- Kelly Gould
How to choose the perfect wedding day weather
Updated: Jun 23, 2020
Will it be dry on my wedding day? That is the question I am asked most frequently
Of course what is meant is 'is there a plan if it rains' and yes of course there is always a plan. But it is also not the only consideration.
We still cannot predict the weather very far ahead. But at least in the South East of England, it does not rain as often as you think.
In fact out of all the Saturdays from April to September, while there will be showers, only one Saturday will be really wet. Last year it was a Saturday in July that was drenching...
So picking July and August is thought to guarantee more sunshine, but it is not necessarily so.
Suprisingly, if you really want to avoid rain, the driest month of spring is April. So April showers are a myth, not borne out by the weather reports of the last 50 years!
April is the driest month
But April is relatively COLD so you need to weigh up what you want to be wearing? Dont forget that night times will be chilly outside. Although with all the steamy dancing in our Copse barn a breath of cool air is always welcome.
We have fire pits in our night garden to keep you warm in the evenings, so unless you REALLY do not like the cold, April is a good all round month to choose.
The glorious weather we are having this spring 2020, when most people are at home rather than working, bears out this statistic. April is dry.
May is a glorious month in so many ways
May is a really good bet and super popular. The garden at The Copse is looking amazing. No doubt you remember the fabulous sunny spring time pictures when both Harry and Meghan and William and Kate got married? That was May.
Whilst May is super popular for weddings, strangely the earlier May weekends are drier than the late May Bank holiday. This is particularly true where we are in the south east. Somehow late May Bank holiday is invariably a wash out, at least in my memory!
Is it best to trust to luck in the summer months?
It is always thought that August days are the best for outdoor celebrations. Perhaps because that was school holidays and it seemed to us the sun was always shining.
But no such luck. August is the wettest of the spring and summer months! Who knew?
What about September as an ideal month?
September is increasing in popularity. At The Copse this month books up very quickly and often in advance of August. September weather for the last few years has seen blue skies and with darkness coming early, cooler evenings are spent dancing in the barn and around the fire pits in the night garden. So September is a really good choice.
We love those late October autumn colours!
At the other end of the year, Princess Eugenie picked 20 October to marry and the chance of having rain by that date had increased 37%. So watch out for late October dates.
But if you take the chance, you will be rewarded with the most stunning display of autumn colours.
It’s not just rain - must I also worry about when it gets dark?
Outside temperature and hours of darkness are much easier to predict.
So think about if you want to dance outside under twinkly lights and a night sky or if you do not mind if it is still light at 10 pm? Do you want your party to start at 8pm when it is already dark?
If it is dark, might it be too cold? How cold might it be at night?
There will always be a wet weather plan from your venue. That will be one of the first things you will ask if you are planning a garden wedding.
But what about being warm?
Is there a cold weather plan! We do provide blankets and shawls here and of course our indoor spaces are heated. Our fire pits in the night garden are super popular. But do be aware of night time temperatures. My daughter says she never expects to be warm at a wedding!
She should know that the average night time temperature in April is 9 degrees (really quite cold) as opposed to 16 degrees in August. That's in the south east of the UK. So think of a cool jacket to wear...?
So will you go for wet and warm or cold and dry?
So perhaps the final choice is between...
A wedding when the spring flowers are bursting into life and you can drift through glorious gardens and picnic with your favourite people.
OR
glorious crisp winter, with its stark colours, when you can snuggle up indoors
.
Almost impossible to decide! One final thought, did you know you can marry at any time of day or night? We await eagerly the first couple who choose a late night ceremony...and maybe stay up to see the dawn? Everything is possible and we wish you all the luck in the world choosing your special day. Whatever you decide, it will be special for sure.