there were even reports of hail.

Storm warnings were all over the place. The rain stopped only to start again a little while longer. It did

more than rain, it poured. Skies were cloudy and gray. I was concerned about the wedding, in more

ways than one. I didn’t want the day to be ruined for the bride. Plus I wanted to be able to have a nice

setting for my pictures.

I had asked the bride a few days earlier if she had a backup plan. She said she considered the reception

hall for the ceremony but really didn’t want to do that.

It was into the afternoon and the threat of rain persisted. I had not heard anything and assumed it was

still on as planned. I had visions of the bride and groom standing under an umbrella during the

ceremony. I probably would have somehow had to have balanced an umbrella to protect my camera.

Even if it wasn’t raining, I figured the grounds would be a wet mess.

Then something special happened. The weather cleared up. The threat of rain was gone. I even saw a

few showings of the son. Even my worries about wet grounds were for naught. There were no areas of

standing water, mud or general messiness. The grounds were beautiful, the weather turned out

beautiful, and this outdoor wedding came off without a hitch.