Q. I am planning an outdoor wedding. What kind of arrangements should I make in case of rain? A tent may not be in my budget.

A. Outdoor weddings, in South Bend, can be beautiful, but always have a backup plan in case of inclement weather. High heels and muddy ground does not mix. If a tent isn’t in your budget, find a facility that can offer both indoor and outdoor settings. But be aware this may cost you extra, quite often the facility will book two events, one outdoor and one in if they have the room. I have seen one event on the island at Century Center and one in the Great Hall at the same time. Another idea would be to find a facility with an outdoor pavilion with a permanent roof erected, but in the local market I do not know of any such facilities except the Morris Inn, on the Notre Dame campus, which erects their tent for the summer every year.

An old saying that applies to South Bend and the surrounding area’s weather is “wait 5 minutes and it will change”. Exaggerated yes, but if you are planning to have a wedding outdoors in Michiana we strongly suggest having a tent erected in case of rain. With all the costs involved in a wedding even outdoors, tables, cloths, napkins, centerpieces etc even if your budget is tight, not having the tent could cost you even more money if you suffer a rain out.