WIND, RAIN, AND SUN by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN PORTUGAL

As the rain begins, photos of the bride arriving at the Basilica of Mafra for the wedding ceremony

• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Incorporating into your photographs

If there’s one thing that not even the wedding photographer can control, it’s the weather. When I leave the house, even though I always check the weather forecast, I never really know what I’ll find, especially if the weddings are early or late in the season, because people want them to be sunny and gentle. That’s why I always leave home with an open mind to whatever nature has in store for us on the day.

So, it may rain, be windy, very hot, or a bit foggy, and the wedding photographer should either try to incorporate it into the photographs or avoid showing any discomfort caused by the weather, which may decide to be grumpy that day, maybe out of jealousy, and make life a bit harder for that small community gathered to celebrate.

A frame for my wedding photographs

Fortunately, I’ve never come across situations so extreme that they prevent the planned events. Most of the weather conditions I’ve encountered, as a wedding photographer, have only served as a better frame for my photos and made them more unique and less ordinary. That’s something I like—finding situations that, in one way or another, bring me something new or different.
That’s why I never worry too much about the so-called weather conditions.

Point by point:

• Couples like their wedding days to be sunny. That’s why most weddings happen at the end of spring and during summer.


• Those that are scheduled at the beginning or end of the season are subject to:

  • Rainy days

  • Cold wind

  • Thunderstorms

  • Fog, depending on the region of the country

• Even though I always check the weather forecast for the wedding day I’ll be photographing, I know surprises can happen:

  • The bride is leaving the house in the rain

  • The wind is trying to mess up the bride’s hair as she arrives at the ceremony

  • A fog creates a soft filter for the photos I’m about to take

• Indeed, I’ve never come across a situation that completely prevents what the couple had planned.

• But, as everything has its good side, for the wedding photographer:

  • May result in unexpected photographs

  • Involves solving situations that lead to different stories

  • Means delivering to the couple a set of wedding photos completely unlike others

You need to know:

• If your wedding day is planned for a date that still lacks certainty of sunny weather, don’t worry. The wedding will always happen, and the memories, in the photos and beyond, will have a unique character.

• To this day, no wedding I’ve photographed has ever truly suffered due to the weather, whether it’s in a good mood or just woke up cranky and wants to mess up the bride’s hairstyle. Usually, it’s just a temporary bad mood.

Whatever the weather is on your wedding day, I’ll make the most of it to tell a different story. For me, that means it’s always good weather. Meet me for a good chat about what you’re planning and to see more of my work to help you decide. At your service.