The forecast doesn’t always cooperate, and a rainy day engagement session can honestly turn out just as good as the one you originally planned. I found that out again with Cliff & Sedrick, whose Atlanta engagement session got completely rearranged by a surprise fall storm. We’d planned to shoot at their home and then head to Oakland Cemetery, but the weather had other ideas. So we pivoted on the spot, and it turned into one of my favorite sessions of the season.
Starting at Home
Since the weather already had us rethinking the day, we leaned into what we could control: starting the session right where Cliff & Sedrick were most comfortable, at home. They showed me what makes their time together feel like them, working on a Hocus Pocus Lego set, spinning records, cuddling with their dog Shay. Cliff even played some Disney music on the piano for Sedrick while I photographed the whole thing. Sessions like this are exactly why I love shooting lifestyle engagement portraits. You get real moments instead of posed ones, and rain outside just means more time indoors doing what the couple actually loves doing together.
Pivoting When the Rain Wouldn’t Let Up
With Oakland Cemetery off the table, we needed a new plan that still felt like Cliff & Sedrick. Sedrick had recently found a cute ice cream shop nearby, so we headed there instead. Because of the weather, we practically had the place to ourselves, which meant we could wander a nearby shopping center and play with color and light without worrying about crowds. That’s usually my approach anyway: work with what’s actually in front of you rather than forcing a shot list that no longer makes sense for the day.
Why Rain Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Session
This wasn’t even the first surprisingly rainy engagement session I’d shot that season, and it won’t be the last. Rain changes the plan, but it doesn’t have to change the outcome. Some of my favorite portraits come out of sessions where the couple just rolls with it instead of stressing over a forecast they can’t control. Cliff & Sedrick were relaxed and having fun the entire time, and that’s what ended up carrying the whole session.
Things Worth Knowing About a Rainy Day Engagement Session
If your engagement session forecast looks rainy, don’t panic and don’t automatically reschedule. A backup plan built around your relationship, somewhere cozy at home, a favorite local spot, a covered market, usually works better than trying to force an outdoor plan that the weather won’t allow. I always talk through a rain plan with couples ahead of time so nobody’s scrambling last minute, and I’d rather shoot in real weather with a couple who’s relaxed than force sunshine that isn’t there.
Cliff & Sedrick, thank you for hosting me at home and rolling with a day that didn’t go as planned. I can’t wait for your wedding at Swan House.
Planning your own engagement session and worried about the weather? Get in touch, I’d love to help you build a plan that works no matter what the forecast says.
