Is Rain on Your Wedding Day Really Good Luck?

No matter how much planning you do ahead of your wedding day, the weather is one aspect you cannot predict or control. When the forecast calls for rain, whether it’s a drizzle or a downpour, many couples fear that the conditions will soil their attire or dim the vibrancy of their wedding photos. Although you’re probably hoping for cloudless skies and sunshine when you walk down the aisle, rain clouds don’t have to ruin the celebration. In fact, rain on the big day is actually considered good luck, according to superstitions.

That begs the question: Is this time-honored folklore actually true, or is it something that the collective population has agreed to as a means to cheer up couples who wake up to damp weather on the big day? To find out, we tapped two wedding experts and asked for their honest opinions. We also unpack the origin story, the significance behind a rainy wedding, and tips for embracing a less-than-ideal forecast. 

Read on to find out if rain on your wedding day is really a harbinger of good luck.

The History and Meaning of Rain on Your Wedding Day

The belief that rain on your wedding day brings good luck stems isn't new. In fact, it stems from Hindu traditions. Since rain creates fertile soil for crops to grow, Hindu communities developed a dogma that rainy nuptials will bless the couple with children after they get married. In Hindu cultures, rain on the wedding day is also said to make a partnership stronger and longer-lasting because a wet knot, which signifies the act of getting married, is difficult to untie. 

In other cultures, a rainy vow exchange takes on many different meanings, but most of them are rooted in the belief that this pattern of weather is auspicious. Some see rain on your wedding day as a symbolic cleansing of tough times or difficulties from your past, paving the way for a better, brighter future. Others think rain showers that emerge on this special day will signify the last tears that the bride will shed for the rest of her life, putting an end to sorrow in the couple’s lives. Although most cultures view rain as a positive sign, some argue that it foreshadows sadness or a tumultuous marriage.

Is Rain on Your Wedding Day Really Good Luck?

Though the old adage says rain on your wedding day is good luck, we asked the experts for their stance on the superstition. Professional wedding planners Adriana Gorman of Adriana Marie Events and Michelle Norwood of Michelle Norwood Events believe that a rainy wedding-day forecast is open for interpretation. After months and months of planning, rain can be a bit of a letdown, according to Gorman, but if couples change their perspective to viewing the weather conditions as lucky, the mindset shift will completely transform their experience at their nuptials. “I believe rain and all other circumstances on a wedding day all comes down to how the couple and the family handle hard and challenging situations,” Gorman explains. “Specifically with rain, embracing the change and intimacy it can bring could be viewed as an enhancement rather than a disadvantage. If a positive and fluid mindset is present, anything can happen!” If the couple embraces the weather, Gorman believes that their optimistic attitude will affect those around them, thereby making the event more enjoyable and allowing their marriage to start on a more cheery note.

Norwood says she doesn’t personally believe in luck, whether it applies to rain on your wedding day or another event. Instead, she agrees with Gorman, noting that it all depends on how you respond to the gloomy forecast. “If it rains on your wedding day and you and your spouse get on the dance floor and dance in the rain all night long, was that luck or was that cherishing the moment, no matter the circumstances?” she poses. “It’s a mindset: Rain or shine, I am lucky in life and love.”

How to Make the Most of Rain on Your Wedding Day

Whether or not you believe that rain on your big day is lucky, there’s no question that your attitude toward and perspective on the weather has a strong impact on your experience. So, we asked the experts for their best tips and tricks on making the most of an overcast, rainy forecast.

Think of the Positives

Rain might not be the type of weather you had in mind for your special day, but viewing the conditions with a positive lens will turn worry into excitement. For one, any amount of rain will be a memorable experience for you and your guests, and it will make a great story that you’ll tell time and time again. Since the photos are usually a concern with this type of weather, it’s important to note that an overcast forecast provides excellent lighting for pictures, and posing with your partner underneath an umbrella will be a romantic moment you’ll cherish forever. Another positive is that rain creates a more intimate setting. For instance, if your affair was supposed to take place outdoors, moving the location to a tent or a room inside of your venue will allow everyone to gather together in a homey environment. “This keeps guests mingling and in constant contact with one another,” Gorman shares. “And the atmosphere feels more intentional.”

Plan Ahead

Although you can’t control the weather, there are steps you can take before you exchange vows to feel more prepared: creating a backup plan. Even if your wedding is taking place in a mild season or climate, every couple throwing an outdoor affair should have a plan B and a plan C, according to Gorman. If putting up a tent is part of your game plan, Gorman encourages you to determine whether you’ll need flooring, to think about a safe route for caterers to transfer the food, and to decide if air conditioning or heaters are necessary. She also advises making your backup plans an extension of your initial plan, so it doesn’t feel like a completely different concept. Once you’ve fine-tuned these details, you’ll feel more relieved about any possible weather condition, including rain. 

Relinquish Control

After you’ve created a backup plan with your planner, try your best to let go of any control. If you see a rain cloud pop up on your weather app before your nuptials or it starts to sprinkle on your big day, embracing the forecast rather than resisting it or trying to change it will alleviate a lot of unnecessary anxiety. “Micromanaging a weather situation will only cause more stress on a couple and cause the whole guest list to feel the impact,” Gorman says. Instead, she suggests letting your vendor team make the necessary adjustments and shifting your focus on making memories with your favorite people.