The standard we work to
A wet-weather plan is not a corridor with chairs in it. If the alternative space would disappoint you, it is not a plan, and we would rather change the venue than pretend otherwise.
Rain in Phuket is usually intense and short. Most disruptions are 30 to 60 minutes, which is why flexible timing often solves more than a marquee does.
What a workable plan contains
- A named covered space, written into the venue contract, within a short walk of the ceremony setting.
- A decision time — usually three to four hours before the ceremony — and a named person who makes the call.
- Flooring for grass and sand areas where guests would otherwise stand in mud.
- Umbrellas in volume, held ready rather than stored.
- A supplier plan: what florists, sound and lighting do if the set moves.
Marquees
A marquee is a real solution but it is not a late one. Structures must be booked and built in advance, so if the budget only stretches to a marquee 'if needed', it is not available to you. Decide early whether it is in the plan or not.
Timing flexibility
Where a venue and supplier team allows it, holding a 30 to 45 minute delay in reserve is the least intrusive contingency of all. This has to be agreed with the caterer and the celebrant in advance, not improvised.