I can’t tell you how many times I’ve answered 5am text messages from brides panicking about the forecast and the daunting decision to move forward with the rain plan. Sure, no one really wants rain on their wedding day, but it’s usually more than that. It’s the dread of paying an additional $6k+ in expenses when you’ve already been testing your budget limits. Sometimes calling a rain plan also requires you to change the layout and design of your party. It’s a painful decision to make just days before your dream wedding day.

If you’ve never been through this before, here is how a “rain plan” typically works:

Months Before: Initial deposit to reserve the tent and labor = 50% deposit. Note, you don’t pay 50% of the labor or delivery, just the physical structure. Depending on how many tents you need, this can sometimes cost $2k just for the “insurance” of having your tents on hold.
10 Days Out: At exactly 10 working days before installation, you decide to keep the tents or release them. If you keep the tents, that deposit becomes non refundable. If you release the tents, you pray the forecast doesn’t change!
48 Hours Out: Once last chance to release the tents. If you’re at this point, the deposit is already nonrefundable, but it’s time to decide to keep them and pay the balance or release them. The balance is due at noon 48 hours prior to the tent installation.

Over the last ten years I’ve learned a lot about tents. I’m often the one out there at the 7am installation in the rain, no makeup, coffee in hand, making sure everything is going exactly where it needs to go. Here are my favorite tips to share with clients:

The “10-day Out” is Really 12 Days

As noted, 10 working days before installation, you decide to keep the tents or release. If you keep the tents, that deposit becomes non refundable. “Oh, that’s not too bad” you say… Well, let’s be clear that the deadline is ten working days. That’s really 12 days, so the 10-day forecast hasn’t come out yet! You’re still flying blind. Yes, some websites will project out further than 10 days, but unless it’s a perfect forecast the days before, during, and after your event, don’t get too excited. That takes me to the next tip…

Weather is Shifty

If you start to take time to watch the weather as much as professional wedding planners do, you notice that one day you’re elated and the next day everyone’s on pins and needles refreshing their computer screens. I’m not a meteorologist by any stretch, but it makes sense that fronts can slow down or speed up unexpectedly. The takeaway here is to just pay the deposit and consider it money spent. You really don’t have decent data until that hour-to-hour forecast comes out two days before. Speaking of hour-to-hour…

We Get More Rain at Night

From a statistical standpoint, rain is more likely simply because the nights are longer than the days. However, it’s more interesting than that. I found this fantastic interview of meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons on KUT (link here). Burton explains we have a dividing line in Texas, between the hot dry desert air of West Texas, and the muggy warm air of the Austin area. “The dividing line between those two air masses is like a little front,” he said. So the heat starts the storms in West Texas, and it takes until nighttime for those storms to reach Central Texas.

Why is this important for your wedding? When you see 45% chance of rain Saturday on a 5 day forecast, that just means there is a 45% chance it will rain that day. Most likely (based on my experience as a born and raised Central Texan) it’s going to be raining in the very early morning while you’re still getting your bridal beauty sleep. Check the hour-to-hour forecast 48 hours out before you become too alarmed.

Photo: Feather & Twine | Venue: The Greenhouse at Driftwood

Clear Tents Have Seasons

If you look closely at those pins and instagram photos of clear tents, you’ll notice it’s likely a winter wedding (guests in wraps and jackets are a clear indicator). That’s because if you set up a clear tent in the morning and leave it to bake in the sun all day it’s not only letting UV light penetrate through the top, it’s capturing the heat from the ground. Hot air rises, you know. Even when it’s cold outside, I’ve been setting up in clear tents on sunny days where the staff are drenched in sweat (and getting a sunburn). It’s not until later when the temps drop that the clear tent becomes the magical iridescent structure you were dreaming of all year long.

If it’s a warm sunny day, trust me— you want a Sperry tent (the sailcloth tents with wooden poles) or a white-top frame tent.

Photos: Averie Claire | Venue: The Greenhouse at Driftwood

Tent Permits- Don’t Mess Around Here

This section only applies if you’re getting married in the City of Austin. When you leave Travis County, it’s a bit more wild wild west! For law-abiding citizens of Travis County, you will want to get a tent permit. You should submit your application 3 weeks out and expect to pay a fee. Fees range depending on how many tents you are erecting and if they are joined. Fees start at $200. Here is a link to the tent permit application. You will likely need to include a layout of the property and answer a series of questions relating to the event timeline. There’s nothing fun about this process, but it must be done. The risk is dealing with inspectors shutting down your event, so don’t mess around here.

Stakes vs. Barrels

Before you rent a tent, check with your venue on what is allowed. Not all venues will allow stakes in the ground. The risk can be pretty serious. If you go slamming stakes into the ground without prior permission, you could hit a water pipe, or worse. Imagine the damage a sewer pipe can do on a wedding day. Ugh, I cringe.

The alternative is a water barrel. Honestly they just aren’t as pretty and clean looking, but you can gussy them up with barrel wraps (fabric that goes over the barrel) and drape them with light greenery. Even a cheap potted fern from Home Depot can help the barrel blend into the surrounding a bit more.

Photos: Feather & Twine | Venue: The Greenhouse at Driftwood

Rain on a Tent Top is Loud

Sometimes this is unavoidable, but I bring it up because I’ve had several instances where a tent is simply part of the property layout and you have options of where to have the ceremony vs. cocktail hour vs. reception. When possible, if expecting rain, I recommend having the ceremony inside a building. Otherwise, in a real rain event the tent can be very loud as the rain droplets hit the canvas. This noise isn’t a big deal when you’re dining and dancing the night away, but can be distracting if you can’t hear your beloved’s vows over mother nature.