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 wedding day 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 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 happens to be more on the south side, then Inverness Gazebo is the best spot for rainy day wedding photos in the Calgary area! It’s completely covered in a quaint, adorable part of Mackenzie Towne that’s very reminiscent of a European neighborhood. A great option for your rainy day photos if you need a place that’s not all the way downtown!

Memorial Library or Any Indoor Library Downtown

Many couples and photographers know about the Central Library, with it’s big amazing staircase and LOTS of large windows for that natural light. But not a lot of couples know about other libraries that have more of an elegant look versus the more modern architecture of the Central Library. Memorial Library is a great option for a totally indoor option for rainy day wedding photos in Calgary. It not only has a slight covered awning for some amazing photos outside, but it has a beautiful wooden staircase inside as well as chandeliers and details carved into the interior pillars and ceilings. You will have to call in advance and speak with one of the librarians to let them know, but I’ve had nothing but great experiences with them! As long as your photographer doesn’t use flash and you don’t get into people’s way, they’re very accommodating!

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 wedding day couples who have a rained out wedding day. Take Mike and Janelle for example! Their wedding was on the wettest day of the year, and though we did go outside for photos towards the end of the day, I wanted them to have that golden hour sunset in their photos. So, I decided to take them out to their same wedding venue and do golden hour photos in their wedding attire! I was so grateful to be able to do that for them, and it’s one of the things 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 at least get a chance to have romantic, golden hour photos in your wedding dress/tux!