Rain on your wedding day

No bride hopes for rain on her wedding day, but the truth is, the possibility is there.

According to weather.com, the month of May in Philadelphia sees an average of 3.71 inches of rain, making it the 3rd highest month for precipitation (on a positive note - the average temperature is 74). Instead of stressing about a rainy day, my goal is to embrace the fact and be prepared.

Hoping the rain doesn't look like this, though
(Personal photo - I was pummeled by rain on the Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios)

When you google "rainy day weddings", there are plenty of photos out there. In fact, many of them are so striking that it almost (almost) makes you wish for rain yourself.

Source - photo by Becca Dilley Photography

Source - photo by Victoria Souza

Source - photo by Susan Stripling Photography

The Hive's own Mrs. French Fries is among the couples with beautiful rainy day shots.

Source (Mrs. French Fries' recaps) - photo by M Three Studio

But how does googling other people's rainy day weddings help me? Well, it ultimately helped me come up with some great ideas - some feasible, others aspirational.

1. Rain boots for the bridal party

Source - photo by Concept Photography

I had big plans for rain boots. BIG.

My original plan for the bridesmaids was to buy them each a pair of cute rainboots (preferably green, to go with our color scheme) and use them as the "bag" for their other gifts. I had their shoe sizes and everything. Besides being handy if the wedding day was rainy, I thought they would enjoy a good pair of rain boots for their daily commute (many of the bridesmaids walk or take public transit to work).

Unfortunately, it is rather hard to find 7 pairs of similar rain boots for a decent price (was going to get a navy pair for myself). I've perused Gilt, Rue La La, etc. with no luck. Not to say I have fully abandoned this idea, but it's a lot less likely at this point. Any suggestions?

2. Cute (coordinating) umbrellas

Source - photo by Robert Winton

Yes, in a time of need, any umbrella will do, but who wouldn't want to be prepared with something in keeping with the rest of the day?

I'm currently in the process of searching for navy, green or white umbrellas (preferably golf-style) at a good price to have on hand for the wedding day. Ideally we'll have a mix of big and little umbrellas, including those that are wind-resistant.

I liked this one, but just cannot justify the price

3. Alternative Photo Plans

As of right now, one of our main photo sites is Rittenhouse Square (after all, the venue is right there), but in the event of rain, it may not be feasible.

Winter photo in the Square - wish they kept the lights up all year long
Source - Photo by Tyler Boye Photography

However, we have spoken to our photographer and he is a big fan of using 30th Street Station as an alternative photo site.

I can get behind this - love the architecture
Alice & Rob's wedding - photo by Philip Gabriel

In the end, it doesn't matter whether it rains or pours...Mr. Turkey and I will be married. However, it doesn't hurt to be ready for the possibility. Maybe it's just me, but seeing these rainy day pictures reduces stress around the weather.

Are you preparing for the possibility of rain on your wedding day? Any rainy day brides able to share tips?

And yes, I channeled a little Alanis Morissette (specifically, Ironic) with this title.