Rainy Day Wedding Photos in and Around Calgary
So this year has been an unprecedented one for rainy weddings in Calgary (and all throughout Alberta). You’ve planned for months and months in the hopes that your special day falls on a sunny day that’s not too hot and not too cold only to find that the forecast for your wedding is *DUN DUN DUN* rainy. And not just rainy, like hurricane rainy.
So what do you do? It’s less than 24 hours before your big day and your dream of having outdoor wedding day photos is completely torpedoed.
I’ve got some great news for you friend! Not all is lost. First things first, before I dive in to the best locations for rainy day wedding photos in Calgary, a big thing to keep in mind is making sure your wedding photographer is knowledgable and can photograph anywhere with confidence. I’ve photographed many rainy wedding days this year and have kind of become an expert with how to navigate less than great weather during your event. If you’d like to see the rainy wedding days that I’ve shot, feel free to check them out here.
Now back to what the best locations in Calgary are for indoor/covered wedding day photos!
Rainy Day Wedding Photo Locations in Calgary
Hudson Bay Arches in downtown Calgary
Now this seems like one that people talk about often, but it’s a solid choice for both wedding day portraits and even wedding party photos (so long as your wedding party isn’t too large). And there’s a reason why it’s such a good choice. The Hudson Bay Arches is fairly close to most popular wedding venues as well as giving your wedding day a European/luxury feel to your photos. It’s completely covered yet still outside where you can get that beautiful, natural light you want for your portraits!
Rundle Ruins
This might be a surprising one for most people, but it’s another great choice for rainy day wedding photos outside, as long as it’s not raining too hard. If it’s drizzling to lightly raining, Rundle Ruins can be a great spot for wedding day portraits. It’s a little more exposed than the Hudson Bay Arches, but not so exposed that you’ll get too wet. Rundle Ruins is a super unique structure that can make for some very interesting photos. If it’s not raining too hard, Rundle Ruins is a great option for rainy day wedding photos in Calgary!
Inverness Gazebo in Mackenzie Towne
If your wedding venue sits on the south side, consider Inverness Gazebo—the best spot in the Calgary area for rainy-day wedding photos. This fully covered gazebo sits in a quaint, charming corner of Mackenzie Towne that feels reminiscent of a European neighborhood. It’s an excellent option when you need beautiful rainy-day photos without traveling all the way downtown.
Memorial Library or Any Indoor Library Downtown
Many couples know about the Central Library and its bright, modern architecture, but few realize there are more elegant library options for rainy-day wedding photos. Memorial Library offers a beautiful indoor setting with a wooden staircase, chandeliers, and detailed pillars, plus a small covered awning outside. You’ll need to call ahead to let the librarians know, but they’re always very accommodating as long as you avoid using flash and don’t block foot traffic.
Other places in Calgary can vary between greenhouses, gazebos, historic buildings and parks with interesting structures! There are places like Devonian Gardens where you can have that gardeny green look completely indoors but the major drawback is how expensive the photo license is for photos, especially if you’re only needing an hour!
What I Offer All My Couples With Rained Out Wedding Days
Hopefully your biggest takeaway from this blog post is that you can have beautiful images on your wedding day even if it’s hailing outside.
One of the things I offer as a wedding photographer is day-after or week-after photos for any of my couples who have a rained-out wedding day. Take Mike and Janelle for example! Their wedding happened on the wettest day of the year, and though we did go outside for photos toward the end of the day, I wanted them to have that golden-hour sunset in their images. So, I took them back to their wedding venue and did golden-hour photos in their wedding attire! I was so grateful to do that for them, and it’s something I offer all my couples if they have a rained-out wedding day. Though it won’t be quite the same with hair, makeup, and flowers, you’ll still get the chance to have romantic golden-hour photos in your wedding dress or tux!
