Jenna Bush, daughter of the last President of the United States, was married recently but not in the White House. In fact, there hasn’t been a White House wedding for 37 years and that was Tricia Nixon’s wedding to Edward Cox in 1971. Unlike most of her predecessors, who married in the splendor of the East Room, Tricia preferred the natural, lush surroundings of the Rose Garden and her father, the president, agreed. until the big day.

It rained.

By 4 o’clock, when the wedding was to begin, it was pouring. The White House staff would not set up the chairs because they didn’t want to dry them off. The guests were waiting and the President of the United States was in a tizzy.

Finally, in an act of desperation, he called the Air Force, who informed him that the skies would clear at exactly 4:30. The chairs were hastily set up and the bride and groom hurried up the aisle. The minister recited the Lord’s Prayer, then the vows, pronounced them man and wife, said one more prayer and then the benediction. Somewhere in between, the groom placed a wedding band on his wife’s finger. They turned and ran down the aisle.

The heavens opened up and everyone, including heads of state and dignitaries, made an undignified dash to the White House. The sad part is the ceremony was uneventful and the beautiful Rose Garden, decorated with the most luxurious topiaries and fresh flowers you’ve ever seen, was wasted on a ten-minute ceremony.

Don’t let this happen to you! Plan your wedding wisely and well and don’t take chances with Mother Nature!

Many times brides get hung up on the beauty of an outdoor wedding, when the weather can wreck havoc on their dreams. Never, never plan an outdoor wedding without having a viable contingency plan to fall back on. After all, most of us don’t have the luxury of calling on the Air Force for help.

Happy Wedding Planning!