In defence of a wet wedding

You cannot dodge it, so stop trying

We get two monsoons. The southwest one runs roughly May to September and the northeast one December to February, which between them covers most of the dates anybody actually wants to get married on. Picking a date to avoid rain in Sri Lanka is picking a date to avoid rain in Sri Lanka.

Rain makes the decision for you

On a bright day everyone spends an hour deciding where to stand. When it comes down, that is settled for you, everybody goes inside, and the whole wedding compresses into fewer rooms with more people in them. Photographically that is an upgrade, not a compromise.

Cloud is the best light you will get

A flat grey sky is a softbox the size of the district. Nobody is squinting, nobody has a hard shadow across half their face, and a white saree stops blowing out against a dark suit. Photographers quietly hope for it and then feel bad about saying so.

The entire contingency plan

Ten large plain umbrellas by the door, ivory or clear, never branded. One indoor spot agreed in advance for family groups. That is it. That is the plan.

Then stop refreshing the forecast. It will not change the weather and it will absolutely ruin the fortnight beforehand.