What Should I Do if There's a Natural Disaster on my Wedding Day?
M.O.B. and bride on the day Hurricane Irene struck on her wedding day! © Dan Wagner 2023
Unless you’re a psychic with a crystal ball, there’s no way to know if there will be a natural disaster such as a monster hurricane on your Long Island wedding day. I mention this because it’s exactly what happened on the day I photographed a wedding in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, NY on the day Hurricane Irene struck. Hopefully the lessons learned during this natural disaster will help you deal with the possibility of a weather emergency on your own wedding day.
Most bride and grooms worry there might be some rain on their wedding day. To make them feel better, family, friends, and Long Island wedding photographers always tell them a little rain on your wedding day is good luck. Now if that’s true, then a monster hurricane should come with a winning lottery ticket.
Walking through the woods before their Long Island wedding day hurricane. © Dan Wagner 2023
So what do you do if there’s a hurricane or other disaster coming your way? Should you cancel the wedding? Would having the wedding at a local shelter be a good idea? Is it even possible? Fortunately for the Long Island wedding mentioned above, the bride’s family was able to have the wedding at their home.
Between the wedding party, guests, caterer, and other vendors there were under 75 people. In addition to the large home, the couple had a rented wedding tent installed near the rear door to the house. This way people would be sheltered in case of rain during the cocktail hour and dinner. Still, the tent itself would do little to protect anyone once the hurricane arrived. In addition, the majority of the wedding guests were local. The few who lived far away were invited to stay over. Obviously, most weddings threatened with a weather disaster don’t have these options. Each situation requires unique measures.
On the day of Hurricane Irene, the full force of the storm was expected to hit later in the evening. These photos of the bride and groom calmly walking in the nearby woods were shot earlier in the day. Not knowing how bad the storm would be was nerve-racking. From 5pm the rain began to fall harder and harder. The hot summer day made the conditions inside the tent very humid. Making the best of it, some of the wedding guests let their children dance and play in the rainy areas near the outer perimeters of the tent. As I photographed the fun, the word I kept hearing in my mind was, “Woodstock.”
Around 7pm, the wind and rain became so threatening the family decided to call it a night. While the party continued inside for the people staying at the parent’s home, the remaining guests and vendors, myself included beat a hasty retreat home. It was a good thing we did. Hurricane Irene turned out to be one of the worst weather events I’ve experienced. Thousands of huge trees were felled, and we lost power for almost two weeks. Even the lower half of Manhattan lost power. The only silver lining was that the wedding photos came out great! Thinking back on how the family handled the wedding, I don’t think I”d have changed a thing.
Walking through the woods before their Long Island wedding day hurricane. © Dan Wagner 2023
7 Things You Can Do if There’s a Natural Disaster on Your Wedding Day
If possible, purchase wedding insurance. Of course this will need to be done before there’s any threat of emergency. Be sure to ask your wedding vendors what their weather-cancelation terms are. This should be in your vendor contracts.
Consider rescheduling any flights and honeymoon plans as needed. This is where trip insurance is a must-have option.
Talk about just having the wedding ceremony, or a paired-down ceremony.
With a few days warning of an impending disaster such as a hurricane, you can decide to reschedule the wedding, or hope that you can safely have it before the hurricane arrives in full force.
Another thing you can do is discuss your options with everyone coming to and involved with your wedding. Guests traveling from far away should probably stay away unless they had someplace safe to stay. And vendors should be consulted to see if they would be able and willing to work the wedding.
Once you know who can come, and the number of wedding guests, you can decide where to have the wedding. That’s assuming you haven’t decided to cancel. Still, you will need to keep an eye on the weather in case conditions worsen. Most likely, your reception hall will need to cancel due to staff and liability issues. So unless you have a safe spot such as large home, your wedding will have to wait.
Naturally, the normal weather emergency plans for your locality will apply. Be sure to have the usual items stocked such as water, food, flashlights, batteries, charged phones, a go-bag, and your vehicles gassed up and parked in safe areas. Be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
What Should I do if the Natural Disaster Happens Without Warning?
If a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, or earthquake happens on your wedding day, don’t look at me—I’m just the wedding photographer! Kidding aside, if something like this happens, take cover, move someplace safer ASAP, and keep items such as vital medications, simple tools, flashlights, batteries, food, water, towels, and a blanket in your car. You can also ask your wedding venue what their contingency plans are. See if your wedding venue has a back up generator. Having a complete list of your wedding guests and contact info—which I assume you already have—can be helpful, too. Stay safe!
Remember that the chance of something like a monster hurricane on your wedding day is very remote. Of the hundreds of weddings I’ve photographed, it only happened once. That’s why you should hire me! With me, in terms of monster hurricanes, it’s one and done!
Stay tuned for more Long Island wedding photography blog articles!
Every Bride and Groom Deserve Beautiful Wedding Photos!
Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences about dealing with natural disasters such as hurricanes on your wedding day in the comment box below. Have a wonderful wedding, and many thanks for visiting my Long Island wedding photographer blog!