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Weather can make or break an outdoor wedding, and most advice about it is a guess. This guide uses 30 years of official weather records to show the best month to get married, state by state and city by city: the odds of rain, the number of hot days, and when sunset and golden hour arrive.
Weather sites give you averages. We turn them into answers a couple can use: a score for each month, the months to avoid, the ceremony start time that puts your portraits in golden light, and a date picker for any day you are considering.
Choose A State
- California: 15 places, from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento to Burbank. We started with California, the state with the most weddings by our estimate from CDC marriage rates and state populations.
More states are being added, starting with the ones where the most couples marry.
What Each Page Shows
- The best months for an outdoor ceremony, with the numbers behind them.
- Month-by-month weather: average high and low, days of rain, days at or above 90°F.
- The odds of a rained-out ceremony for each month.
- Sunset, sunrise and golden hour for each month, and a suggested ceremony start time.
- A date picker for any day you are considering.
Wedding Weather Questions
Can weather normals predict the weather on my wedding day?
No. Normals describe what is typical for a month over 30 years. They help you choose a month and plan for risks. For your actual day, look at the forecast about ten days out.
Where does the weather data come from?
From the 1991 to 2020 U.S. Climate Normals published by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, using one airport weather station for each place. Sunset and golden hour are calculated from each station's coordinates.
What does the outdoor ceremony score mean?
It is our 0 to 100 rating of how friendly a month is for an outdoor ceremony. It subtracts points for rainy days, hot days and cool afternoons. A score of 90 or more means very few weather worries. A score under 50 means plan for an indoor option.
Do I still need a backup plan in the best month?
Yes. Even the best months can have a wet or hot day. A covered or indoor backup, agreed with your venue in advance, is the cheapest insurance an outdoor wedding has.