Preparing for Rain on Your Wedding Day in Grand Teton
I’ve never thought about this scenario too seriously, as someone who started shooting weddings in Moab. As for the Tetons - “if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” Like all Western mountains, the Tetons are prone to big afternoon storms but these tend to come in waves or end completely after one round of rain. In recently years, wildfire smoke has taken precedence as my main fear and I always create a plan b to account for that.
But every once in a while we get a storm system that just won’t quit.
One of my weddings last fall got caught in one of these systems. The forecast is rarely correct out here, and the predicted “scattered PM showers” quickly became all day rain. It occasionally lightened up, but it never actually stopped. And I learned the hard way on the Continental Divide Trail that when it rains in the Rockies, it’s cold.
This is a tough scenario, because all of my back up plans were affected by the rain too. Sometimes if it’s raining by the mountains, you can move closer to the Gros Ventres and miss the rain. Other times, you can see the light coming and can buckle down and wait 20 minutes.
This time, we had to just bear with it. We still got beautiful, dramatic photos, and Jocelyn and James brought matching rain jackets. I even bought a white umbrella specifically for this situation as well, though I never thought I’d actually have to use it. I also knew a nearby location with rustic cabin vibes where we could sit on the deck and take a break from the rain.
Luckily, we were able to do a mini session on Tuesday when the rain cleared. They were driving to Yellowstone and since I live at Colter Bay, I met them at the Oxbow Bend for a few photos in nicer weather.
How to Prepare for Rain
Items that you and every guest should bring:
Rain jacket
Umbrella - I have a big white one for clients
Hand warmers
Warm shoes
Thermos for hot tea or coffee
Schedule portraits after the ceremony - this isn’t always possible with how the park is allocating permits now, which is what happened with Jocelyn and James. But with proper planning before the permit applications open, you have a better chance of creating a more desirable itinerary. A lot of portraits can be taking indoors, but you don’t want to go into the ceremony (the one part you can’t skip) with a soaked dress.
Book your reception venue a little bit earlier than you think you need, just in case you need to show up early.
Book a hotel with a nice lobby, in case we need to take photos there.
Have your ordainer do a shorter version of the ceremony. If your ordainer is a family friend, have them give the rest of the speech during the indoor reception.
Ask your photographer if you can do a mini session once the rain clears.
Be flexible with your timeline - in the future, if it’s clear in the morning and storms are forecasted, I may ask clients if they’re able to start early and take a break during the worst of the rain.
