With the weather now turning and the prospect of events being weather affected, we, as event planners, should also look into wet weather contingencies and the finer details on planning for weather-affected events. It’s important to remember that outdoor events are always at the mercy of the weather, and rain can play havoc with even the best-laid plans. This is where a wet weather contingency plan comes in, to ensure that you’re prepared for any eventuality and that the show can go on regardless of the weather. A good wet weather plan will also eliminate stress, confusion and additional costs.
What is a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
A wet weather contingency plan is a plan that is put in place in case of rain or inclement weather during an outdoor event. The plan outlines what will happen in case of bad weather, including what areas of the event space will be affected, what equipment needs to be covered or moved, and how the event will continue despite the weather. The goal of a wet weather contingency plan is to ensure that the event can still be executed, even if the weather isn’t ideal.
Why Do You Need a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
Outdoor events are a lot of fun, but they are also unpredictable. Even in the Australian summer, rain, wind, and other weather conditions can cause havoc with your plans, leading to a frustrating and potentially costly experience. The reason why you need a wet weather contingency plan is simple: to be prepared for any eventuality.
Without a wet weather contingency plan, you risk
A bad event experience
Damage to equipment
Safety Issues
Loss of income / deposits or additional costs
Having to cancel the event
This all leads to disappointed guests and wasted money. If you’re holding an outdoor wedding, event or festival, you can’t just move the event indoors at the last minute. This could be because you may not have a backup location or staffing to make this possible. This therefore means that you need to have a plan in place that outlines what you’ll do if the weather doesn’t cooperate. By doing this you can ensure a seamless and cost effective transition in the case of bad weather. This will save you much heart ache and money, whilst providing an easier decision process should the need arise.
When Should You Plan for Wet Weather Contingencies?
When it comes to planning a wedding or event with an outdoor component you should be looking to start your wet weather contingency planning a lot earlier than you probably think. Ideally, you should start planning for wet weather contingencies at the same time as you start planning the event as a whole. When scouting for venues ask questions like –
What is your wet weather contingency plan?
What have others done in the case of rain, wind etc?
Do you allow for change of dates, areas or services in case of inclement weather?
What is your refund policy if the event needs to be cancelled / moved?
By starting to plan your wet weather contingency in conjunction with your main plans you give yourself enough time prepare for any potential weather-related issues and surety about what kind of actions and resolutions you will need in place. It also helps financially when you know all the costs involved in using a venue or vendor up front. This is especially important when it comes to their policies around wet weather events. Likewise this process can also turn up other good to know policies at the same time which can help you make informed decisions on your plan A along the way.
How to Create a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
When making a wet weather contingency plan, there are several things that need to be covered and added to your template. These include:
Identify the areas of the event that are vulnerable to rain, wind and changing conditions. Depending on the type of event, there may be certain areas that are more vulnerable to rain than others. For example, if you’re holding an outdoor wedding, the ceremony area and photo shoot locations may be more vulnerable.
Is there an alternate space or covered area to use in case of wet weather. AND, is it available. AND, will it cost you to move to this space on the day, if you need to implement your wet weather contingency.
Determine if you need to cover, anchor or move equipment or styling. You’ll need to identify what equipment is at risk of being damaged or can pose a safety hazard in bad weather. This may include audio-visual equipment, lighting, and decorations.
Determine how to handle changes to the event schedule. Know what changes you can make to the event schedule, and in what order, if the weather turns bad. For example, you may need to move the ceremony indoors or delay the start time of the event. Likewise you may need to switch it up and do elements of the day in a different order. This can happen whilst waiting for that outdoor photo shoot or ceremony.
Time Specific Zero Hours – This is D-Day people. This is at what time you need to call the wet weather game plan into action. For large events it may be two days before. For weddings it may be the morning of, 10 minutes before, or even 10 minutes after the wedding was due to start. It all comes down to what you have planned for and how you want your event to transition.
Determine who is authorised to make the call about the switch to your wet weather contingency plan and who will enact the plan. Will it be yourself, the stage manager, performers, a wedding planner or a safety manager?
Develop a communication plan. You’ll need to develop a communication plan that outlines how you’ll communicate any changes to guests and vendors. This may include sending out emails, text messages, or making announcements over a PA system.
Think about the Event Experience and Comfort Levels for your guests. This can be
Umbrellas for wedding guests
Warm Blankets – Large enough to share
Undercover drop off zones
Temporary path ways for high traffic event areas
Creature comforts like a patio heater or comedian greeter.
Morrina Top Tip. Remember it is the unexpected niceties that will be what makes your event stand out. By doing something different and specifically for bad weather means your guests will feel looked after and cared about. This will re-enforce positive memories and experiences.
Is it to late to start planning now?
No it’s never too late. In fact 90% of the time it’s done after it is actually needed, simply because it’s raining. This means that event organisers or brides are thrust into a quick fire wet weather contingency planning session. Simply because they put too much faith in the weather app on their phone. The result is a rushed, stressed and costly re-plan at the last second, which inevitably ruins the experience.
Why bad weather shouldn’t affect your event or wedding.
Please remember that wet weather and rain shouldn’t ruin your day or event. Simply put, In less than perfect weather, you can still make amazing memories at your event, wedding or festival. It’s more about how prepared you are for it and you deal with it that makes all the difference. In reality it’s the things that go wrong that make an event or experience uniquely yours. Many people will tell you about the concert where it rained constantly for 4 days, or the wedding where they just had a brief window for some photos outside. These are the things that make memories.
A plan B does not take away those memories or the things that make an event experience uniquely yours. However it does take away the stress, confusion and additional cost that comes when you don’t have that Plan B. So what are you waiting for? Take a look at that Plan A and start aligning your wet weather contingency alongside as a very successful Plan A version 2.
What is a Wet Weather Contingency and how do we plan for them?
With the weather now turning and the prospect of events being weather affected, we, as event planners, should also look into wet weather contingencies and the finer details on planning for weather-affected events. It’s important to remember that outdoor events are always at the mercy of the weather, and rain can play havoc with even the best-laid plans. This is where a wet weather contingency plan comes in, to ensure that you’re prepared for any eventuality and that the show can go on regardless of the weather. A good wet weather plan will also eliminate stress, confusion and additional costs.
What is a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
A wet weather contingency plan is a plan that is put in place in case of rain or inclement weather during an outdoor event. The plan outlines what will happen in case of bad weather, including what areas of the event space will be affected, what equipment needs to be covered or moved, and how the event will continue despite the weather. The goal of a wet weather contingency plan is to ensure that the event can still be executed, even if the weather isn’t ideal.
Why Do You Need a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
Outdoor events are a lot of fun, but they are also unpredictable. Even in the Australian summer, rain, wind, and other weather conditions can cause havoc with your plans, leading to a frustrating and potentially costly experience. The reason why you need a wet weather contingency plan is simple: to be prepared for any eventuality.
Without a wet weather contingency plan, you risk
This all leads to disappointed guests and wasted money. If you’re holding an outdoor wedding, event or festival, you can’t just move the event indoors at the last minute. This could be because you may not have a backup location or staffing to make this possible. This therefore means that you need to have a plan in place that outlines what you’ll do if the weather doesn’t cooperate. By doing this you can ensure a seamless and cost effective transition in the case of bad weather. This will save you much heart ache and money, whilst providing an easier decision process should the need arise.
When Should You Plan for Wet Weather Contingencies?
When it comes to planning a wedding or event with an outdoor component you should be looking to start your wet weather contingency planning a lot earlier than you probably think. Ideally, you should start planning for wet weather contingencies at the same time as you start planning the event as a whole. When scouting for venues ask questions like –
By starting to plan your wet weather contingency in conjunction with your main plans you give yourself enough time prepare for any potential weather-related issues and surety about what kind of actions and resolutions you will need in place. It also helps financially when you know all the costs involved in using a venue or vendor up front. This is especially important when it comes to their policies around wet weather events. Likewise this process can also turn up other good to know policies at the same time which can help you make informed decisions on your plan A along the way.
How to Create a Wet Weather Contingency Plan?
When making a wet weather contingency plan, there are several things that need to be covered and added to your template. These include:
Morrina Top Tip. Remember it is the unexpected niceties that will be what makes your event stand out. By doing something different and specifically for bad weather means your guests will feel looked after and cared about. This will re-enforce positive memories and experiences.
Is it to late to start planning now?
No it’s never too late. In fact 90% of the time it’s done after it is actually needed, simply because it’s raining. This means that event organisers or brides are thrust into a quick fire wet weather contingency planning session. Simply because they put too much faith in the weather app on their phone. The result is a rushed, stressed and costly re-plan at the last second, which inevitably ruins the experience.
Why bad weather shouldn’t affect your event or wedding.
Please remember that wet weather and rain shouldn’t ruin your day or event. Simply put, In less than perfect weather, you can still make amazing memories at your event, wedding or festival. It’s more about how prepared you are for it and you deal with it that makes all the difference. In reality it’s the things that go wrong that make an event or experience uniquely yours. Many people will tell you about the concert where it rained constantly for 4 days, or the wedding where they just had a brief window for some photos outside. These are the things that make memories.
A plan B does not take away those memories or the things that make an event experience uniquely yours. However it does take away the stress, confusion and additional cost that comes when you don’t have that Plan B. So what are you waiting for? Take a look at that Plan A and start aligning your wet weather contingency alongside as a very successful Plan A version 2.
Photo Credit – Paul Winzar Photography