How To Not Let Rain Ruin Your Wedding Day – A Wedding at Kin House

In the midst of one of the dreamiest, sunniest, most summery summer seasons I can ever remember, Mollie and Max’s wedding at Kin House fell on one of the only wet Saturdays of the season. They never needed to ask how to not let rain ruin their wedding day however, because despite the downpours this was one of the most feel-good weddings I’ve worked on in my 13 years of events! Find out what their secret was, and spoiler: it was a combination of a great attitude, great planning, and great on-the-day decisions.

Choosing a wedding venue where it doesn’t matter if it rains:

Planning a summer wedding in the UK means that no amount of crossed fingers, rain dances or buried sausages (IYKYK!) can guarantee you sunshine, and being well prepared for every eventuality is the key to not letting showers spoil your day. It all starts with choosing the right wedding venue: somewhere you love the outdoor and indoor spaces equally and won’t feel short-changed if you end up inside, or somewhere with a good wet weather contingency such as a marquee or other cover that doesn’t feel like a ‘plan B’. 

Mollie and Max chose Kin House, a Wiltshire wedding venue that really works whatever the weather. It’s one of those rare places that successfully combines the grandeur of an English country house venue with playful, considered design details. It’s luxurious but not pretentious, with the sort of high end interiors you’d find in your favourite hotel lobby – the kind you actually want to hang out in when the heavens open. 

The gardens at Kin House are stunning for an al fresco drinks reception, which was our original plan for Max and Mollie, but the Hearth Room was the perfect backup plan that didn’t feel like a compromise. We even set up their champagne tower moment by the 18th century fireplace, and looking at these photos it’s hard to believe it could ever have been anywhere else! 

These gorgeous portraits were taken in various spots around Kin House, showing just how photogenic this venue (and this couple!) is:

4 tips for not letting rain ruin your wedding day

Take a leaf out of Mollie and Max’s book and don’t let it get you down if it does rain on your wedding day. These four things they did really helped them enjoy their wedding in an epic way, and when a party is this good there’s no need for anyone to say ‘what a shame it rained’. 

1. Don’t sweat the small stuff (like rain droplets)

Mollie and Max fully gave their trust over to their suppliers on their wedding day, trusting me as their planner and everyone else on their dream team to make the best decisions within the confines of what was possible. Work with someone who knows your vision and prioritises what’s important to you, enabling you to still enjoy every memorable moment even with a change of plan.

2. Be open to timeline tweaks

Staying flexible to accommodate wet weather backup plans meant Mollie and Max could still do everything they’d planned, even if it needed to be in a different format. We had originally planned to do a big confetti moment outdoors, but decided to move it so that it happened as they were leaving their ceremony – and dare I say it worked even better! It was such a lovely, happy moment, and brought exactly the right level of fun as they moved from the I dos into the drinks reception.

3. Accept last-minute changes that are in your best interests

The flow of your wedding day is carefully curated and planned by me, but there’s always some degree of flex built in for days exactly like Mollie and Max’s. When the rain did stop, we were able to create a window of time for the wonderful Emma Jane Photography and Reed & Roberts to get outside with them. Having couples’ portraits in Kin House’s outdoor spaces was something they really wanted, so we made it happen by being adaptable and taking the opportunity when it arose. 

Special thanks to these guys for being such a dream photo and content creation team to work with, and capturing this day so well.

4. Remember why you’re getting married 

At the end of the day, whether it rains or doesn’t, you still get to spend a day with all your favourite people in the world under one roof, marrying your favourite person on earth – and this was so evidently how Mollie and Max felt about their wedding day, there was absolutely nothing that could ruin it for them. Your wedding shouldn’t be about the Instagrammable moments or trying to one up your friend’s wedding, it should be about celebrating all the love in your lives and your families becoming one. Seeing this unfold for Mollie and Max was absolutely beautiful, and it couldn’t have been any more lovely even on the most perfect summer’s day.

The surprise silver lining of a rainy wedding day:

If you’re looking for one more genuine positive to a rainy wedding day, it’s that you’re likely to have a very full dancefloor! In my experience, wet weather weddings tend to mean people don’t sneak off outside as much, meaning everyone stays together and maximises every moment of joy – something that can energetically offset a cloudy day. 

Mollie and Max were always going to have a full dancefloor as they were such a high energy couple with loads of fun friends, but even if you’re a more reserved couple with a low-key crowd, you’ll find the whole atmosphere of a rainy day feels just that bit more intimate. If really throwing an incredible party and dancing the night away is important to you, choose your guest list wisely! 

Before you go, a moment of appreciation for some more of my favourite moments from Mollie and Max’s Kin House wedding – none of which were any less gorgeous because of the weather:

Mollie in her Galia Lahav dress, which she swapped for this show-stopping Stella McCartney number in the evening. These dresses are still living rent free in my mind, and I’ll forever love these photos that just exude all the fun and playfulness existing inside these two humans!

Their four tier Lambeth-inspired kitschy cake by Cake Daydreams, the leftovers from which were handed out to guests as they were leaving – a really nice way to ensure no waste 

This pretty colour palette which worked so well in Kin House’s spaces – the ceremony felt like it was growing there so effortlessly, giving a burst of summer colour and joy even as the clouds rolled in. 

Max and Mollie’s entrance to dinner, which they really had fun with – good vibes from start to finish!

This wedding was honestly a masterclass in how not to let rain ruin your wedding day, and a real testament to this couple, their relationship, their guests, and their team of suppliers. If you’re also  planning a luxury wedding in the UK countryside and want the vibes to be as incredible as the styling, get in touch.

If you loved this, you might also want to check out:

• The real average spend of an Ella Hartig wedding
• E&H’s traditional English wedding with pretty patterned table linens and blue & white design
• A weekend wedding in Bath