Are you planning a destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico between June and November?
Newsflash: This is the Caribbean hurricane season.
Hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June 1st through November 30th, and in the Cancun area September and October are predictably the soggiest months.
So what is a bride to do if she wants, or needs, to get married on the beach in Mexico during the rainy hurricane season?
First of all, she doesn’t panic.
Riviera Maya weddings run all year ’round. Your venue and vendors know the drill. We are prepared.
Your best defense against a washed out wedding disaster is to be prepared too. And we are here to help with that. We are local wedding photographers in the Riviera Maya. We have seen many rainy seasons come and go, and we have the tips you need on how to plan a destination wedding in Cancun during the hurricane season.
1. Keep calm when the forecast calls for rain
Channel your inner Yogi and get your Zen on, because here’s the thing; during the hurricane season in Mexico, you are going to see rain in the weather forecast every day.
Every. Day.
It’s natural to panic when you see that dismal cartoon raincloud forecasted as your wedding day approaches. But the weather is extremely unpredictable in the Riviera Maya. Take a deep breath when black clouds loom directly overhead, rumbling with thunder and promising one heck of a storm, because often – Nothing. Not even a drizzle.
On the other hand, the day can be hot and sunny, and 20 minutes later a torrential downpour strikes out of nowhere! Or you can be floating in the pool under a bluebird sky when suddenly you are mysteriously being sprinkled on.
With this crazy weather in mind, know that more often than not, when it does rain in Cancun, it is usually just a sprinkle or a short, furious downpour. Yes, you may get rain on your wedding day, but odds are it will pass quickly and not ruin your beach wedding. Rain is not ideal, but you will survive, promises The Knot.
The point is, it’s impossible to predict how the weather will affect your Cancun wedding. Obsessing over the forecast is pointless. If you plan to get married in the Riviera Maya during hurricane season, it is best to expect the unexpected and be prepared to roll with the punches.
2. Wedding Timelines Can Be Tinkered With
Let’s assume that your wedding day has arrived, and it’s your worst-case scenario: black clouds pregnant with the promise of a storm. The forecast is promising rain during your ceremony, and the locals all concur.
Now what?
Your first course of action is to shuffle up the wedding day timeline. The rain (usually) appears in the mid-to-late afternoon, and sometimes all it takes is moving your ceremony back half an hour to avoid a soggy wedding dress. Talk to your wedding planner, wedding photographer or other vendors, and explore your options. Be open to last minute changes.
(Read this for help planning your wedding photography timeline)
If you have chosen your wedding vendors carefully, chances are good they will pull out all the stops to accommodate you however they can. Which brings us to the most important wedding planning point…
3. Beach Wedding Plan B
This is perhaps the most critical tip! The time to learn about your wedding planner’s, photographer’s, or venue’s rainy day back up plan is not, I repeat NOT when you are hours away from saying ‘I Do!’ to your Fiancé.
Of course, you don’t want to think about a Plan B. You want to focus on the perfection that will be your wedding day, and that’s fine. Keep putting those positive vibes out into the universe.
However, it will eliminate a lot of stress if you plan ahead for a Plan B backup that you can live with. If you confront your worst case scenario head on, then it takes away a whole lot of the stress of planning a destination wedding in Mexico.
Things to consider:
- Where will you have your ceremony if the beach is not an option?
- Where will your photographer take photos if you are confined to covered spaces?
- Do you like the indoor reception space available to you?
Forewarned is forearmed. This is the most control you can expect to have over Mother Nature.
Download our FREE Ultimate Guide To Getting Married In The Riviera Maya
4. Hire Locally
All experienced, professional wedding photographers in Cancun have experience managing the rain and reading the sky. It comes with the territory when you work in the tropics.
This is why it is SO important to hire locally!
Your cousin’s dentist’s best friend is probably a fabulous wedding planner, and certainly, your brother-in-law is a talented photographer, but they don’t even know what they don’t know when it comes to Cancun weddings. How your wedding vendors handle Mother Nature’s bipolar personality in the tropics can make a huge difference in the outcome of your rainy beach wedding.
5. Be A Bright Side Bride
Mother Nature can be a real Bitch, and sometimes no matter what you do, or how much you plan, it just happens that you’re going to get full-blown, sideways palm trees, torrential rain all day on your wedding day.
The Nightmare. Your Worst Case Scenario.
So what do you then? Do you:
A) Go full Bridezilla. Flip out, freak out, cry hysterically.
B) Pout reclusively alone, choosing a private pity party instead of enjoying an event, surrounded by everyone you love as you marry your best friend.
C) Be a Debbie Downer, who’s negativity drags everyone down who saved money, took time off work, and traveled to be with you on your special day.
D) Smile. Dig deep for a cheery disposition, and make the best of it by dancing in the rain, and remembering that the imperfect wedding day stories are always far more entertaining down the road.
If you answered anything except ‘D’, it might be time to re-evaluate a few things…
6. Rain Is Good Luck!
Yeah, yeah, yeah..we have all heard it before, but if you are planning to get married in Cancun during hurricane season then it can help to remember that rain on your wedding day is good luck! At Fun In The Sun Weddings, we happen to be big believers in this age-old wedding superstition, as a very happily married couple ourselves who had rain on our wedding day – in the DESERT!
Seriously, what else can you do but just laugh, roll with it and have fun? That’s the best way to plan for a destination wedding in Cancun during the hurricane season.
Let’s hear it. Are you getting married in the hurricane season? What’s your rainy wedding day Plan B? Leave your comments below!
If you are looking for the best wedding photographers Cancun, then contact us today! We are Fun In The Sun Weddings, the best destination wedding photography in the Mayan Riviera, Mexico.
Great Blog…amazing wedding photography
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Amazing tips to plan the wedding.
So glad you found this article valuable Ammy!
Your presented tips are extremely helpful for planning a destination wedding and your way of writing is a professional one. I’m also a Miami Event planner and as all of us know that Miami Beach is one of a kind wedding destination for people all around the globe. So, in this way, such type of content is pretty obligatory for me. Thanks for sharing detailed ideas for planning the best destination wedding. Keep doing great work.
So glad you found our article valuable 🙂