How To Plan For Weather On Your Wedding Day With Expert Tips From Priscilla at the Caloundra Power Boat Club
If there’s one thing none of us can control on a wedding day, it’s the weather. You can have the dream team booked, your run sheet polished and your florals looking like something straight out of Pinterest… and then Mother Nature decides to shake things up. Rain, wind, scorching sun, storms, humidity, you name it.
But here’s the good news. With the right wedding venue and a cool, calm wedding coordinator, the weather doesn’t have to derail your big day. I promise.
In this week’s episode of Pop The Question, I sat down with someone who knows this better than anyone: Priscilla Wilcox, the Function and Wedding Manager at the Caloundra Power Boat Club. With more than 25 years in weddings and events, she’s a guru at keeping things running smoothly, rain, hail or shine. I’ve worked with Priscilla for years and honestly, she’s magic. So much so that she even chose the Power Boat Club for her own wedding, and I was lucky enough to photograph it.
If you’re planning a Sunshine Coast wedding and want to feel totally prepared for anything the weather throws your way, grab a cuppa and dive into these gems from our chat.
Why Weather Matters More Than You Think
The Sunshine Coast is known for its gorgeous blue skies and golden sunsets, but we also get our fair share of tropical storms, windy afternoons and sneaky pop-up showers. Priscilla sees it all from the stunning waterfront at Golden Beach. And she says the biggest key to stress-free wedding planning is simple:
Have a solid wet weather backup plan.
Not a maybe. Not an “it probably won’t rain.”
A real plan.
At the Caloundra Power Boat Club, couples have access to a beautiful glass-enclosed balcony overlooking Pumicestone Passage. If the weather turns, the ceremony can be moved inside in about 20 minutes. Yes… 20 minutes. I’ve seen them do it. It’s seamless.
Five Top Tips
Tip 1: Choose a Venue With an Indoor Space You Actually Love
If you need to move inside, you want to feel just as excited about Plan B as Plan A.
That’s where venues like the Caloundra Power Boat Club really shine. The indoor ceremony location still has gorgeous natural light, ocean views and plenty of space for your guests. The whole vibe stays beautiful and relaxed.
Priscilla says the most important thing is that you still feel happy and comfortable. If you love both options, the weather becomes so much easier to roll with.
Tip 2: Work With a Calm, Experienced Wedding Coordinator
Your coordinator is your anchor on the day.
When the wind picks up, when a rogue shower comes through, when the radar looks questionable… you want someone who’s calm, confident and can help you make the right call without adding stress.
Priscilla said it perfectly:
“You need someone who won’t stress. Someone who can guide you, support you and keep things flowing.”
I couldn’t agree more. And the best part? A coordinator isn’t emotionally tied to the day the way you are, so they can see things clearly and give you level-headed advice in the moment.
Tip 3: Think About Your Guests Too
We focus so much on the couple, but your guests also need comfort. No one wants to sit through a ceremony soaking wet, or sweating through their fresh hair and makeup.
A venue with indoor and outdoor options helps everybody enjoy the day without feeling uncomfortable. And trust me, your guests will thank you for it.
Tip 4: Remember That You Can Still Have Beautiful Photos
Just because your ceremony ends up inside doesn’t mean you miss out on all those dreamy coastal photos.
Once the rain eases, I can easily take you outside for your bridal portraits. Or, if it clears only for a minute, we’ll make the absolute most of that tiny window. That’s the beauty of having your whole day in one location. It gives you so much flexibility.
Tip 5: Don’t Underestimate How Much Stress a No-Backup-Plan Creates
Beach weddings sound dreamy… until you’re refreshing the weather app every hour for a week.
Venues with a strong Plan B give you the freedom to relax, enjoy the build-up and trust that it will be beautiful either way.
I still remember a recent wedding Priscilla and I worked together where traffic (not rain!) caused chaos. Half the guests were stuck on the Bruce Highway for two hours. Because the ceremony and reception were in one place, the team flipped the day with ease. We did a first look and couple photos first, the guests enjoyed drinks upstairs, and we held the ceremony later when everyone had arrived. It was seamless.
That flexibility is priceless.
So… what are the key takeaways for Sunshine Coast couples?
Here’s Priscilla’s expert summary:
Pick a venue with a genuine wet weather option you love.
Make sure your coordinator stays calm and collected.
Keep your guests’ comfort at the front of your mind.
Know that you can still have incredible wedding photos.
Stay flexible. That mindset alone will save your stress levels.
And honestly, your wedding day will always be beautiful, because the real magic is the two of you getting married.
Listen to the Full Episode
You can listen to the full episode featuring Priscilla Wilcox from the Caloundra Power Boat Club right here👉 Plan B in Style: How To Plan For Weather On Your Wedding Day – with Priscilla from Caloundra Power Boat Club
Planning Your Sunshine Coast Wedding?
Hey, I’m Lou O’Brien - long-time local and wedding photographer behind Pop the Question! I’ve photographed hundreds of beautiful Sunshine Coast weddings and love helping couples plan their dream day with ease.
If you’re planning a Sunshine Coast wedding and want relaxed, heartfelt photography (rain, hail or shine), I’d love to chat. Reach out anytime and let’s create something beautiful together.
📷You can view my packages here - Wedding Photography Packages
🎧 Want more wedding wisdom? See all Pop the Question episodes here
📘 Download my FREE Sunshine Coast Wedding Planning Guide - it’s full of local tips and insider advice to help you plan with confidence.
Planning for wedding day weather is so much more than hoping for blue skies. It’s about feeling prepared, staying calm and knowing your venue team has your back no matter what the forecast decides to do. With Priscilla’s practical tips, you’ll feel confident creating a wet weather plan that still looks beautiful, runs smoothly and keeps the fun flowing all day long. You can find her here:
Instagram: @caloundrapowerboatclub
Facebook: Caloundra Power Boat Club
👍 Keep up with Pop The Question & me, Lou O’Brien – Sunshine Coast Wedding Photographer:
Subscribe to my YouTube: @sunshinecoastweddingcollective
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Full show notes - https://www.imagesbylouobrien.com/pop-the-question
Episode Transcript
Lou (00:31)
The one thing none of us can control when planning a wedding is the weather. You can have everything perfectly organised. But if the rain starts pouring, the wind picks up, or even the sun decides to turn into a scorcher, having the right venue can make all the difference. The best venues don't just look beautiful. They're designed to handle whatever mother nature throws your way. So joining me today, I have Priscilla.
who is the function and wedding manager from the Caloundra Powerboat Club. With over 25 years in weddings and events, Priscilla knows exactly how to keep things running smoothly, no matter what the weather's doing. And I've been lucky enough to know Priscilla for years now, and we always have a great time working together at weddings. And get this, she loves the club so much, she even got married there, and I was lucky enough to be her photographer.
Priscilla (00:59)
you
Lou (01:25)
So hi, Priscilla, how are you today?
Priscilla (01:28)
Hi Lou, I'm great. How are you going?
Lou (01:30)
I'm very good. Kiki's kicking back with us again today.
Priscilla (01:34)
Kiki you have to be one of the spoiltest dog around I think. Absolutely she's gorgeous though.
Lou (01:38)
Hahaha
she is. Priscilla, for people that don't know you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Priscilla (01:45)
So I'm a wedding coordinator, love what I do. Been doing it for around 25 years now. Every day is different, love dealing with the brides and the grooms and making their day fabulous.
Lou (01:58)
Fantastic. And I've got to say the Caloundra Powerboat Club has probably one of the best views. So you've got an amazing place to work at looking out over the Pacific Ocean.
Priscilla (02:10)
I certainly do and every day is different like I have to like whether it's the sunny, rainy, windy, stormy, whatever's happening out there every day is different and I never get sick of this view. It's amazing and I love it.
Lou (02:24)
Yeah, beautiful. Okay, well today I thought ⁓ to help our couples since you've got so much experience in weddings and functions that we would ask you a question. For couples looking for a venue to make sure they got all things covered for weather, whether it's rain, wind or really hot sun, what advice can you give them?
Priscilla (02:45)
You've got to have a great wet weather backup plan because obviously the weather is unpredictable. We can't tell you that it's going to be a beautiful sunny day on your wedding day. So you just have to have that plan. Know that it can be still stress free and we can make it look just as fabulous as if it was going to be outside. And we are lucky enough that we have that here.
We've got a beautiful glass enclosed balcony overlooks the water. So you're still going to have those fabulous photos and yeah, your guests are going to be comfortable and you're going to be comfortable and you're going to still have a fabulous ceremony.
Lou (03:20)
That sounds good. Yeah, I do love it there. So if people needed to go to a Plan B with the wet weather, how much time, like how much notice do they have to give to be able to change it from having it outdoors to indoors?
Priscilla (03:36)
Literally we need about 20 minutes seriously like ⁓ it's upstairs is always set so it's it's yeah we don't need much time at all.
Lou (03:41)
Right.
Wow, that's so good. So they can kind of wait till the last minute and if they need to, it can be that quick.
Priscilla (03:52)
It can be, yeah, it can be. yeah. So we've had plenty of practice. Not that it happens that often, thankfully, but when it does, yeah, we can whip it around and change it in no time at all. And it's still gonna be great.
Lou (04:05)
Yeah, that's really good to know. So Priscilla, what's your next tip you can give our
couples.
Priscilla (04:11)
To have a wedding coordinator that is not gonna stress, you need to have someone that's gonna be calm and help you make those decisions and know that they are going to be the right decisions and you're still gonna have a fabulous ceremony if we need to change it around and it can be done quickly and it's stress free. It's very important to have someone that is going to calm you down on the day. You don't need somebody that's...
going to be stressing you out even more. So yeah, so someone that's very calm, relaxed, definitely, definitely you need that.
Lou (04:39)
Yes!
Yeah,
yeah, absolutely. I totally agree with that. think having a wedding coordinator who's not emotionally involved in your day, but has the experience to know like what the weather can do there because depending if you're having a wedding in the hinterland and you've got the rolling hills, the venue coordinator up there might know that, they can see the clouds maybe know,
that's going to come on us very soon and they might be able to make that call or for someone like you down by the water, you'll know if that's really windy and the clouds are coming in, you'll know whether that's going to come soon or not. And by not being emotionally involved in their wedding, having someone come like you can make it an easier decision for the couples, I think.
Priscilla (05:30)
Yeah, absolutely. And we can see when I can look up the waterfront and see that the rain is coming and it's like, okay, it can be here, but it can be gone in 10 minutes as well. So we can sort of predict it. Obviously, we try to still give them the option, like, what do you want to do? Because we don't want to tell them what to do, but we advise them. And normally,
they pretty well will go with what we've suggested because we've been doing it a long time. And we want the guests to be happy and comfortable as well. Like no one wants to get wet and sit out in the rain or the wind and be really uncomfortable. So yeah, so we make it happen and it always winds up being fabulous.
Lou (06:12)
Yeah, that's such a good tip to how you bring the guests into it because the wedding isn't just about the bride and groom and the bridal party. Like the guests are there too. So if they get wet, it's a long day for all your guests to be wet and cold.
Priscilla (06:27)
Yeah.
Absolutely. Like it's, yeah, uncomfortable. Like who wants to, you know, people spend a lot of money getting ready for a wedding, like hair, makeup, dresses, shoes. Yeah. You want to be comfortable. Like, you know, and the photos are still going to be beautiful. Like you're still going to get great photos here, which is important, obviously, you know, that's the memories that you're going to have. But, you know, and we're lucky we have
Lou (06:39)
Yeah
Priscilla (06:54)
fabulous photographers like you that make it work and make it happen for them.
Lou (06:58)
Yeah, thanks. So ⁓ I think that's a really good point too, like depending on the venue that they pick, if they've got one like yours that the ceremony and the reception are in the same place, if they have to go to plan B and do an indoors ceremony, it's very easy for the photographer then to be able to take them outside for their photos, or it could be the bridal party photos.
You don't have to have an outdoor ceremony to still be able to take the bridal couple photos outside.
Priscilla (07:29)
I
⁓
Lou (07:29)
Priscilla, so ⁓ is there any more tips you would like to give our couples when they're considering weather for their wedding day?
Priscilla (07:36)
You have to have somewhere that you can go if the weather's not gonna be great. So I'm putting it into their minds so that they're aware that, ⁓ yes, actually it could rain on my wedding day.
We want easy, nothing needs to be that hard.
Lou (07:49)
Yeah, I think that's so important to be able to talk to your couples leading up to the day just to let them know that it could rain, it could be really windy or it could be stinking hot on their day and if they're prepared for that and have to make the change it's not such a shock that you know that they have to go to their plan B but
Priscilla (08:06)
Yeah.
Lou (08:13)
to know that it's still gonna be beautiful anyway. I mean, at the end of the day, it's about two people getting married, isn't it?
Priscilla (08:19)
Absolutely, that's the other thing that I remind them. At the end of the day, you're getting married. That is the main thing that's gonna happen on this special day. then we still try to get downstairs if we need to to get those photos, if the rain stops or whatever. So we're always putting in their minds that...
we still could get those photos downstairs. It doesn't mean, you know, but at this point in time, you're going to be comfortable upstairs. Your guests are going to be comfortable. But you've got that wet weather plan and they agree and they're like, yeah, absolutely. So I couldn't think of anything worse than getting married outside on a beach somewhere and then you haven't got a backup plan and you're watching the weather like a week before and it's...
Lou (08:58)
Yes.
Priscilla (09:00)
Stressful, too stressful. Don't need it.
Lou (09:01)
Yeah, actually,
no, you don't. And you just reminded me of a wedding that we did together recently, where it actually wasn't the weather for this wedding, but it was actually the traffic on the Bruce Highway. And we had a daytime lunch wedding. Thankfully, it was a daytime wedding. And I can't remember, there was about
40 guests and we had a whole lot of them, especially the groom's mom and auntie were stuck on the highway for like two hours. But because your wedding venue had the ceremony and the reception in one place, you were so quick to flip it around. I remember you took the guests upstairs for canapes and drinks. They enjoyed their drinks and we ended up doing a first look with the bride and groom.
Priscilla (09:47)
Yeah.
Lou (09:51)
and doing all their bridal couple photos first. And then when the mum and auntie arrived, you guys were so good there. You could just flip it around and we just kind of reversed the wedding and then had the ceremony two hours later. having everything in the one place made it a lot easier. you guys were, yeah, your team was incredible doing that.
Priscilla (10:12)
thanks, Lou. Yeah, I think we all worked really well that day. And, you know, and we were lucky that we had
great bride and groom that were pretty chilled out too to be honest. yeah, but it worked like, yeah, we just reversed everything around, did photos before the ceremony. But at the end of the day, they got married, they were happy and that's all that matters.
Lou (10:22)
Yes.
Yeah, so I think a good takeaway from that is as a couple be flexible and picking a venue that does have the ceremony and the reception in one place is probably a great idea to make it stress-free.
Priscilla (10:46)
Absolutely and like it's so easy I mean I got married here myself so you know what does that tell you?
Lou (10:52)
I
know and I'm a little bit biased. I'm a Caloundra local growing up here. So I absolutely love Caloundra I think it's a hidden gem. So it's a beautiful place. But thank you. We are now coming up to one of my favourite parts of the podcast, which is the pop the question. This is my mystery wedding themed question from my trusty little camera here. So I'm going to ask you a question. I'm going to pull it out from here.
Priscilla (11:10)
Okay.
right
Ha ha ha.
Lou (11:20)
This is always fun. like this one. Okay. ⁓
what's the sweetest thing you've seen a couple do?
Priscilla (11:31)
probably both crying at the altar as they're getting married and they just can't control themselves and they've got tears running down and it's through pure excitement and love and joy and it's very special and it you know makes everybody teary like in in the and then you've got everyone crying it's just like my god but it's happy tears happy tears
Lou (11:49)
I'm... It
is. Actually, as a wedding photographer, I had to learn a few years ago to stop listening too much to the ceremony. I need to know my key points, but if I listen to the vows and they cry, I actually start crying. So it's not very good as a photographer, like shaking and crying. So I just try not to listen.
Priscilla (12:10)
Yeah!
Lou (12:15)
much because they can be so beautiful the vows.
Priscilla (12:18)
they really are and like everyone's got a different story, know, a story to tell and and it's yeah, it is, it's beautiful and the music too, the music really gets to me, especially when it's my like it's the song that I walk down the aisle to it just brings it all back and I'm like, my god, it's my wedding.
Lou (12:24)
Yeah.
Yeah.
I love that, that's so cool. Well, great answer. Thank you so much. Now, before we go, I always love to just give our guests a couple of tips that they can take away with them when planning their wedding. So what are the key points you want them to know about when considering a wet weather venue for their wedding day?
Priscilla (12:57)
You just got to have somewhere that you're still going to be happy with, like that you're going to love your photos. It's easy for the guests when they come here, they just drive here. There's no going backwards and forwards from reception to ceremony, but we can just, you know, still do that ceremony and it's going to be beautiful and we can, you know, make it just as special as if it was outside.
Lou (13:18)
Yeah, I love that. Perfect. Great answer. Okay, well thank you so much Priscilla for coming today. Now if people want to find out more about the Caloundra Powerboat Club and the Caloundra weddings, where can they find you on the socials?
Priscilla (13:32)
So we're on Facebook, Caloundra Power Boat Club, and we've also got Caloundra Weddings as well, and we're on Instagram also.
Lou (13:41)
Perfect. Okay. Well, thanks for that. And thanks everyone for listening in today. If you want more information, you can all head on over to my website, which is imagesbylouobrien.com/ pop the question. You'll be able to find all of Priscilla and the Caloundra Powerboat Club details over there, as well as the show notes and happy wedding planning everyone. And thanks again, Priscilla. See you later.
Priscilla (14:08)
thanks for having me. See you later. Have a great day.
Podcast link - Plan B in Style: How To Plan For Weather On Your Wedding Day – with Priscilla from Caloundra Power Boat Club