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Last Saturday marked the end of torrential rainfall and flooding here in San Antonio. This huge system set the rain plan in motion for this outdoor wedding reception. As I poured over the forecasts that week, I constantly questioned: Would it let up in time? Would it push through before her big day? As the week wore on, the answer was becoming more and more clear. No. The rain was going to pose a problem.
On Thursday, all of the vendors started talking and working on the rain plan. At this point, the chance of rain was so great that it would be easier to plan for rain, and then move it outside if some miracle of nature occured and it cleared up. But no miracle occured. I knew it wouldn’t.
Drawings were created and timelines revised to reflect the new plan. Swimming pool centerpieces were re-worked to adorn areas of the beautiful dining room. Deliveries and arrival times were re-scheduled to accomodate the new plan. Hours of extra planning time went into this.
On Saturday, everyone worked like ants to pull this wedding off. The sun peeped out briefly, teasing all of us with the hopeful possiblity of clearing skies. Yet just as the sun would appear, it would quickly dissapear and rain would start falling. It rained during set up. At that very moment, this wedding was saved. Had we continued on with the outdoor plan, her reception would have been ruined before it had even began.
The extraordinary thing that happened during this set up was the amazing bond that developed between the on-site vendors. We all had the same goal- to pull this wedding off, and make the inside just as beautiful as the outside would have been. Catering made a special trip back to their shop to get some linens for the permanent tables in the basement. Over two dozen candles, vases and votives were pulled from my own inventory to add an element of romance down there as well. The florist left a number of beautiful stems that we used to embelish areas. Everyone chipped in. There were no complaints. No one said that it wasn’t in their contract. Everyone had a can-do attitude and that was absolutely essential on this day.
And where was the bride through all of this, you may ask? She was downtown getting ready. Enjoying time with her family and closest friends. Cherishing every moment of this special day and anticipating walking down the aisle to meet her soul mate. She knew nothing of the extra materials and hard work that went into creating a beautiful environment that would make her happy. All she had to do was show up at the reception. Everything was done for her. As it should be.
At approximately 7:30PM, smack dab in the middle of dinner service, the skies opened up and down came the biggest thunderstorm we had seen all afternoon. Loud cheers and applause exploded in the dining room. Everyone knew that the right call had been made.
This is why you plan for rain.
This is why you choose professionals for your wedding.
This is why you hire a wedding planner.
