Why Sussex County Couples Choose Venue with Two Weather Backup Plans

You book your outdoor wedding venue in Delaware in January. The ceremony site looks perfect, the gardens are exactly what you pictured, and you sign the contract feeling confident about your October wedding date.

In September, you check the weather forecast obsessively. Your group chat fills with umbrella emojis and rain cloud screenshots. Someone asks what happens if it pours, and you realize you never actually confirmed the backup plan.

We hear this constantly at Willowbrook Weddings. Couples plan outdoor ceremonies, fall in love with the setting, and then spend the weeks before their wedding stressed about the weather. 

What Two Weather Backup Plans Actually Mean

Some Delaware wedding venues offer one alternative if it rains, usually moving your ceremony indoors to the same room where you're having dinner. Your guests sit in the reception space, your decor setup happens in a rush, and the whole flow changes.

At Willowbrook Weddings, you get two distinct backup options included with your booking. Both are actual ceremony spaces, not conference rooms pressed into service when the weather turns.

Option One: Willowbrook Hall
Our main indoor space, climate controlled, with room for all 250 guests. The Hall has 6,000 square feet, dimmable lighting, and black chiavari chairs. If you move your ceremony here, it doesn't feel like a compromise. It feels elegant and intentional.

Option Two: The Pavilion
A covered outdoor structure that holds up to 150 guests. The roof provides shelter, but the sides stay open so you still get that outdoor wedding feeling. You hear birds, your photographer captures natural light, and guests don't feel trapped indoors.

Why This Flexibility Matters

If your venue only offers one backup and it's the reception hall, you're locked in when the forecast looks bad. Maybe the rain is supposed to stop by 5:00 PM, but moving indoors is your only option.

Two backups mean flexibility based on actual conditions. Light rain? The Pavilion works. Heavy storms? Move to the Hall. The forecast shows scattered showers that might clear. You can make a game time decision the morning of your wedding.

We've had couples check the radar at 10:00 AM, see the storm passing through by 2:00 PM, and choose the Pavilion as a middle ground. They stay under cover during setup, then if the rain stops, cocktail hour moves outside, and the outdoor spaces open back up for photos.

What Happens to Your Outdoor Vision

You still get married at a beautiful wedding venue in Delaware with multiple photo opportunities across 20 acres. Your ceremony might shift to the Hall or Pavilion, but cocktail hour, reception, and portraits still happen in the spaces you envisioned, assuming the weather cooperates after the ceremony.

We've had ceremonies in the Hall at 5:00 PM, then by 6:00 PM the rain stopped and cocktail hour moved outside to the Courtyard under bistro lights. Your photographer takes you to the back forty for golden hour portraits while guests enjoy appetizers. By reception time, half your guests don't even realize the ceremony was a weather pivot.

Or the ceremony happens under the Pavilion, and afterwards your photographer walks you to the Pond for reflection shots, or to the Woods at Willowbrook for that stone wall backdrop you wanted. You get the images you planned for, just not during the ceremony itself.

How We Handle the Decision

We don't force you to commit days in advance unless you want to. Some couples decide a week out because the forecast clearly shows storms. Others wait until the morning because the weather is borderline.

The morning of your wedding, we check in about the decision. If you're activating the backup, we confirm which one and handle the setup shift. If you're staying with your original outdoor location, we proceed as planned.

We host one wedding per day. Your contracted time is yours alone. Everything we have is available based on what the weather demands.

Why This Matters for Your Budget

We include both weather backups in your venue rental. No upcharge for activating the Pavilion or Hall as your ceremony location. The 250 white padded folding chairs move to whichever space you need. Setup happens during your contracted time.

You're already paying for access to the entire property, including all seven ceremony locations. The weather decision is just about which space makes sense on your day, not which one fits your budget.

See Both Backup Plans in Person

We host monthly bridal open house events where you can tour the entire property, including the Hall and Pavilion. You'll see both weather backup options set up and understand exactly what your ceremony would look like in each space.

Photos online show you what the room looks like, empty or styled for someone else's wedding. An open house shows you the scale, the lighting, and whether the space feels right for your guest count.

Conclusion

The weather will always be the one thing you can’t control when you plan an outdoor wedding. What you can control is whether your venue gives you real options when conditions change. At Willowbrook Weddings, two built in weather backup plans mean you’re never scrambling, rushing decor, or settling for a space that doesn’t feel like a ceremony location.

Whether your day calls for the Pavilion’s open air shelter or the Hall’s elegant indoor setting, the decision is based on what actually makes sense for your wedding, not what’s easiest for the venue. Couples leave knowing they can adapt without sacrificing the experience they planned or the photos they imagined.

When you tour Willowbrook, ask about how often weather plans are activated and how couples typically use the property after a rain delay. Seeing both backup options in person makes it clear why having two intentional ceremony spaces changes everything. Instead of hoping the forecast cooperates, you’ll know your wedding day is covered, no matter what the skies decide to do.

FAQs

What are the two weather backup options at Willowbrook Weddings?
The first option is Willowbrook Hall, our indoor climate controlled space that seats all 250 guests with dimmable lighting and black chiavari chairs. The second option is the Pavilion, a covered outdoor structure that holds up to 150 guests with open sides that maintain the outdoor wedding feel while keeping everyone dry.

Do we have to pay extra to use the weather backup spaces?
No. Both weather backup options are included with your venue rental. There are no additional fees for activating the weather backup plan.

When do we need to decide which backup space to use if it rains?
You can decide as late as the morning of your wedding. Some couples commit a week in advance if the forecast clearly shows storms. Others wait until the day of to see actual conditions.

What happens to photos if we use the weather backup?
Your photographer adjusts based on which backup you choose and whether conditions improve after the ceremony. Many couples have ceremonies in the Hall or Pavilion, then move outside for portraits once the rain clears. You still have access to all outdoor spaces, including the back forty, Woods, Pond, and Courtyard for photos.