Dancing in the Rain: What My Wedding Day Taught Me

Looking back on my wedding day, I laugh at the things I once worried about. I obsessed over the shade of ivory for the flowers—as if anyone would have noticed if they were a little too cream or a little too white. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

Our venue? An intimate outdoor setting overlooking the ocean—dreamy, at least in theory. The reality? It poured rain all day long, the kind that’s more of a downpour than a drizzle, with wind that sent chairs tumbling and veils flying. We had to move everything inside, but the day didn’t lose its magic. Rain-soaked and all, it became uniquely ours.

We had visions of breathtaking outdoor photos. Plans changed—we huddled under the deck while the wind whipped around us. At one point, we just gave in, ran onto the rain-soaked deck, and let the moment take over. We laughed, we twirled, we got a little wet—and somehow, those photos became my favorite ones.

And then, there was the dancing. My husband and I had taken lessons leading up to the big day. In my head, we were Fred and Ginger—poised, graceful, ready to dazzle. But as soon as the music started, every single step we’d learned disappeared from my brain. It didn’t matter, though. We laughed, we swayed, we twirled, and we had so much fun. No one cared about perfect choreography—least of all, us.

Here’s what I’ve learned: the details you stress over? They’re just that—details. Things will go wrong. The weather might not cooperate, the cake might be a little off-center, and you might completely forget the dance you practiced for weeks. But none of it matters as much as the love, the joy, and the people who are there to celebrate with you.

If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be this: embrace the imperfection. The rain will come, the dance steps will fade, and it will still be magical—because it’s yours.