The engagement party is one of the first pre-wedding events on a typical wedding timeline. This gathering is a couple’s way of informing their friends and family about their recent engagement. Showing off your engagement photos is a highlight of this party.
Rainy engagement photos are romantic, dreamy, and memorable. There are also many ways you can personalize your rainy engagement photo shoot, such as recreating scenes from movies, hiding behind umbrellas, and dancing in the downpour.
Below is a list of 13 rainy engagement photo ideas you can consider for a timeless set of pictures. Several tips for a successful rainy engagement photo shoot are also provided.
Most Romantic Rainy Engagement Photo Ideas to Consider
1. Dance in the Rain
Many people inexplicably feel the urge to dance when standing in the rain. Dancing while it rains feels exhilarating, liberating, and romantic. Consequently, many movies and TV shows use this scenario as their plot’s climax or turning point.
Any location will suit this rainy engagement photo idea well — the streets, your backyard, a forest, and more.
You can wear anything for this photo shoot, though a dress will look fantastic while twirling. Going barefoot is also an option if the area is safe.
2. Drinking Hot Beverages Together
Cold and rainy weather calls for a comforting mug of a hot beverage. You can bring tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or any drink you prefer. Serve it in matching mugs or thermoses; you can also purchase personalized drinkware online.
As for the location, this rainy engagement photo idea is versatile. You can execute it at home, sitting on your porch, looking outside the window, or lounging in bed.
This idea also works well outdoors. You can travel to a particular place and sip from your mugs as you admire the view. Alternatively, you can visit your favorite coffee shop — or any store that sells hot beverages — and capture some images there.
3. Go Mary Poppins
In the iconic movie Mary Poppins, a strong wind blows away the nannies slated for interviews. Afterward, the titular character arrives by an umbrella, using the strong wind as propeller.
If you want a funny rainy engagement photo, consider recreating this scene. Have one partner jump with the arm holding the umbrella being “carried away.” The partner not holding an umbrella can hold onto the other, preventing them from flying.
4. Peek-a-Boo
Clear umbrellas are well-loved props for rainy engagement photos. However, if you have opaque umbrellas, use their nontransparent quality to your advantage.
A big umbrella will cover both you and your partner. You can face each other, hold an umbrella to shield your upper body, and do whatever you want behind the accessory. You can smile at each other, share a passionate kiss, or make goofy faces and get one another to laugh.
You can also hold one umbrella each. The color, style, and pattern can express your personality. For example, you may prefer an umbrella with a floral motif, whereas your partner likes geometric patterns. You can intertwine your free hands.
5. Piggyback on Your Partner
Carrying someone can be romantic in some contexts. As for a rainy engagement photo shoot, giving your partner a piggyback ride counts as an act of service. You are keeping your partner safe and helping them get through the rain.
One pose you can try is looking directly at the camera, giving both of your brightest smiles. The rest of your pictures can be candid shots, showing how you and your partner play around.
6. Play up Your Silhouettes
When you prefer a nighttime rainy engagement photo shoot, silhouettes are an intriguing and romantic visual tool. Moreover, this idea is excellent for urban areas, wherein buildings have bright lights that will beautifully contrast with shadows.
Choose a location that is significant for both of you. Examples include the apartment complex you first moved into, the place you proposed, or your newly bought home. Make sure the lights are bright to give the image intensity, though your photographer can also edit the pictures to emphasize the contrast.
7. Public Transportation
People often say that whenever it rains while they commute, looking outside the window makes them feel like the main characters in a music video. If you wish to make this feeling come true, consider taking your rainy engagement photos in a public utility vehicle.
You can board a train, ride the subway, or hail a cab. Once inside the vehicle, you have plenty of poses you can try: watch the scenery, draw on the foggy window, lay your heads against each other, and so on.
8. Put on Your Rain Gear
Besides being aesthetically pleasing, this rainy engagement photo idea has a deeper meaning. Marriage is a new chapter of your life, and, like the weather, it is unpredictable. Putting on rain gear means preparing each other for what is to come.
9. Recreate Your Favorite Scene
As mentioned above, movies and TV shows often incorporate rain into memorable scenes. Lovers dance, profess their feelings for each other, reunite, and do other heartwarming things while it rains in the background.
You may already have a scene in mind, such as one from your and your partner’s favorite show. However, here are some films or series with iconic and romantic scenes in the rain:
- Australia (2008)
- Dear John (2010)
- Enchanted (2007)
- Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
- Friends (Ross and Rachel)
- Little Women (1994)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)
- Teen Wolf (Stiles and Malia)
- The Notebook (2004)
- The Office (Jim and Pam)
You can best recreate the scenes from these movies and shows by wearing similar outfits to the protagonists. Your clothes and accessories do not have to be identical, but there should be enough similarities that the references are identifiable.
10. Seek Shelter
Our first instinct is to run and seek shelter when it suddenly rains. Doing so will prevent us from getting soaked. As for your rainy engagement photo shoot, this idea is easy to execute yet still as romantic and memorable as other ideas.
Go to a nearby building, stand under its awning, and pose however you want. You can observe the rain, stick your hand out, embrace one another, or kiss. Place an umbrella somewhere in the frame to make the current weather condition apparent in the images.
Sometimes, less is more. Simplicity does not always imply inferiority. This rainy engagement photo idea embodies that fact: holding your partner’s hand while kissing them is an uncomplicated pose, but it has a lot of meaning.
Couples do this — hold hands and kiss — every day. While that may discourage you from executing this pose, its everydayness makes it extraordinary. Your pictures will show how comfortable you are with each other, how you express your love, and more.
12. Stand Under an Umbrella
If you are looking for a simple but romantic rainy engagement photo shoot, consider bringing an umbrella as your sole prop. There are unlimited options for the accessory’s design — you can go with black, white, rainbow, see-through, or patterned.
Because you only have one prop, you have a lot of flexibility with poses and blockings. You can share a passionate kiss, look into each other’s eyes, hold hands, or walk to a different location. You can even use an umbrella like a barrier, a sword, and more to capture a quirky picture.
13. Use the Puddles to Your Advantage
Firstly, your photographer can capture your reflection on the puddle’s surface. With the right angle, you will get a symmetric picture. This visual effect is stunning and memorable, especially with the rain continuing in the background.
Alternatively, you can roleplay situations involving the puddle. You can play and splash around, help each other avoid the waters, or stand on opposite ends and reach out for one another. Let your creativity — and personal experience — inspire your poses.
Tips for Taking Your Rainy Engagement Photos
Double-Check if Your Makeup Is Waterproof
Because you will be standing in the rain for a considerable time, your makeup needs to handle the water well. Check the packaging or marketing of your makeup, and you will see if the products are waterproof.
If you cannot find any information about the makeup, you can test them at home. Wear the products as you would during the photo shoot, then stand underneath the shower. Experiment with different water pressures.
Skip the Makeup
You also have the option to forgo wearing makeup, going for a natural look instead. You do not have to worry about ruining your eyeshadow, eyeliner, or foundation. Furthermore, having no makeup will also work well with particular rainy engagement photo ideas.
Wear Outfits with Warm Colors
Some pictures with rain tend to look gloomy, bleak, and gray. If your outfit consists primarily of cool colors, such as greens and blues, you risk blending into the background.
With that said, choose a warm color that will be the dominant shade in your outfits. Examples include oranges, pinks, and yellows. You can experiment with their hues and tints. Meanwhile, cool colors and earth tones can act as accents.
Oppositely, avoid going with neon colors. These shades will reflect unflatteringly off your and your partner’s faces.
Bring Additional Outfits as Backup
Since you will be standing in the rain, accidents and mistakes will inevitably happen. You might get mud onto your dress, slip on a puddle, or ruin your shoes. With these contingencies in mind, it is best to bring additional outfits you can change into so you can proceed with the photo shoot.
Incorporate Rain Gear into Your Outfits
Mixing fashion with practicality will help you stay safe and clean during your rainy engagement photoshoot. You may already have a stylish pair of rain boots, jackets, hats, and mittens. Otherwise, you can borrow or purchase them from retailers and thrift stores.
Here are some examples of rain gear you should consider bringing to your photoshoot:
- Rain boots
- Boot socks
- Rain mittens
- Rain hat
- Coveralls
- Umbrella
- Raincoat
- Trench coat
Bring Towels, Warm Clothes, and Hot Drinks
Once the photoshoot ends, you need to dry off and increase your body temperature. If you do not immediately do so, you risk catching an illness. While the rain is not to blame for the sickness, the conditions your body experiences make it more susceptible to bacteria and viruses.
Towels are a must — get yourself as dry and warm as possible. Moreover, change into warm and comfortable clothes.
You should also bring a hot beverage, such as tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Not only will these drinks help you keep warm during the photo shoot, but they will also let you relax on your way home. Store them in thermoses that retain heat for the entire day.
Make a Contingency Plan
Even if you anticipate a rainy engagement photo shoot, the severity of the rain is unpredictable. It might become unexpectedly torrential, therefore unsafe for you to continue with your planned pictorial.
You must craft a contingency plan with your photographer as early as possible. During your initial meetings, ask your photographer about backup locations, options for rescheduling, and other logistical matters. In this case, it is better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.
Go with the Flow
Ultimately, the weather is outside of your control. The rain can be heavier or lighter than expected, regardless of how extensively you plan your rainy engagement photo shoot. With that said, this day is an excellent exercise in flexibility, versatility, and creativity.
Think of the day as one of your first trials as a soon-to-be-married couple. Sometimes, life throws challenges your way. You and your partner must do what you can to assess and adjust to the situation. If you work together, and with the help of your photographer, you can get through everything.
