When is the best time of year to get married?

Over the years, wedding traditions have altered. For example, it was nearly unheard of for people to get married on a Friday or Sunday, now it is very common (I have even photographed weddings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays). Another tradition that has altered is the time of year people get married.

Today it is very common for people to get married in the Winter and Summer months as opposed to 15-20 years ago. There are two “peak seasons” in the year for weddings, being both Autumn and Spring. During this time, I may photograph between 8 to 10 weddings per month, as opposed to Winter where I may photograph 3 to 4 weddings and Summer where I may photograph 4 to 6 weddings per month.

Leading up to your wedding day, there is one thing that every bride and groom worries about. Rain. If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, rain will have a major influence on how your day pans out. Occasionally, I have been photographing weddings where there is no backup plan for the ceremony and it has decided to rain, and things have gotten messy.

However, there is one thing that I personally believe is more detrimental to your wedding day than the rain. The heat. Lately in Sydney, we have been cracking the 45 degrees on a regular basis. This can leave the bride and groom feeling tired, sweaty and even faint.

Heat can also be difficult for your guests, especially kids and the elderly to have to sit through a 30 minute ceremony in the blistering heat. If you planning a summer wedding, it is better to have it later in the evening or early in the morning to avoid the brunt of the heat.

Obviously winter can get cold, however the cold is not as much of a problem. Combine the cold with even light rain and wind then you may have an issue. This is why winter weddings are much less common than the warmer months. I always recommend choosing a wedding venue that can host your ceremony both outdoors and indoors if it rains, this especially important in the winter months.

If you are having a church wedding then it is not as much of a problem, however if you a planning a beautiful wedding in a park or garden then you might run into trouble.

Then we have Autumn and Spring. Both seasons provide mild temperatures, low chance of rain and an even lower chance for extremely hot weather. In addition, both seasons have the best light for wedding photography.

You may be thinking to yourself “c’mon Lucas, light is light” and yes you are right. However, lets look at the time when ceremonies and location shoots normally take place. Your typical wedding, irrelevant of the season will start at around 3pm, go for half an hour then the location shoot may start at 4pm through to around 5:30pm and the reception will start at either 6pm or 6:30pm.

In summer, during your ceremony and location shoot the sun will still be very high in the sky, resulting in harsh light. The best light will will be around 7pm to 8pm when it is low in the sky and creating that beautiful Golden Hour we all seek. During this time, you will more than likely be in the reception at this time and probably starting your mains.

In winter, it gets dark quickly. Usually the light will be gone right on 5pm. This can result in great light for your ceremony and family shots, however your location shoot may be rushed. An experienced wedding photographer will also use off camera lighting which will allow them to keep taking photos once it is dark.

It is always a good idea to time your wedding so you get the best light during your location shoot and to a lesser degree your ceremony. In Autumn and Spring the best light will be from around 5pm to 6:30pm.  During these seasons you will usually be making your entrance to the reception just as it gets to dark to take photos.

One added benefit of having your wedding in Autumn or Spring wedding is the colour of the leaves. In Autumn, you will get amazing red and brown leaves falling off the trees which looks great in photos. In Spring, you will get lovely bright colours in the leaves and flowers starting to bloom.

Not something to base your entire wedding around, but a nice benefit nevertheless.

Although this article has discussed the benefits of having an Autumn or Spring wedding, if you plan correctly your wedding will be amazing any time of the year. We live in a country where seasons are not strictly traditional and weather can be random.

Your wedding photographer should be able to provide information regarding to when the best time is to do location photos and the best time to host your ceremony.

If you are planning your wedding and asking yourself “When is the best time of year to get married?” then please visit our Contact Page to send us any questions you may have.