British Summer Wedding Guest Attire When the Forecast Says Rain

Wedding season is upon us. Hurrah. Brit weddings are weird things though, aren’t they?

Organised in a country where even a few hours without rain is considered a drought warning, we tenaciously plan outdoor ceremonies with the misguided optimism of those that have never actually lived here. Marquees at the bottom of fields with cava chilling on picnic rugs made of straw alongside junior school portraits taken underneath gnarled, elderly oak trees. And we do this all whilst glancing anxiously at the hourly weather updates that regularly alternate between “showers” and “heavy rainfall” more often than politicians change their explanations.

Speaking of British weddings – I have had some dire experiences in recent years. Weddings I have attended that rank alongside the worst meteorological conditions the UK has had to offer over the past few decades.

There was the dreamy valley location in Somerset where my entire family spent the ceremony trying to keep our heads downwind so the bridal veil didn’t take flight and stick us in the face like a disgruntled goose.

The North Yorkshire “garden” wedding reception where the marquee erected on an extremely muddy field began to sink steadily lower into the earth during the course of the afternoon until guests had to wade through mud to access the bar. And then of course there’s my cousin’s “midsummer” wedding last year in mid Wales where instead of celebrating summer the couple received a dowry from Noah himself just as the bride walked down the aisle; the quartet bravely battling on until they had to abandon ship and dash for the church entrance lest they drown inside their own instruments. But still we go outside for British summer weddings, dressed in attire more suited to Provence than Poole.

We wear clothes that are lightweight to the point of disappearing entirely and our shoes disintegrate faster than trust in politics at the first sign of a puddle. Looking good is clearly a secondary concern to blindly hoping that this year will finally be the year that Britain does what it says on the tin and provides us with a summer. Until that year comes I’ve found the key to tackling a summer wedding is working out how to look like you should be there whilst protecting yourself from Britain’s Great Outdoors.

Start with what you know Weddings are, of course, special occasions and call for special clothing. But that doesn’t mean you have to descend into sartorial madness just because there’s a possibility of sun. The building blocks of a smart modern wardrobe aren’t that different from staying dry and comfortable at an outdoor summer wedding.

Fabrics first. Linen, cotton and light wool all pose problems when it comes to rain. Linen wrinkles as soon as it gets wet and takes ages to dry.

Cotton absorbs moisture and will eventually stick to your skin in a most unflattering way. Light wool will cope admirably with a sprinkling of rain, but if wet weather does decide to come it will cling to you until at least the closing speech. Rather than completely avoiding these fabrics, my advice would be to think about tailoring how you use them.

Rather than wearing something made from 100% linen or cotton choose jackets with high-twist wool linings or trousers made from tropical wool. This gives you the breathable feel of linen cotton but with materials that cope much better with moisture. High twist wool fibres tend to have a tighter weave which will allow you to speed through the rainy bits before your suit gets soaked through.

If it looks like rain is definitely on the cards then go with navy or mid-grey high twist wool for your suit. Not only will darker colours hide water marks easier, but these fabrics will spring back into shape better if you end up running for cover. I have a favourite summer wedding suit that’s seen me through most weddings for the past few years.

Navy fresco from Anglo-Italian, it’s tucked itself away underneath many a coat in the rainy seasons and emerged remarkably well whatever the weather has thrown at it. As for linen and cotton, why not keep these fabrics relegated to only one part of your suit? Jackets made from linen or cotton will still give you the breathable feel you want in summer, but if it does rain your trousers will stay intact while you liberate your jacket from yours arms to hold above your head until you reach shelter.

Better still, the longer you wear a linen or cotton jacket the more pleasingly it will wrinkles when you take it off – making you look like you planned it that way! After fabrics, let’s talk footwear because let’s face it, suede will get wrecked if you step in a puddle. Unless you really like watching £300 crunch and disintegrate beneath your feet every time you take a step. (Trust me, it gets old really quickly).

White bucks are another summer wedding staple that’ll show up every raindrop that sodded up on your shoe with depressing clarity. Go with calf leather instead and make sure it’s got a leather sole (Dainite rubber if you’re expecting Noah to show up) in a mid-to-dark colour. Ideally go for something with broguing or other texture as this will disguise rain spots better than shiny leather.

I’m partial to a pair of dark brown leather loafers or half-brogues myself. Treat yourself to a decent waterproofer too, something you can rub into the leather rather than the disposable sprays that promises waterproofing for about two minutes. Say it’s utter crap weather you’re expecting?

Go leather Chelsea boot-under-longish trousers instead. They’ll keep your socks dry come hell or high water and no one will bat an eyelid at seeing socks at a wedding. Layer to win If there’s one thing a British summer can throw at you it’s unpredictable temperatures.

Layering is your friend, and luckily a three-piece suits offers plenty of versatility. Wear your waistcoat for warmth when it’s cooler, ditch your jacket when it heats up and use both for maximum formality when it counts. Choose a light-weight wool waistcoat too, as part of your fresco suit for example.

It’ll give you some extra warmth without looking like you’ve put your winter coat on underneath your jacket. For less formal occasions why not try wearing a lightweight blazer with odd trousers. Think navy hopsack with grey tropical wool trousers.

They’ll let you dress down slightly but still allow you to layer up should the temperature take a turn for the worse. Keep your blazer cut slightly on the longer side too, it’ll protect your trousers from rain should you get caught and will cover your legs if you end up sitting on a rain wet chair. Finally on the note of jackets; don’t be afraid to cheat and throw a packable raincoat in your bag/trainers.

I’m not talking about the big anorak-like numbers you get from places like Tennant’s here. I mean jackets from Norwegian Rain, Mackintosh’s lighter offerings and yes even Uniqlo’s newer offerings. These aren’t just waterproof, they’re actually functional jackets that you won’t hate wearing should you have to deploy them.

Just keep it in your bag or a jacket pocket and you’ll be ready when the clouds decide to open up. Plan like you’re prepping for the apocalypse…but don’t let on The other thing you can do to stay dry at summer weddings is to be prepared for the worst, but don’t let on that you think it’s actually going to happen. Rain check: the British Summer Wedding Essential Packing List – A quality umbrella.

No pole-less contraptions here please. A decent stick umbrella you can hide behind is a wedding guest MUST. Something in a muted shade with a wooden handle works best in my opinion.

London Undercover and James Smith & Sons both do amazing ones. When not in use they double up nicely as a manly cane to swing around when your in-laws are boring you with questions about your career ambitions. – Scarf. Ok hear me out.

Even in summer a lightweight cashmere scarf can come in handy. Not only will it look great peeking out under your blazer lapel, but it’ll protect your shirt collar from rain dripping down your face/hair/damnedhood and keep you warm should the temperature take a sudden nosedive as it inevitably will during the winter months. Mine’s a fine navy and has become something of a wedding essential come rain or shine. – Hat.

Ah hats, the accessory brilliantly positioned between ruining your whole look and being utterly useless. A heavy wool trilby? Way too intense.

Straw?

Summer, yes but hardly rain-proof. Go classic and get yourself a Panama.

Not only will they provide decent protection from showers, but they’re also 100% biodegradable when wet (just lean on Liam Gallagher at volume 11 and they’ll dissolve beautifully). – Emergency kit. Hide a slim plastic bag in your pocket or car filled with; a spare shirt, folded neatly, an extra pocket square (trust me, you’ll want something to stuff under chairs should you need to dry them), a small towel and sealed wallet/ phone holder (ziplock bag or purse with a waterproof cover will suffice). You’ll thank yourself if it pours.

So there we have it. My guide to looking smart and staying dry at British summer weddings. Let me know if you’ve found this useful or if there are any other weather related weddings tips I can pass on in the comments below.

Ever since spending a morning trying to dry off my best mate’s dad’s wedding suit at the bottom of a Scilly Island cliff I’ve been thinking of ways to combat Britain’s best offerings and hope you’ll find them useful too. Oh and get out your invitations for next year’s summer weddings are already here. Complete with tiny sun icons and diagrams of cocktails served on picnic rugs.