Whether to get married in summer or winter is probably a decision as old as whether to get married at all. Both have positives and negatives and depend a lot on the weather, the facilities and your planning. Get it right and either can be wonderful.

With that in mind, let’s look at the pros and cons of summer weddings versus winter weddings and see which offers you the most. We have taken many of the key influencers of an average wedding and will discuss both seasons in each. That should give you a good idea of which suits you best.

Weather

The number one priority for any seasonal wedding discussion has to be weather. Not long ago, a summer wedding in July or August could be reasonably assured that it would be warm if not sunny. No longer. A summer wedding could be as cloudy and as blustery as a winter one at the moment, so isn’t the advantage it once was.

Summer weddings at the moment need a plan to cope with bad weather. However, a winter wedding is guaranteed to be cold, if not wet. At least you can plan for the cold and everyone will dress accordingly.

Photographs

Summer wedding photography is predominantly outdoors to showcase the wedding party and the venue at its best. As long as the photographer is good enough to position everyone to avoid squinting and to get the right light, your wedding photographs should be perfect.

A good wedding photographer can also get the best out of inclement weather too. There are lots of wedding pictures that show threatening clouds and dark skies at their best, making for very dramatic pictures. The tip here is to get the right photographer, as they can get the best out of you whatever the weather.

If you’re getting married in the summer, you will have to book your wedding photographer earlier as they are much busier than in winter.

The Dress

Do you go short sleeve or long? Backless or not? Multi-layered or simple? Is it going to be warm or cold? Summer weddings used to be so simple. Now they are anything but. It seems whether you’re getting married in summer or winter, you have to plan for the cold and rain.

The climate shouldn’t necessarily influence your choice of dress, but choice of accessory. For a summer wedding, it’s useful to have waterproofs of some description to protect you while you’re outside. You could go Bo-ho and use wellies and a vintage fake fur wrap, or get some matching umbrellas.

A winter wedding is slightly easier. You know it’s going to be cold, you know it’s likely to be wet so can plan accordingly.

The Venue

Some venues can cope with some seasons better than others. Most will shine during the summer, while only some of them could cope in winter. It’s important to discuss both when you’re selecting your wedding venue.

Any venue with a garden is going to look green and pleasant in summer. Flowers should be in bloom, trees will be full of leaves and the skies might actually be blue. Factor in bare trees and less foliage for winter.

Travelling

It isn’t just the bride and groom that has to get to the wedding, but the rest of the party too. A summer wedding is usually easier to get to, but families have more going on. Transport will be booked earlier too, so it’s important to get in there quick once you decide on a date.

Practicalities

Practicalities could cover a hundreds of pages on its own. It includes everything from providing waterproofs for guests, umbrellas, ensuring caterers and suppliers can make it on the day, ensuring you can get to the airport or wherever you’re staying on your wedding night and providing somewhere for the children to burn off their energy.

Summer practicalities include providing somewhere in the shade for those with delicate skin, offering plenty of cool drinks in case the sun comes out, having umbrellas on hand and an indoor space in case the weather really doesn’t go your way. It also means booking everything earlier than you often need to with a winter wedding and having alternatives for everything in case you don’t get there in time.

Winter practicalities include hats, gloves, that fur wrap, warm drinks and plenty of indoor space, with the option of outdoors if the day is a nice one.

Costs

Cost is of course a major consideration in any wedding. Left unattended, a bride could run through many thousands of pounds planning her dream wedding day!

Summer weddings are often more expensive because it’s the busiest time. There may be premiums for photographers, caterers, venues, churches, transport and everything the modern wedding involves. It also means you have to book early and plan everything carefully to ensure everyone is ready when needed.

Winter weddings can be cheaper as most companies involved aren’t quite as busy. It is possible to get discounts, deals and more for your money. It can also cost more though. A winter wedding may involve buying more warm clothing, extra hot drinks, more inside space and secondary travelling options.

As you can see, there is no clear winner between a summer wedding and a winter one. Essentially, a summer wedding now has to plan for sunny weather with a chance of cold and wet while a winter one has to plan for cold and wet with a chance of sunny!