Rain, Weather, Midday Heat Advice:
Good news–Less than 1% of our 1,600+ beach weddings were altered due to rain! Besides us being “charmed” here’s why:
For beach weddings along the coastline area between Wilmington NC and Myrtle Beach SC, the weather is relatively stable and dry. Rain is very brief, real storms are few, and sunshine is plentiful. Why? The geography affects the atmosphere and weather pattern: the North Carolina coastline curves inward as it becomes South Carolina. See red circle on our map here.
That inward curve creates a weak eddy (“whirlpool”) in the atmosphere overhead, and that eddy sweeps rainstorms inland or out to sea! Often, it storms in Wilmington NC or in Myrtle Beach SC, but remains clear and sunny skies inside that red circle. Thus national forecasts for the beach here, are always very wrong. So we recommend you avoid the “r” word, disallow joking and worrying about it, and think only “clear, calm weather” instead. Don’t manifest the “r”. Think about clear, calm, dry light breezes and perfect weather!
Friend, it DOES get wet here sometimes…in 5-20 minute scattered showers. It may not come down at all where your ceremony is, but sprinkling on the next block! So if it sprinkles on you, just wait a few minutes… it will leave soon:
- Want to accurately track those scattered showers in real time? Download the free cellphone apps “Raindar” and “AccuWeather” and “My Radar” that we use.
- Also if THESE forecasters says 30% chance or less of precipitation, then no worries. If its 50% or less, you MIGHT wait a few minutes if it comes to your neighborhood.
MIDDAY HEAT & TIME OF CEREMONY:
- Climate change is real here: in May, June, July and August mid-days are SCORCHING HOT (heat index of well over 100+ degrees & 85+ degrees at dawn too!). Plus its humid, sweaty/sticky, searing bright sun (want no-sunglasses during ceremony?), and crowded-with-noisy-tourists on the beach between 8:30am and 6pm EVERY day – so avoid that time.
- A breeze will not help at 100+ degrees in direct burning sunlight! and you cannot go jump in water or walk away under a shade-canopy during your ceremony…in your fancy wedding outfits.
- Sunburns happen within a 5-10 minutes between 9am-3pm for fair skinned. Use sunblock especially on fair kids. Bring umbrellas for shade and water bottles too.
- You can hope for overcast skies, but the sweaty high humidity and noisy crowds will stay anyway.
- Overhead, bright sunlight casts black shadows on faces, making everyone look very haggard, tired, and old. Not so at dawn and dusk!
- The best time for weddings is sunrise time, or the last hour before sunset, dusk.
- We have done over 1,600 weddings here–we have seen ‘midday’ weddings suffer from burning heat, wilted expensive hairdos and sweat blotchy clothes, crying burned kids, burned feet, thick crowds, and blinding sun. Go early or late instead. Seriously. PLEASE heed this!
- FYI: WIND and HAIR can make a mess so, CLICK HERE TO READ MANAGING THAT TOO!