If you're planning to have family and friends over for a barbecue but the big day arrives and it's pouring with rain, don't worry! You can still produce a lovely meal and delight your guests.

Keep Food Indoors

If the skies are looking a little grey and you think there is a chance of rain, be sure to keep most of your food inside rather than having it outside banquet-style on a table. That way, if it suddenly starts raining you don't have to deal with soggy buns and water-logged salads. Also, do any food prep indoors so that you can easily transfer your food directly to the barbecue, eliminating the need for any panic once you're outside if the skies do decide to open.

Use an umbrella

In a downpour, use an umbrella to avoid extinguishing the charcoal briquettes. Simply hold the umbrella over the barbecue anytime you open the grill cover; you may get soaked, but your food will stay nice and dry.

Get the oven to help you out

You could also partially cook your meats in your oven to save time waiting for your barbecue to cook them through. When it rains, barbecues cook food slower as the cold metal absorbs heat from the warmth inside the barbecue, which, in turn, lowers the cooking temperature. If your meats are already partially cooked, you can finish them off on your barbecue and not have to keep your guests waiting.

Change the time of your barbecue

If the rain is really bad, rather than change the date of your barbecue simply push your event forward a couple of hours to give the rain a chance to die down. Ring your guests and let them know -- they'll probably have figured it out for themselves already that there is a change of plan. If you're lucky, the rain won't last for long. And if it does? Have your guests over anyway -- just let them hang out in the living room with plenty of snacks and board games while you do the gallant thing of getting wet while you cook their dinner.

Whatever you choose to do, don't let a bit of rain ruin your day or ruin the barbecue feast fun. Keep your spirits high and your guests will have a lovely time; after all, you can't control the weather, but you can control your attitude towards it!