What is the best season to get married in?
With every season that passes, I find myself saying the same thing… I love this time of year! We pride ourselves on working in harmony with the seasons, advising our couples on colour palettes, decor and even textures that work well within their chosen season.
Without doubt it’s the most sustainable way to plan a wedding. Think about your favourite foods, when local produce is in abundance, flowers are looking their best, how much day light there is… It’s something we help couples to work out as part of our planning process, but if it’s something you’d like some advice on, please do get in touch.
In the UK we’re really lucky to have four very distinctive seasons. Below we explore the benefits for having your wedding in each of them, focusing on the reasons why too.
Autumn – September, October and November
The Autumn brings bright, crisp days, colourful trees and early evening sunsets. The falling leaves make for the most beautiful photography backdrop, they also make the most wonderful, natural, seasonal confetti. Spend a day wandering around the words the week or so before your wedding collecting a basket full of colourful, crisp leaves.
In early Autumn the Golden Hour is particularly spectacular. This is the beautiful hour prior to sunset, brings a warm and rich glow to the sky. As well as the colours in the sky, the range of reds, oranges and yellows are spectacular across Autumn, not only in the trees and hedgerows but in the flower farms too.
Although the long hot summer days have faded, we regularly experience an Indian summer in September, bringing warm days and cool nights.
Your dreams of an outdoor wedding can still be fulfilled with proper planning around your date, and your natural backdrop will make mouths drop and be the talk of the town.
It’s a great time of year for an afternoon ceremony. The clocks go back at the end of October, meaning brighter morning and darker, earlier evenings. So, if you’re thinking of having a later afternoon ceremony, Autumn is the best time to do it. Having your ceremony at 3pm, means that you’ll be taking photos whilst the sun sets (although beware it sets quickly at this time of year) and sitting down for dinner by 4:30pm. No need for a long drinks reception, just a locally produced glass of fizz before you sit down for an evening feast.
Use the nature around you to provide a dramatic and natural backdrop for your day.
Although September isn’t traditionally part of the ‘wedding season’ it’s an increasingly popular month to get hitched.
Things to think about when planning an Autumn wedding
It can be a difficult time for many to get time off work, with the children returning back to school and the recent summer holidays, annual leave can be hard to come by for many. Think about choosing a venue that is easily accessible for the majority of guests and that they could travel to and home in the day. Money can also be tight in the autumnal months, with many paying off summer holidays and starting to save for Christmas.
Winter – December, January and February
The first thing for many, that comes to mind when you say winter wedding is snow! And although we aren’t lucky (or unlucky if you’re not a white winter type of person), to get snow every year, we certainly do get the cold frosty mornings and temperatures to match.
Snow can make most seasonal colours pop, we love working with rich reds, greens and navy at this time of year. Think about the using coloured lighting to compliment your colour scheme too.
Light the fire. Who doesn’t love a roaring open fire on a cold, winter’s day? If Winter if the season for you, look for a venue with traditional open fireplaces or wood burning stove. And if a fire isn’t your thing, or your venue doesn’t have one, think you can still create that cosy, calm atmosphere with candles (whether real or faux).
Winter lends itself perfectly to comfort, warmth and generosity. Think about swapping out the traditional glass or fizz for a warming hot chocolate, or a plated dessert for a sumptuous, rich dessert table full of tasty treats.
Typically, winter is a quieter time of year for many wedding suppliers and many offer discounted rate or deals for certain dates. If you’re thinking about.
Things to think about when planning a Winter wedding
As in the other seasons, choose your date wisely. If you’re looking at December dates, the closer to Christmas you get, the busier your guests get. Don’t worry about a save the date, send your invitations a little early and ask for RSVPs ahead of time too. That way it’ll be in people’s diaries well in advance. Then combine sending a Christmas or New Year’s card with a a little reminder of your up and coming big day.
Spring – March, April and May
If you’re looking for soft pastel colours and delicate florals this is the season for you! Is there really anything prettier that a cherry blossom tree in the breeze, sprinkling delicate pink petals in the fresh, green grass below?
People tend to take less holidays in the Spring, so you’re likely to get a ‘yes please’ to nearly all of your invites, that is of course if they haven’t already said yes to another wedding. Spring is becoming increasing popular so it’s another season to get your invites in early!
Traditionally it’s not quite warm enough in the UK for a full outdoor wedding in the Spring. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options: an outdoor ceremony, set in the woods amongst the bluebells, or early afternoon intimate meal in an orangery with the setting sun streaming through the window.
Lighting is important on your wedding day, both inside and out. Bright sunshine is great for your guests, but not so great for photographs. Talk to you venue and photographer about the locations that work well in both full sun and shade.
Things to think about in a Spring wedding
Spring is season of allergies. If you or your partner have severe hayfever, think carefully about having an outdoor wedding in these months. It’s difficult to capture those romantic, intimate moments when one or two of you have red, irritated eyes and a constant runny nose! If you don’t have guests, but are aware some of your guests to, let them know in advance if a large part of your day is planned to be outside, and remind them to pack the tissues!
Summer – June, July and August
If you’re a fan of the outdoors then Summer is the season for you. It’s not surprising that it’s the most popular season for outdoor weddings. With the sun setting as late as 9pm in some weeks, it makes for a fantastic outdoor evening reception. It also means theres no rush, and you have a wider choice when it comes to your ceremony and reception time. As we know, there is no guarantees when it comes to the British weather, so if you’re planning an outdoor wedding, always have a plan B.
It’s the best time of year for an evening ceremony too. Avoid the heat of the day and have a 5pm ceremony, giving you guests plenty of time to travel to your venue, meet up for lunch and then party the night away.
Take your pick! Summer brings an explosion of colour on the flower farms, with pretty much every colour you can image being in bloom, across the three months. We always advise our couples to think about what colours and arrangements they’d like on their day, and then talk to the flower farms ahead of the growing season. Many flower farms will grow seasonal blooms based on your requirements. How awesome is that!
Things to think about when planning a Summer wedding
Although we all love the warmth of the sun on our face, your guests certainly don’t want to sit in an hour long ceremony in the hottest part of the day.
Consider carefully who you really want to be there on your day. August is a prime holiday month, with the majority of families with children taking at least one holiday. July and June less so, but are still popular months for weddings so although they might not be on holiday, they might be invited to another wedding! Get your save the dates out early!
Carefully consider who is most important to you and your groom to be there — and get your save-the-dates out there early.
Summer weddings usually have a longer planning lead time due to it being such a popular few months. We recommend at least 18 months, but of course, it can be done in less. Our planning record for a Summer wedding this year was 3 days!
We love talking about all things wedding planning, eco friendly and seasonal. Get in touch today, and we can arrange a consultation call. We’d love to help you make your wedding day both memorable and sustainable.