Outdoor wedding checklist: rain plan, lightning, heat and permits

Decide the rain plan before you book

The Knot's guide to rain plans says to start thinking about it before you even choose a venue. The reason is practical: whether the venue has an indoor room, and whether that room is included in the price, is part of what you are buying. Zola's guide calls confirming that a must.

• If a tent is the backup, The Knot says the safest move is to reserve it around the time you book the venue. A planner quoted there says her rental partner will hold one with a deposit.
• Waiting has a cost: rental companies can sell out when everyone sees the same forecast.
• The same planner plans for four things: rain, wind, heat and smoke.
• No published guide we read gives a fixed deadline for the final call. Ask the tent company and the venue for theirs, and agree who decides.

Lightning: the one rule with no flexibility

The National Weather Service puts it in four words: when thunder roars, go indoors. If you can hear thunder, you are likely within striking distance of the storm.

• Safe shelter is a substantial building with electricity or plumbing, or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with the windows up.
• The Service says tents and open picnic shelters are not safe places. Its wording is about camping tents and shelters, and it gives no exception for larger ones.
• Wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside.
• For organized outdoor events, it recommends having a lightning plan and following it without exception, and notes that large groups need extra time to reach shelter.

Heat

The heat index is how hot it feels once humidity is counted. The Weather Service notes that the values assume shade and a light wind, and that full sunshine can add up to 15°F.

• The CDC says people aged 65 or older are more prone to heat-related health problems. Give older guests the shaded seats.
• Put water out before the ceremony. The advice from both agencies is to drink before you feel thirsty.
• EPA's UV Index guidance says to seek shade from late morning through mid-afternoon when the index is 3 or higher.

Wind and the tent

There is no national wind limit for tents. The Weather Service issues wind advisories by local criteria, and tent rules come from local fire codes. One example: the fire marshal of Grand Haven, Michigan does not allow a tent to be occupied if gusts over 35 mph are forecast. Ask your tent company what their tent is rated for and when they would have you clear it.

Tent permits: three real thresholds

Three places, three numbers. Seattle also asks for the application 30 days ahead, allows only electric heaters inside a tent and keeps propane heaters at least 10 feet away. Your tent company usually knows the local rule. Ask who files the permit.

Getting married in a national park

The four parks we read all require a special use permit for any wedding, and none of them closes the area to other visitors for you. Fees and limits as published in September and October 2026:

• Applications open up to a year in advance.
• Throwing rice, petals or birdseed is prohibited in the parks that mention it.
• Drones are prohibited in national parks, with few exceptions.

Drones everywhere else

Outside the parks, the FAA's Part 107 rule covers flying a drone for work or business and requires a certified remote pilot. The FAA says payment is not what decides whether a flight is recreational, and its own advice is: when in doubt, assume Part 107. Ask your photographer or videographer to show their certificate.

Pick the date with thirty years of data

• NOAA publishes climate normals, the 30-year averages of temperature and rainfall, for about 15,000 US weather stations, by month and by day.
• A normal is what is typical, not a forecast.
• The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 and peaks around September 10. Most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October.

The unglamorous list

• Restrooms: The Knot gives two rules of thumb, one stall for every 35 guests and one for every 25. Ask the rental company what it recommends for your count.
• Restroom trailers need level ground, power and water, and The Knot says most are reserved 6 to 18 months ahead.
• Power: no indoor kitchen usually means a generator, supplied and set up by an electrical company.
• Light for paths, parking and restrooms.
• Ground: tell guests what they will be walking on, and plan a firm path for wheelchairs and canes.
• Sound: check the local noise ordinance and tell the neighbors.