The Weather Man

The Q: "We are having our wedding on a rooftop and the reception inside on a lower level in a city venue.  We have the option to tent our rooftop, but obviously, I'd rather not since I like the rooftop because of the views, and the tent will add major $$$ to our budget.  When do I realistically need to make this rain call?"

The A: Wow, great question!!!  Well, the truth of the matter is, you probably need to make the call about 2 or 3 days prior.  The Tent company is going to likely tell you that you need to make it sooner, (like a week or so) but see if you can simply put a deposit on it first, and then make the call when you get a day or two out. 

Ultimately, the most important thing is that the rain plan is set to go.I would say that if it looks 40-45% chance of rain or greater, I would make the rain call, particularly if there is not a back up space to have the reception in.  There isn't anything worse than a rained out wedding filled with wet guests! 

While it wouldn't spare you the cost of the tent for the rain, you should check with the tent company and see just WHEN they would start putting up the tent and what your tent options are.  First off, a clear top tent will feel much more airy than a plain white tent.  The other thing is if they are only setting it up that day or the night prior, you might still need to PAY for the tent (since you would have reserved it) but if it seems like the weather has changed, you might be able to make a last minute call about setting it up. 

Best of luck and I hope that the weather is on your side! Remember, your wedding will be wonderful no matter what!