Brides Beware: Some States Fare Worse for Wedding Weather Disasters Than Others

Based on submissions to the Farmers' Almanac® Worst Wedding Weather Contest, couples marrying in Texas, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have experienced the soggiest, snowiest, windiest, most hurricane-hampered and hail-ridden wedding weather.

Meanwhile, brides and grooms who walk down the aisle in South Carolina, Arizona, Oregon, Utah, or North Dakota had the fewest amount of Worst Wedding Weather contest entries, suggesting couples may experience less wedding weather surprises in these states.

"Judging by contest entries alone, Texas is not the best place to tie the knot," said Peter Geiger, Philom., editor of the Lewiston, Maine Farmers' Almanac, and advisor to Savannah-based Farmers' Almanac TV. "The Lone Star state had the highest number of worst wedding weather stories, everything from freezing rain in April, to floods, to stifling hot temperatures."

Geiger, who launched the "Worst Wedding Weather Contest" on The Today Show last August, asked couples across the United States to share their worst wedding weather experience online at FarmersAlmanac.com. "The results were astonishing," reports Geiger, "with 500 entries there was every kind of not-so-nice weather scenario you can imagine."

On Valentine's Day, a panel of Farmers' Almanac judges selected the 10 most weather-battered wedding entries. Now, the public is invited to read the tales of woe and vote for the best of the worst wedding weather stories at farmersalmanac.com/worstweddingweather. Voting closes on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2008, and winners will be announced by March 31 on farmersalmanac.com.

The couple with the most votes will win a romantic, seven-night, second honeymoon cruise aboard Royal Caribbean International, complete with vow renewals, airfare and $1,000 onboard credit.

Farmers’ Almanac Top Ten Worst Wedding Weather Finalists Include:
— Two Louisiana couples and a North Carolina couple who had hurricanes crash their wedding parties.
— A Philadelphia area couple whose wedding day plans were postponed by record snowfall.
— A Massachusetts couple caught off guard by a freak snowstorm in May.
— Couples in Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas whose weddings were dampened by heavy rain.
— A Michigan couple whose Hawaii wedding vacation in paradise felt like an episode of Survivor.
— An Indiana couple whose reception hall became an infirmary in the wake of a deadly tornado.

Prospective brides and grooms, as well as those planning events in the near future, can avoid an unwelcome surprise from Mother Nature by checking out the free, two-month weather forecast on FarmersAlmanac.com, or consulting the print edition of the Farmers’ Almanac which contains 16 months of forecasts, Geiger said.

"We get thousands of calls and website visits each year from brides and grooms to be, checking for dates when the weather will be best for their weddings," revealed Geiger,"which is why the Farmers' Almanac is often referred to as a 'bride's best friend.'"

About Farmers' Almanac and Farmers' Almanac TV:

The Farmers' Almanac, which features an orange and green cover, has been published every year since 1818. It contains useful and interesting articles as well as long-range weather predictions, gardening advice, recipes and more.

Farmers' Almanac TV, based in Savannah, GA, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Buy The Farm, LLC, which owns the exclusive license for video and electronic media production of the Farmers' Almanac brand.