When It Rains in Mallorca: A Wedding Planner’s Tale of Thunder, Chaos and Snorkelling Flippers

Why every Mallorca wedding needs a Plan B, even when the bride is absolutely convinced it won’t rain.

After years of planning weddings in Mallorca, I’ve learned a few things. One is that weddings rarely go entirely according to plan. Another is that the most unexpected moments often become the best stories.

And perhaps the most important lesson of all?

If your wedding planner tells you it’s going to rain, it might be worth listening.

Let me take you back to one particular wedding at the beautiful Son Mir, with approximately 120 guests, a determined bride and a weather forecast that was becoming increasingly alarming.

The Bride Who Wouldn’t Believe in Rain

Now, I completely understand why couples dream of an outdoor wedding in Mallorca.

Beautiful gardens, warm Mediterranean evenings, dinner beneath the stars. It’s one of the reasons people choose to marry here.

And this particular bride had planned exactly that.

She was absolutely beautiful, dressed like a goddess, and had a very clear vision of how her wedding day would unfold.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature hadn’t received the brief.

Two days before the wedding, the forecast was predicting rain.

Not a little shower.

A proper storm.

We discussed the possibility of moving dinner into the covered area, which, incidentally, was a fabulous alternative.

The answer was no.

The day before the wedding, we raised the subject again.

Still no.

On the morning of the wedding, with the forecast looking increasingly ominous, we tried once more.

Absolutely not.

Our bride was having her outdoor wedding, and that was that.

I was beginning to suspect she believed that by simply refusing to acknowledge the rain, she could somehow prevent it from happening.

A sort of Mediterranean rain goddess.

And to be fair, for a while, it looked as though she might actually have magical powers.

So Far, So Good…

The ceremony took place outside.

No rain.

Cava and canapés followed.

Still no rain.

The bride looked understandably delighted.

Possibly even a tiny bit smug.

Meanwhile, the catering team and I were keeping a very close eye on the sky.

Then the clouds began to gather.

And these weren’t ordinary clouds.

These were enormous, dark, dramatic storm clouds rolling across the Mallorcan countryside.

The sort that make photographers positively giddy with excitement and wedding planners considerably less enthusiastic.

I remember looking up and commenting that although the clouds were rather ominous, they would make an absolutely spectacular backdrop for the couple’s photographs.

And they did.

When the couple returned from their photo session, the photographer was thrilled.

The pictures were stunning.

The storm clouds behind the couple looked incredible.

I looked at the sky.

“It’s going to rain,” I said.

“No, it isn’t,” came the reply. “It’ll pass.”

“Oh, OK,” I said.

Sometimes, as a wedding planner, you simply have to accept that you’ve given your professional advice and the final decision belongs to the couple.

Although I did continue watching those clouds.

Dinner Is Served… Almost

The dinner tables looked magnificent.

Beautiful flowers, crisp linen, sparkling glasses and everything arranged exactly as the couple had imagined.

There was just one small problem.

We hadn’t been permitted to prepare a second dinner setup under cover.

So all twelve tables were outside.

All 120 guests were outside.

And the storm was getting closer.

Everyone took their seats.

The temperature suddenly dropped.

The wind picked up.

The first speech began.

And then…

The heavens opened.

Not a gentle drizzle.

Not a few spots of rain.

A proper, spectacular Mallorcan downpour.

For a few extraordinary moments, the guests remained seated, attempting to protect themselves with their dinner napkins.

I can still picture it.

One hundred and twenty beautifully dressed wedding guests sitting at dinner tables with napkins balanced on their heads.

Unfortunately, napkins have a rather limited capacity for waterproofing.

Then came an enormous clap of thunder, accompanied by lightning.

And that was that.

Everyone ran.

Operation Rescue the Wedding!

Fortunately, Son Mir had a wonderful covered Plan B area, which we had been recommending all along.

We immediately directed the guests towards it.

But there was still the small matter of dinner.

Twelve beautifully decorated tables were now twelve extremely soggy tables.

The tablecloths were soaked.

The napkins were soaked.

The chairs were soaked.

The wine glasses were full of rainwater.

And the entire dinner setup needed to be moved.

Immediately.

What happened next is something I will never forget.

Every single supplier sprang into action.

The catering team, waiters, kitchen staff, photographers, venue staff and our planning team all began grabbing tables, chairs and anything else we could carry.

We were literally running through the rain with entire dinner tables, trying to salvage as much as humanly possible.

Even some of the guests joined in, picking up chairs and helping wherever they could.

There was no discussion about whose responsibility it was.

No standing around wondering what to do.

Everyone simply got on with it.

Because there was a wedding to save.

And Then Came the Snorkelling Mask…

Meanwhile, the guests were safely under cover, being entertained by one of the evening’s speakers.

And this is where the story becomes completely ridiculous.

Somehow, and I genuinely have absolutely no idea how he managed it, the speaker appeared wearing a snorkelling mask and flippers.

Yes.

A snorkelling mask.

And flippers.

At a wedding.

In the middle of a thunderstorm.

To this day, I have no idea where he found them or how he managed to put them on so quickly.

But what an extraordinary way to turn a disaster into entertainment!

While he kept the guests laughing, the rest of us continued our rescue mission.

The catering team worked absolute miracles.

Tables were rearranged.

Wet linen was dealt with as best we could.

The dinner setup was gradually pulled back together.

It wasn’t easy.

It certainly wasn’t pretty behind the scenes.

And dinner was considerably later than planned.

But we did it.

We saved the wedding.

The Magic of Weddings Isn’t Always Where You Expect It

Looking back, what stays with me isn’t the rain.

It isn’t even the bride’s determination to have her dinner outside.

It’s what happened when everything went wrong.

Every single person worked towards the same goal.

The caterers weren’t just caterers.

The photographers weren’t just photographers.

The waiters weren’t just waiters.

For that extraordinary period, we were all simply one team, determined to make the wedding work.

Even the guests became part of it.

And that’s something I find rather wonderful about weddings.

They bring people together.

Not just for the ceremony, the speeches or the dancing.

Sometimes they bring people together in the middle of an absolute disaster.

And somehow, those unexpected moments become the memories people treasure.

I suspect that years later, the couple and their guests are still talking about that storm.

The napkins on their heads.

The thunder.

The mad dash for cover.

And, of course, the mysterious man in the snorkelling mask.

Because while nobody plans for these things to happen, they often become the stories that are told and retold for years.

So, What Can We Learn About Planning a Wedding in Mallorca?

Mallorca is a beautiful place to get married.

We enjoy glorious sunshine, wonderful temperatures and some of the most spectacular outdoor wedding venues in the Mediterranean.

But we also have weather.

And occasionally, that weather has a mind of its own.

That’s why, when I’m helping couples choose their wedding venue, I always encourage them to consider the alternative arrangements.

Not because I expect something to go wrong.

But because I want them to have a wonderful wedding whatever happens.

A good Plan B shouldn’t feel like a disappointing compromise.

It should be somewhere you’d be happy to celebrate your wedding, even if the sun doesn’t shine.

And having an experienced team around you means that when the unexpected happens, there’s someone ready to find a solution.

Preferably without having to run through a thunderstorm carrying twelve dinner tables.

Although, as you’ve probably gathered, we’ll do that too if we have to.

And my final piece of advice?

If I tell you it’s going to rain…

Please believe me!

Annie
The Mallorca Wedding Company

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