The last thing you want to think about on your wedding day is what can go wrong, but creating plan Bs, Cs, and Ds may save you! We recently had an outdoor Hawaii wedding at a private estate in Hauula, more commonly known as the North Shore, where a plan C had to be implemented.

The week of the wedding, it had been raining quite a bit, and the grassy areas around the estate were pooling the water. Additionally, a water pipe had burst under the lawn area, which ran the sprinkler system at the ceremony site. As the wedding day drew closer, the rain and the leak were unstoppable, and the couple had to make a judgement call for their outside ceremony! The original plan was to have the arch and aisle facing the lush palm trees on the back of the property, but due to the large amount of water, the area had transformed into a mud bog and the couple knew it wouldn’t work for their big day.

With days left, the couple scrambled to make arrangements for a rental company to provide tents, to have backup locations, to have our coordinator draft up another tentative layout, and prepare for the rain. Not only did they have to consider their ceremony location, but their outside reception as well!

Our team stepped in and worked with the rental company to brainstorm a plan B and C (just in case!), and finally as the big day arrived we prepared the couple as much as they could’ve been. With a changed view, the ceremony now faced another side of the property, with a beautiful raised grassy mound for the couple and their wedding party to stand on. A tent was rented for backup, but gratefully never needed! Although a drizzle was present during parts of the day, the most important moments were filled with clear skies and warm breezes. The ceremony and the rest of the night went on beautifully, and everyone in attendance had a wonderful time.

In stressful times like these, it’s hard to know what the right move is! Thankfully with our guidance and resources, our couple was able to make the right decisions and have a stress-free wedding day. Their was laughter, (happy)tears, and many photos taken, and our bride said she couldn’t have asked for more. One can only hope for the best on their wedding day, but knowing it will still be a fun, beautiful and dry experience, no matter what happens, is well worth a little preparation early on.

Photo Credit: Nick Pugay